Missed a Fast in Ramadan? Your Guide to Kaffarah and Fidya for UK Muslims

Missing a fast doesn’t make you a bad Muslim. Life happens: illness strikes, travel plans change, or sometimes we make mistakes we regret. The confusion often comes when trying to figure out what you actually owe: Do you just make up the cost later? Pay Fidya? Or is it the more serious Kaffarah? 

This guide will give you clear, straightforward answers about when to pay what, how much it costs in 2026, and where your money actually goes.

The Three Situations: Which One Are You?

Situation 1: You missed a Fast Due to Valid Reasons. You were ill, travelling, menstruating, or had another legitimate excuse. What you do is simple: make up the fast later when you’re able. There’s no payment required and absolutely no guilt needed. Islam’s mercy is built into these allowances.

Situation 2: You Cannot Fast Due to Permanent Conditions. You’re elderly, chronically ill, or have a permanent condition that prevents fasting. In this case, you pay Fidya, a payment to feed one poor person for each day you miss. This becomes your way of still participating in Ramadan’s blessings through supporting others.

Situation 3: You Deliberately Broke a Fast Without a Valid Reason. You intentionally broke a Ramadan fast knowing it was wrong. This requires Kaffarah, which is significantly more than Fidya. It’s a serious matter, but it’s also a clear path to forgiveness when combined with sincere repentance.

What Exactly Is Fidya? (And When You Need to Pay It)

Fidya is a payment to feed one poor person for each fast you cannot make up due to permanent reasons. It’s only for situations where fasting is genuinely impossible for you, not just difficult or temporarily inconvenient.

Who Must Pay Fidya: Elderly people whose health won’t allow fasting, people with chronic conditions like severe diabetes or kidney disease, and those with permanent disabilities that make fasting dangerous. 

Some scholars also include pregnant or breastfeeding women who genuinely fear for their health or their baby’s wellbeing, though this depends on whether the concern is temporary or ongoing.

Who Should NOT Pay Fidya: If you have a temporary illness, you simply make up the fasts later when you recover. Travellers make up for lost time after Ramadan ends. 

Women during menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding also make up for lost time later. Fidya is specifically for permanent conditions, not temporary ones.

How Much Is Fidya in 2026?

The calculation is based on feeding one person two meals for each day you miss. In 2026, the rate is approximately £5 per missed day. If you cannot fast the entire month of Ramadan (30 days), the total would be around £150.

Why does the amount vary slightly between charities? Fidya is tied to the cost of staple foods like wheat and rice, which fluctuate with market prices. Hope Welfare Trust bases its rates on current food costs to ensure recipients actually receive proper meals, not token gestures.

What Exactly Is Kaffarah? (The Serious Expiation)

Kaffarah is the penalty for deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast without any valid excuse. It’s much more significant than Fidya because it addresses a serious matter: knowingly violating the sanctity of Ramadan.

• When Kaffarah Is Required: Kaffarah applies when you intentionally break your fast during Ramadan without a legitimate reason, fully aware that what you’re doing is wrong. Each day you break deliberately requires a separate Kaffarah.
• What Kaffarah Is NOT Required For: If you genuinely forgot you were fasting and ate something, most scholars say your fast remains valid. Breaking fast due to sudden illness, emergency situations, or honest mistakes made in good faith doesn’t require Kaffarah. You just make up the fast later.

How to Fulfil Kaffarah: Your Two Options

Option 1: Fast for 60 Consecutive Days. This means 60 days in a row without breaking the chain. If you break the sequence (except for valid reasons like menstruation or sudden illness), you start counting from day one again. For most UK Muslims with work and family commitments, this is extremely challenging.

Option 2: Feed 60 Poor People. You provide one day’s worth of food for 60 different people. In 2026, this costs approximately £300 per day you deliberately break. This can be done through trusted charities like Hope Welfare Trust that verify recipients and ensure proper distribution.

Important to Know: Islamic law requires you to choose fasting first if you’re physically capable. Feeding 60 people is only permitted if you genuinely cannot manage 60 consecutive days of fasting.

Key Differences Between Fidya and Kaffarah:

When Should You Pay Fidya or Kaffarah?

Best Time to Pay Fidya: Ideally, during Ramadan itself,f as you miss each fast, especially if you know you won’t be able to fast the entire month. You can also pay after Ramadan if your circumstances only became clear later. The key is fulfilling the obligation once you know it applies to you.

Best Time to Pay Kaffarah: As soon as possible after breaking the fast. Don’t delay. It’s both a religious obligation and an opportunity to seek forgiveness. The sooner you address it, the better.

