Should I Perform an Expiation Because of an Illness During Ramadan?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question

I couldn’t do my fasting after 12 days last year, and I am still on medication. A doctor has told me that I can restart my fasting in one month.

Should I fast the remaining fasts after a month, or do I need to perform the expiation for those remaining 18 days?

Answer

You do not need to perform the expiation (kaffara) for fasts missed due to illness. Expiations are only due to deliberately invalidating Ramadan fasts without a legally acceptable excuse.

Nevertheless, you do need to make up (qada’) those missed fasts. Don’t take on too much at once, but aim for something consistent and manageable. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Please see: When Is Expiation Required For A Fast?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorized the entire Quran in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan, and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.