The Kaffarah payment is a vital part of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. Within this important month, Muslims must fast during daylight hours, meaning they need to abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. This is a high act of worship that Allah (SWT) set as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, known as Sawm. He also dedicated the month of Ramadan to this act of worship for Muslims to spend more time focusing on their faith. Because the month is dedicated to worship and devotion to Allah (SWT), fasting is carried out by the majority of believers at this time since it is an obligation. There are some exceptions when Muslims can’t fast, such as if they’re elderly, are in poor health, menstruating, pregnant or breastfeeding, and if they’ve not reached the age of puberty. These people can make up for missed fasts when they are able to do so, or pay compensation to feed the poor. The same goes for people who unintentionally or intentionally break their fasts. When it comes to unintentionally and intentionally breaking a fast, there are two different types of compensation Muslims should give, depending on which way they have broken their fasts. These compensations are known as Fidya and Kaffarah, which are used to help those in need and are both key parts of Ramadan.
The Kaffarah payment is a way to make amends for certain mistakes, like when a Muslim misses their obligations, such as fasting or certain oaths. When a believer pays Kaffarah, they are showing mercy and seeking forgiveness from Allah (SWT) for their shortcomings. This payment provides Muslims with a unique opportunity to compensate for their avoidable lapses. Here at UKIM, we know it can be hard to know the difference between Fidya and Kaffarah and to truly understand what Kaffarah is. But, don’t worry, as we have all the answers to common FAQs on Kaffarah, so you know exactly what you need to do to fulfil this requirement when needed.
The Kaffarah payment is a form of redemption for Muslims to seek forgiveness for their sins from Allah (SWT). It is a charitable way to make amends that helps those in need to have a nutritious meal and the basic necessities they can’t afford. It is also a payment that cleanses a Muslim’s sins and gain forgiveness. Kaffarah needs to be paid when a believer has violated an important Islamic obligation, with no reason as to why they can break that obligation.
The payment is usually needed during Ramadan because this is the period of the Islamic calendar when most Muslims fast. Kaffarah should be paid when a Muslim intentionally breaks their fast at any time in Ramadan without a valid reason. If they eat or drink, or even do any prohibited actions during daylight hours and consciously know that they are doing this, they have intentionally broken their fast and, so, need to make the Kaffarah payment. This contribution should be given when this happens for Muslims to make up for their bad actions and ask for forgiveness from Allah (SWT). Even though Kaffarah is mainly used during the month of Ramadan, it is not just limited to this month. Yes, Kaffarah should be paid when a fast is consciously broken with no reason, but it should also be paid when a Muslim hasn’t fulfilled vows and oaths that they have made to Allah (SWT).
So, when is Kaffarah necessary? Paying Kaffarah is only necessary when a Muslim has purposely missed or broken certain religious duties. When this is done with no valid reason, Muslims must make the payment. This applies to believers who knowingly and wilfully break their fast during Ramadan. So, during the daylight hours of the holy month, if you purposely and knowingly eat, drink or engage in other activities that invalidate a fast, you need to make up for this sin with a Kaffarah payment. This is the only way you can seek forgiveness from Allah (SWT) for your bad actions and make amends with your faith.
If a fast is missed because of reasons that are out of your control, therefore becoming an unavoidable and unintentional break, then Kaffarah doesn’t apply. This covers illnesses, travelling, unintentionally eating or drinking when you shouldn’t be and other valid reasons that you can’t help. Instead of making a Kaffarah payment when this happens, a Muslim can make up for their missed fasts at another time during the year when their mind, body and soul are back to peak performance and they have the strength to do so. If a Muslim has to break a fast for a legitimate reason for a long period of time, making it impossible to fast again at another point in time, then Kaffarah still doesn’t apply. Instead, the payment of Fidya is needed in this case, since Kaffarah is strictly a payment that is required for intentionally going against a religious duty.
