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How Much Food Should You Give as Kaffarah?

22 February, 2024
Q As-salamu `alaykum. What amount of food (volume or weight), especially cereal (rice or wheat) should be given as fidyah (ransom) for missed fasts due to old age? What happens if the old person himself is being cared for by his son?

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

The amount of food that is given as fidyah (ransom) for a missed fast due to old age is estimated as equivalent to half a sa` (1 sa` = 2.03 liters). In Canada, it is estimated as seven dollars in cash.

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Responding to the question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

The amount of food (volume or weight) to be given is traditionally estimated as equivalent to half a sa` (1 sa` = 2.03 liters), but for our consideration it is sufficient to estimate it as the equivalent of one full meal.

In the Canadian situation, it can be estimated as seven dollars in cash. But this varies according to time and place.

If the person is in old age and he is looked after by his son, then if his son pays it on his behalf that would be sufficient; if he refuses to pay, then the person is excused if he has nothing to pay.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada