What is the ruling on one who intentionally breaks their fast in Ramadan, and is expiation by feeding 60 poor people permissible for one who intentionally breaks their fast without being ill? What are the conditions for the poor who are eligible for this expiation, and what is its monetary value in dollars?
Whoever intentionally breaks their fast in Ramadan without a permissible excuse has committed a grave sin.
They are only required to make up the missed days (qada') if the breaking of the fast was without intercourse. However, if it was with intercourse, then they must make up the missed days (qada') and offer expiation (kaffarah), which is: freeing a slave, or fasting for two consecutive months, or feeding sixty needy people.
It is not permissible for someone who is able to fast to offer expiation by feeding merely due to hardship, unless the hardship is extreme or causes harm.
Obligatory charities, such as expiations and zakat, are not to be given to non-Muslims, and those who abandon prayer are not Muslims.
It is not necessary to investigate the apparent state of someone who abandons prayer, as Muslims are presumed to be Muslim and observant of prayer until proven otherwise.
The majority of scholars hold that paying the value of the expiation in dollars is not sufficient. And even if it were deemed sufficient, its value should correspond to the average food one feeds their family and the price in the country.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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