Fidya (فِدْيَة) is a compensation paid by a person who genuinely cannot fast and has no realistic expectation of being able to make up those fasts in the future. The Qur'an describes this category:
Who qualifies for Fidya rather than Qada (making up fasts)?
- The chronically ill whose condition is unlikely to improve
- The elderly who have genuinely lost the capacity to fast
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women — if a reliable doctor advises that fasting would seriously harm the mother or child, and she cannot make up the fast later
Someone who is temporarily ill and expects to recover does not pay Fidya. They make up the missed fasts (Qada) once they are well. Fidya is only for those for whom making up fasts is genuinely not possible.
How Much Is Fidya?
The majority position is that Fidya equals feeding one poor person per missed fast day. The amount is typically equivalent to one Mudd of wheat (roughly 750g) or half a Sa' of other staple food — or its cash equivalent. In practice, contemporary scholars often calculate it based on the cost of a modest daily meal in your country.
Kaffarah (كَفَّارَة) means expiation. It is significantly more serious than Fidya and applies in a specific scenario: when a person deliberately breaks an obligatory Ramadan fast — through eating, drinking, or intimate relations — without a valid Islamic excuse.
The Kaffarah for deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast must be fulfilled in order of priority:
- Free a slave — no longer applicable in modern times
- Fast 60 consecutive days — if the first is not possible; breaking this chain means starting again from day one
- Feed 60 poor people — one full meal each, if the 60-day fast is genuinely not physically possible
What Actions Trigger Kaffarah?
Scholars are in broad agreement that intentional eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse during a Ramadan fast day trigger Kaffarah. There is more disagreement about other matters such as smoking — but the cautious position is to treat deliberate smoking while fasting as triggering at least Qada, and consult a scholar about Kaffarah.
Does Forgetting Count?
No — if a person genuinely forgets they are fasting and eats or drinks, their fast is valid. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever forgets he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it was Allah who fed him and gave him to drink." (Bukhari & Muslim). No Qada or Kaffarah is required.