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How to Pay Kaffarah – Step-by-Step Guide (UK)
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How to Pay Kaffarah – Step-by-Step Guide (UK)

Follow a step-by-step guide on how to pay Kaffarah in the UK, including amounts, methods, and ensuring your payment meets Islamic requirements.

Making a mistake in worship can feel overwhelming, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Islam recognises human weakness, but it also teaches accountability. Kaffarah exists to provide a clear and compassionate way to correct serious mistakes and move forward sincerely.

This Kaffarah step-by-step guide explains how to pay Kaffarah, when it applies, how the Kaffarah calculation works in the UK, and how to fulfil it correctly today. It focuses on Kaffarah during Ramadan, including situations such as breaking the fast and Kaffarah for breaking an oath, helping you act with clarity and peace of mind.

Step 1: Confirm That Kaffarah Applies to You

Before calculating or paying anything, it is essential to confirm whether Kaffarah is required.

It applies when:

  • You deliberately break a fast during Ramadan without a valid excuse
  • You intentionally break a binding oath sworn by Allah’s name, commonly referred to as Wallahi

 

It does not apply when:

  • A fast was missed due to illness, travel, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or old age
  • You ate or drank by accident or due to forgetfulness while fasting
  • A fast was missed, but it can still be made up later

If a fast was missed without a valid reason, or if someone knowingly broke your fast, this is treated as Kaffarah for a broken fast and requires expiation. Islam does not hold people accountable for genuine mistakes, but deliberately broken fasts carry responsibility.

Step 2: Understand the Type of Kaffarah Required

Kaffarah for breaking a fast

If a person deliberately breaks a fast during the holy month of Ramadan, the punishment is serious, as fasting is a pillar of Islam.

The expiation requires one of the following:

  • Fasting continuously for 2 Islamic months, or
  • If not then feeding 60 poor people

 

This applies only to breaking a fast intentionally, such as eating or drinking knowingly, or choosing not to fast without excuse.

 

Kaffarah for breaking an oath

Kaffarah also applies when a sworn oath made by Allah’s name is broken intentionally.

In this case, the expiation involves:

  • Feeding 10 poor people, or
  • Clothing 10 people, or
  • Fasting for three days if feeding or clothing is genuinely unaffordable

This is referred to as the Kaffarah oath and ensures that promises made in Allah’s name are treated with seriousness and respect.

Step 3: Calculate Your Kaffarah Amount

Many people choose to fulfil this obligation through feeding, as it provides immediate benefit and clarity.

Kaffarah calculation (UK guidance)

  • Kaffarah for breaking a fast
  • Feeding 60 people
  • Commonly estimated at £300 per fast

 

  • Kaffarah for breaking an oath
  • Feeding 10 people
  • Commonly estimated at £50 per oath

 

If more than one fast or oath is involved, multiply accordingly to calculate your Kaffarah amount in the UK.

Step 4: Repentance (Tawbah) and Intention (Niyyah)

Before fulfilling Kaffarah, repentance is essential.

This includes:

  • Acknowledging the mistake
  • Feeling genuine regret
  • Asking Allah for forgiveness
  • Making a firm intention not to repeat the action

This sincere repentance should be followed by making a clear niyyah. Many people use this moment to seek forgiveness from Allah and turn the process into an act of worship rather than a transaction.

Step 5: Choose How You Will Fulfil Kaffarah

Fasting option

The fasting option requires:

  • 2 Islamic months of fasting
  • Fasting must be continuous, without breaks except for valid reasons

This option is demanding and should be undertaken carefully.

Feeding option

Many people choose feeding because it is practical and benefits others immediately.

This involves:

  • Feeding 60 poor people for a broken fast
  • Feeding 10 poor people for a broken oath

 

This approach involves feeding the poor and allows the obligation to be fulfilled while supporting people in need.

