Kaffarah for a broken oath
Whoever swears an oath by Allah and then breaks it must pay kaffarah. It is a choice between three things: feeding ten poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave (not applicable today). Only if none of these is possible does one fast three days.
Kaffarah for deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast
Scholars agree that breaking a Ramadan fast by intercourse during the day requires the major kaffarah, in this order: freeing a slave (not applicable today); if not possible, fasting two consecutive months; if not possible, feeding sixty poor people. The day itself must also be made up.
Deliberate eating or drinking: the Hanafi and Maliki schools require the same kaffarah, while the Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools require only making up the day, with sincere repentance. Follow the view of your school or local fatwa authority.
Kaffarah for zihar
Zihar is when a husband says to his wife “you are to me like my mother’s back” or words to that effect. Its kaffarah follows the same order as the Ramadan kaffarah (freeing a slave, then two consecutive months of fasting, then feeding sixty poor people), and must be done before resuming marital relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow an order in the oath kaffarah?
No. Feeding and clothing are a free choice. Moving to fasting is only allowed if you can do neither.
Must the two months of fasting be consecutive?
Yes, the majority of scholars require them to be consecutive. If the sequence is broken without a valid excuse, many scholars say it must be started again. This has details worth asking a scholar about.
I broke the same oath more than once. Do I owe several kaffarahs?
If you swore one oath and broke it once, one kaffarah is enough. If you swore several oaths about different things and broke them all, each one has its own kaffarah according to the majority of scholars.
I broke several days of the same Ramadan. Is it one kaffarah or several?
According to the majority of scholars, each day has its own kaffarah. The Hanafi school holds that one kaffarah covers several days in the same Ramadan if none was paid in between. This calculator counts one kaffarah per day.