Can You Split Payments? Yes, you can pay gradually if needed, but don’t drag it out unnecessarily. Complete the obligation as soon as you practically can.

Where Does Your Fidya and Kaffarah Actually Go?

Hope Welfare Trust operates with a 100% donation policy. Every penny of your Fidya or Kaffarah goes directly to feeding eligible recipients: verified poor families in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan who genuinely struggle to afford food.

Your payment provides nutritious meals to widows raising children alone, orphans with no income source, elderly people with no family support, and families displaced by conflict or disasters. 

Your £5 Fidya provides two full meals to someone in genuine need. Your £300 Kaffarah feeds 60 people during Ramadan, allowing them to break their fasts with dignity.

Making Up Missed Fasts: The Forgotten Option

When You Should Just Make Up Fasts (No Payment Needed): If you missed fasts due to temporary illness that’s now resolved, travel during Ramadan, menstruation, post-childbirth bleeding, or any other temporary, valid excuse, you simply make them up. Fast the same number of days you missed, any time before next Ramadan arrives.

How to Make Them Up: You can do them consecutively or spread them out throughout the year. Many people fast on Mondays and Thursdays. The important thing is completing them before the next Ramadan begins.

What If You Don’t Make Them Up in Time? You still owe the fasts PLUS Fidya for each day you delayed beyond the next Ramadan. Don’t let it reach this point. Handle it promptly.

A Word on Sincerity and Forgiveness

For Those Paying Fidya: You’re not failing at Ramadan. You’re fulfilling your obligation in the way Allah has made available to you. Your contribution feeds people who are fasting, which is beautiful worship. Allah knows your circumstances and accepts your sincere effort.

For Those Paying Kaffarah: Your mistakes don’t define you. What matters is how you respond to them. Kaffarah isn’t just punishment. It’s a clear path to forgiveness that Islam provides. The first and most important step is sincere repentance (tawbah). 

Feel genuine remorse, commit to not repeating the mistake, and then fulfil your Kaffarah. Allah is Most Merciful and accepts those who turn back to Him sincerely.

How to Pay Your Fidya or Kaffarah Through Hope Welfare Trust

• Step 1: Calculate what you owe. Count your missed days and multiply by £5 for Fidya, or count deliberately broken days and multiply by £300 for Kaffarah.
• Step 2: Make your intention clear when donating. Specify whether it’s Fidya or Kaffarah. Mention if you’re paying on behalf of someone else, like an elderly parent.
• Step 3: Donate through Hope Welfare Trust’s website or via bank transfer. You’ll receive confirmation and can track how your contribution helps real families through transparent distribution reports.

Moving Forward with Clarity and Peace

Whether you’re elderly and unable to fast, dealing with chronic illness, or seeking forgiveness for a mistake, Islam provides clear solutions. Fidya allows those with permanent conditions to still participate in Ramadan’s blessings through feeding others. Kaffarah offers a definite path to forgiveness for those who erred.

Your payment doesn’t just fulfil an obligation. It transforms into meals for families who desperately need them. Calculate what you owe, fulfil it with sincerity, and move forward with the peace of knowing you’ve done what Allah requires. Remember, Allah is Most Merciful and Most Forgiving to those who sincerely turn to Him.

Pay your Fidya or Kaffarah today through Hope Welfare Trust at hopewelfaretrust.org or via bank transfer:

• Account Name: Hope Welfare Trust
• Bank: Barclays Bank
• Sort Code: 20-36-43
• Account Number: 53891704

FAQs

Can I pay Fidya for someone else? 

Yes, you may pay Fidya on behalf of an elderly parent or someone unable to fast.

Is Fidya required if I missed fasts due to travel or short-term illness? 

No. You must make up those fasts later (qada). Fidya is only for permanent conditions.

Can I give Fidya outside of Ramadan? 

Yes. Fidya can be paid during or after Ramadan. It’s best to pay as soon as you know you cannot fast.

What’s the difference between Fidya and Kaffarah? 

Fidya is for those who cannot fast at all. Kaffarah is a penalty for deliberately breaking a fast without a valid reason.

If I can fast some days but not others due to my condition, what do I do? 

Fast the days you’re able to and pay Fidya only for the days you genuinely cannot fast due to your condition.

Can I pay Fidya in advance for the entire month if I know I won’t be able to fast? 

Yes, if you’re certain you cannot fast the whole month due to a permanent condition, you can pay the full amount (£150 for 30 days) at the start of Ramadan.