Step 6: Paying Kaffarah Online Through Charity

Many donors choose to pay Kaffarah online to ensure accuracy, dignity, and proper distribution. Islamic Help provides a dedicated Kaffarah donation service, ensuring food reaches people facing hardship.

This form of Kaffarah charity allows donors across the UK to fulfil their obligation with confidence and peace of mind.

Step 7: Feeding People During Ramadan

Food insecurity often increases during Ramadan. By fulfilling feeding the poor, including feeding 60 people or feeding 10 people, this obligation becomes an act of mercy during a sacred time.

This is why fulfilling Kaffarah Ramadan obligations through food support is strongly emphasised in Islamic teaching.

Paying Kaffarah Over Time

If you genuinely cannot afford to fulfil Kaffarah all at once, it is permissible to complete Kaffarah payments gradually until the full obligation is met. However, completing it sooner is encouraged when possible.

Why Kaffarah Matters

Kaffarah is not a punishment. It is a system of accountability that restores balance, encourages reflection, and transforms mistakes into opportunities for good.

By fulfilling Kaffarah correctly, a believer clears their responsibility and strengthens their relationship with Allah.

Ready to Fulfil Your Kaffarah?

You can fulfil your obligation through Islamic Help with clarity and confidence.

Donate here: https://www.islamichelp.org.uk

FAQs:

  • What exactly is Kaffarah, and when do I have to pay it?
    Kaffarah is an expiation required for specific serious violations. It applies mainly if you deliberately break a Ramadan fast without a valid excuse, or if you break a sworn oath made by Allah’s name. It is not for accidents or valid exemptions. It is a prescribed remedy, not a general “fine.”
  • How is Kaffarah different from Fidya?
    Fidya is paid when someone cannot fast for a valid reason and cannot make up the fast later, usually feeding one person per missed day. Kaffarah applies when a fast is deliberately broken without excuse or an oath is broken, so it is much heavier, feeding 60 people for a fast, not one.
  • How much is Kaffarah in the UK for a broken fast?
    In the UK, Kaffarah for a deliberately broken fast is commonly calculated as feeding 60 people, estimated at £300 per fast (based on roughly £5 per meal). If you broke more than one fast deliberately, multiply accordingly. Rates can change slightly with food costs, but this benchmark is widely used.
  • Do I have to pay Kaffarah immediately after breaking the fast/oath, or can I delay it?
    It’s best to fulfil Kaffarah as soon as you reasonably can to clear your obligation. If you need time to arrange funds or distribution, that’s understandable, but avoid unnecessary delay. Many aim to complete it before the next Ramadan. The sooner it’s fulfilled, the sooner you regain peace of mind.
  • I accidentally ate during my fast (I forgot I was fasting). Do I have to do Kaffarah?
    No. If you genuinely forgot you were fasting and ate or drank, Kaffarah is not required. You should stop immediately when you remember and continue fasting. Islam does not hold you sinful for a true mistake, and this does not carry the deliberate violation that triggers Kaffarah.
  • How does Islamic Help use my Kaffarah donation to feed people?
    Islamic Help uses Kaffarah donations for food programmes that deliver meals or food packs to people facing hardship. The goal is to ensure the correct number of people are fed according to your Kaffarah obligation. This approach helps donors fulfil their duty while ensuring support reaches communities that need food most.
  • Will I receive confirmation after donating my Kaffarah through Islamic Help?
    Yes. When you donate through Islamic Help online, you receive a confirmation and receipt so you can keep a record of your Kaffarah payment. Keeping that confirmation can help with personal reassurance and clarity. If you add a note such as “broken fast” or “oath,” it supports clean allocation.
  • Can I pay Kaffarah in instalments if I can’t afford it all at once?
    It is permissible to fulfil Kaffarah over time if you genuinely cannot pay the full amount immediately, as long as the full requirement is completed. For example, you can feed smaller numbers until you reach the required total. However, if you can, it’s better to complete it as soon as possible.

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