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What is the expiation for intentionally breaking the fast in Ramadan due to ignorance of the religious ruling, knowing that the missed days must be made up?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If breaking the fast during Ramadan occurs without sexual intercourse, both spouses must make up the missed days along with repentance.

If it occurs with sexual intercourse, both spouses must make up the missed days and offer expiation (kaffarah) for each day intercourse took place. This expiation is: freeing a slave; if unable to do so, then fasting for two consecutive months; if unable to do so, then feeding sixty poor people.

If the wife was compliant and not coerced, there is a difference of opinion regarding the obligation of expiation upon her.

The aforementioned ignorance does not exempt one from expiation, except for someone who is new to Islam or grew up in a remote desert area whose inhabitants are unaware of such rulings.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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