Is Expiation Required if a Convert Was Unaware of the Fasting Rules?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

I reverted [converted] to Islam and fasted my first Ramadan while ignorant of the rulings. I had intercourse during the day, not knowing it breaks the fast, and I broke my fast by estimating sunset. I only learned the ruling in my second Ramadan. Do I owe the expiation?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

May Allah reward your care to set things right, and bless you for the sincerity with which you entered His religion and fasted while you were still learning. There is good news for you.

You do not owe the expiation. In the Hanafi school, this expiation is a penalty, and Ibn Abidin states the governing rule in a single line: “this expiation is averted by doubts.” [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

A penalty falls away wherever there is a genuine excuse, and the school is explicit that where someone had intercourse by mistake, under coercion, or asleep, “he makes up the day only.” [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

For someone newly entered into Islam, the ground is stated more precisely still: the offense is a deficient one, “the offense of not verifying, not the offense of breaking the fast, because he did not intend that.” [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

That is your case exactly. You had only just entered Islam, the rulings had not reached you, and you did not intend to break anything.

I should be honest with you about one thing, so that you rest on solid ground rather than on a general feeling. Ignorance of the rulings is not a blanket excuse for a person who has lived long among Muslims with every opportunity to learn.

What lifts the expiation from you is that you had no real opportunity yet — you were months into Islam, fasting because you loved Allah, with no one having taught you.

This is the mercy Allah built into the fast itself: “Allah wants ease for you, and does not want unbearable hardship for you.” [Quran 2:185; Keller, The Quran Beheld]

What remains is light and full of good. Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, for “Verily Allah loves the oft-repentant, and loves those who remain pure from any reproach.” [Quran 2:222]

Then make up the fasts affected, day for day: each day the intercourse occurred, and any day you broke your fast a little before the true sunset because of your estimate.

These need not be consecutive, and you may spread them out. And carry no burden of sin for what you did while you genuinely did not know.

Let This Be the Beginning of Study, Not a Season of Worry

The governing principle is that responsibility follows knowledge, which means the surest way to protect your worship from here is simply to learn its rulings and then live by them.

So take one concrete step: begin The Absolute Essentials of Islam, then The Essentials of Belief, then the Kharida al-Bahiyya, in that order, within the free Islamic Studies Curriculum at https://academy.seekersguidance.org/islamic-studies-curriculum.

Allah asks, “Are those equal who know and those who know not?” [Quran 39:9], and He raises the grateful: “If you show thanks, I swear to increase you.” [Quran 14:7]

You fasted before you knew how; now you will fast knowing, and that is a life moving in one direction. Above all, let this deepen your love of Him, for “those who believe are greatest in love for Allah.” [Quran 2:165]

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related SeekersGuidance Answers

When Is Expiation Required for a Fast? — States the governing principle you need: expiation attaches only where a fast actually begun is deliberately broken without excuse. Cites Ibn Abidin that breaking a fast by mistake obliges make-up alone.

The Expiation (Kaffara) for Having Sex While Fasting — The full ruling where expiation does apply, including that the affected days must also be counted and made up. Useful to see what you are being excused from.

How To Make Up or Expiate for Missed Fasts? — Practical guidance on making up fasts as a debt owed to Allah, and why make-ups need not be consecutive. Answers how to schedule them over time.

What if Someone Breaks One’s Fast in Ramadan Without a Valid Excuse? — Sets out the four consequences where there was no valid excuse, and what counts as one. Read it to see clearly why your case is not that case.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.

«النصوص» · Source-Texts

[ابن عابدين، رد المحتار] «قوله ( قضى فقط ) أي بلا كفارة قوله ( لشبهة الرد ) … وهذه الكفارة تندرىء بالشبهات هداية»

[ابن عابدين، رد المحتار] «أو جامع خطأ أو مكرها أو نائما … قضى فقط»

[ابن عابدين، رد المحتار] «لأن الجناية قاصرة وهي جناية عدم التثبيت لا جناية الإفطار لأنه لم يقصده»

[ابن عابدين، رد المحتار] «بخلاف من أسلم في دار الحرب ولم يعلم به فإنه لا يجب عليه ما لم يعلم فإذا علم ليس عليه قضاء ما مضى إذ لا تكليف بدون العلم ثمة للعذر بالجهل»