Qada, Fidya and Kaffarah Explained: Missed and Broken Fasts (Hanafi)

If you missed fasts last Ramadan, the months before the next Ramadan are the time to put things right. But many people are confused by three words: qada, fidya and kaffarah. They are not the same, and which one applies depends on why the fast was missed or broken.

This guide follows the Hanafi school. Rulings on fasting can depend on personal details, so please ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.

At a glance

Situation	What is due
Missed a fast for a valid reason (illness, travel, menstruation)	Qada: make up one day for each day missed
Broke a fast by genuine mistake (e.g. water went down the throat unintentionally)	Qada only
Long-term illness with no expected recovery, so you cannot fast at all	Fidya for each day
Deliberately broke a Ramadan fast after starting it, without a valid excuse	Kaffarah

The Quranic basis

أَيَّامٗا مَّعۡدُودَٰتٖۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٖ فَعِدَّة٘ مِّنۡ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَۚ وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُۥ فِدۡيَة٘ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِينٖۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرٗا فَهُوَ خَيۡر٘ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيۡر٘ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ

"[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of other days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers good [i.e., excess] - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew." (Quran 2:184. Translation: Saheeh International)

1. Qada: making up missed fasts

Qada simply means making up a fast you missed, one day for one day, after Ramadan. It applies when you missed a fast for a valid reason, such as illness, travel or menstruation.

It also applies in some cases where a fast was broken without meaning to. For example, Hanafi scholars explain that if water went down your throat by accident while you were fasting, or if you woke up in the morning without having made the intention to fast, only qada is due, not kaffarah.

Tip: the short winter days in the UK make this the easiest time of year to make up missed fasts. Try to finish them before Ramadan 2027, which is expected to begin around 8 February (subject to the moon sighting).

2. Fidya: compensation when you cannot fast at all

Fidya is for a person who cannot fast and is not expected to be able to make the fasts up, such as someone with a chronic illness with no expected recovery.

• How much? For each missed day, roughly 2.2 kg of wheat or its monetary value is given to the poor. The cash value changes each year, so check the current figure with your local mosque or a trusted charity.
• Try other options first. Scholars advise first speaking to a doctor and a reliable local scholar: a change of medication, or making the fasts up on short winter days, may make fasting possible.
• If you recover: if you later become well enough to fast, you must make up the missed days, even those you paid fidya for.

Fidya is not for someone who is temporarily ill or travelling. They make up the fasts later (qada).

3. Kaffarah: expiation for deliberately breaking a fast

Kaffarah is a serious expiation. In the Hanafi school, it becomes necessary when a person deliberately breaks a Ramadan fast they had already started, without a valid excuse, for example by eating, drinking or marital relations.

Abu Hurayrah reported that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ saying he was ruined, because he had had relations with his wife while fasting in Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ asked if he could free a slave, then if he could fast two consecutive months, then if he could feed sixty poor people. The man said he could do none of these, and the Prophet ﷺ then gave him a basket of dates to give in charity (Sahih al-Bukhari 1936, summarised).

How kaffarah is done today:

• Fast 60 consecutive days. The days must be continuous.
• If you genuinely cannot fast, feeding the poor takes its place.
• Women: menstruation does not break the sequence. Pause during those days and continue straight after.
• Avoid Eid: fasting is not allowed on the days of Eid, so plan your 60 days so they do not overlap with them.
• Multiple broken fasts: Hanafi scholars explain that one kaffarah is enough even if fasts were broken on several occasions. Ask a scholar to confirm this for your situation.

Above all, kaffarah should come with sincere repentance (tawbah) to Allah.

What to do now

1. Count how many fasts you owe, and for what reason.
2. Ask a scholar if you are unsure whether any of them need kaffarah or fidya.
3. Make a plan to complete your qada fasts on the short winter days, for example every Monday and Thursday.
4. Pay any fidya through your mosque or a trusted charity before Ramadan.

This guide gives general information based on the Hanafi school. Rulings on fasting depend on personal circumstances, so please consult a qualified scholar. Getting ready for the holy month? See our Ramadan preparation checklist.