Women Islamic laws

Q: Assuming a woman is breastfeeding her infant and that fasting would cause her harm, would she have to pay kaffārah if she doesn’t fast?

A: She must donate ¾ kg food to a needy person for each day she hadn’t fasted during the month of Ramadan, in addition to compensating her missed fasts.

Q: Ought one to observe kaffārah of a fast, immediately, or may one do so gradually over a period of time?

A: Paying the kaffārah – be it financially or via fasting – is not regarded an immediate obligation. One has ample time to do so in the future. However, one must not manifest carelessness or neglect in this regard.

Q: Assuming one is liable with respect to paying the kaffārah for one’s missed fasts, may he/she delay their accomplishment?

A: Yes they may; accomplishing such kaffārahs isn’t immediately binding. However, one oughtn’t to be neglectful in relation to their accomplishment.

Q: May one spend the kaffārah (of missed fasts) for those upon whom one is obliged to pay for their necessary expenses [e.g. one’s wife, children and [needy] parents]

A: No; however, it is unproblematic to donate it to (other) family members [e.g. brothers, sisters, cousins…].

Q: May non-sayyids provide their fasts’ kaffārah for sayyids?

A: Yes, this is unproblematic albeit better (a mustaḥabb caution) not to donate it to sayyids.

Q: May one spend the fasts’ kaffārah on cultural matters, wedding ceremonies, etc.?

A: No, spending it in such matters is not permissible; such kaffārahs ought to be used to feed the needy.

Q: Assuming one’s fasts’ kaffārah became binding during one’s childhood at one’s father’s house, whose responsibility is it to pay the required kaffārah?

A: Paying the kaffārah isn’t obligatory for the non-pubescent; assuming one becomes 'pubescent', one’s kaffārah will become one’s own liabilty – albeit not necessary to pay it immediately.

Q: Assuming one is canonically indebted in relation to observing a number of compensatory fasts, is he/she allowed vowing to fast?

A: Assuming one had intended to observe the vowed fasts after having completed one’s required compensatory fasts, such vows will be deemed valid.

Q: What is the ruling in relation to a fasting person who commits an action whilst being ignorant of the fact that the given action invalidates one’s fast?

A: One must observe the compensatory fast; paying kaffārah is not necessary save on occasions where the person is blamed for negligence vis-à-vis learning canonical rules.