When it comes to the price of the Kaffarah payment for breaking a fast during Ramadan, it all depends on which action you can take. You see, Kaffarah isn’t just simply paying a compensation to charity. There are one of two actions you can take in Islamic tradition. If you have broken your fast intentionally, then you must choose one of these actions to make up for your mistakes and achieve forgiveness. Having this choice provides Muslims with a way to get forgiveness from Allah (SWT) and purify their faith in a way that suits their needs and abilities, providing a way for everyone to make amends no matter their situation. The actions you can take are:
So, when it comes to the question, “How much is Kaffarah for not fasting?”, this is aimed at the option of feeding 60 people in need, since it is a monetary donation. The cost of this action can vary significantly because it all depends on the region you are in and the cost of food there. Kaffarah should include the cost of two meals per person, so you need to factor this in when working out the cost to get an accurate number and fulfil your duty. To make this easier for you to calculate, the cost of Kaffarah for purposely missing a fast equates to 750 grams of staple foods for 60 poor and needy people. This is equal to 45kg of these foods in total. So, the price of this was roughly £300 in total for 2025 for each intentionally missed or broken fast. As for 2026, this price can vary, so it’s best to check closer to the time and gain advice from your local mosque.
Before you pay Kaffarah, you need to look for an accurate cost for your area with local scholars and charities, so that you can correctly make your Kaffarah payment. Once you know the exact price you have to pay to make up for your purposely missed fasts, you can easily give your donation to UKIM. We have made paying Kaffarah quick and easy to ensure that you make up for your mistakes and gain forgiveness, while helping those in need. Our team will then distribute your money into packages with basic necessities for the poor, giving every penny of your Kaffarah to those in desperate need as quickly as possible.
Many people wonder if they can pay Kaffarah instead of fasting during the month of Ramadan. While Kaffarah is a way to make up for intentionally breaking your fast, it should not be something to use as a way out of fasting when you have no valid reason. You can’t just choose not to fast during Ramadan right from the beginning and make a Kaffarah payment instead. You should make the effort to fast if you can do so and achieve your religious obligation. Kaffarah should only be done if you choose to break the fast knowingly, like if you decide you need to have something to eat in daylight hours and continue to do this. It is not an excuse to get you out of fulfilling your duty.
If you unintentionally break the fast or have a valid reason, you don’t have to pay Kaffarah and have different ways to fulfil your obligations.
If you can’t afford Kaffarah in both forms, meaning that you can’t fast for two months straight and pay a charity for the poor, you need to seek forgiveness from Allah (SWT) in other ways and find a way to provide the necessary meals to those in need. Other ways to gain forgiveness are to perform Istighfaar and Taubah (the ninth chapter of the Quran). However, as soon as you are able to, when you regain your health and wealth, you should pay Kaffarah. If you only gain wealth and not health, you can pay Fidya instead. It is important to note that Kaffarah is a religious duty when you knowingly stop your fast, so you should try and pay it – even if you need to find a way to fulfil this duty because it is your responsibility and commitment to your faith.
A very common question for Kaffarah is, “Do you have to pay Kaffarah if you are sick?”. The answer to this is no. If you are sick and miss your fast during Ramadan, this is something out of your control. This makes it an unintentional breaking of the fast not intentional. Due to this, you don’t need to pay Kaffarah. There are other ways to make up for this unintentional break because illness is a valid reason to not continue your religious obligation.
Fidya and Kaffarah in Islam are similar compensations that are used in Ramadan for when you break a fast. Because they are so similar, it is easy to get the two mixed up. To help you understand the difference between Fidya and Kaffarah, you need to know what they both are.
As we now know, Kaffarah is a payment that must be made when you intentionally break a fast with no valid reason. Fidya is another mandatory charitable contribution that is needed when you unintentionally break a fast. This means that if you have a valid reason for needing to break a fast, you can pay Fidya, not Kaffarah. This type of donation is made for Muslims who can’t fast and aren’t able to make up their missed fasts later on in the year, so people who won’t regain their full health and strength in the Islamic year. When this is the case, the believer must give this form of charity that is aimed at providing one meal to two people in need or two meals to one person in poverty.
The best way to ensure that you gain forgiveness from Allah (SWT) for purposely breaking a fast during Ramadan is to make a Kaffarah payment through a charitable organisation. Paying Kaffarah in this way allows you to know that every penny of your money will reach those most in need across the world. Here at UKIM, we use your Kaffarah donations to help transform the lives of vulnerable Muslims in some of the most deprived areas in the world. We use your money to provide essential necessities to help the poor live comfortably and provide them with what they need most that they can’t afford. Give Kaffarah to UKIM today to help those in desperate need as quickly as possible and fulfil your obligations.
Copyright © 2026 UKIM All Rights Reserved.
UK Registered Charity Since 1962
Charity Registration No. 250275
