- Fidya
Support those in need when fasting is not possible
Fidya is a charitable payment made by those who are unable to fast during Ramadan due to valid reasons such as illness or old age. It ensures that those in need are fed in your place.
What is Fidya?
When someone cannot fast in Ramadan (due to ill health, travelling or menstruation for example) they should make up the missed fasts when they are able to do so. However, if they will not be able to make up missed fasts (due to old age or chronic illness that is unlikely to improve) they should pay fidya for someone else to be fed.
"Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if one of you be sick, or if one of you be on a journey, you will fast the same number of other days later on. For those who are capable of fasting (but still do not fast) there is a redemption: feeding a needy man for each day missed. Whoever voluntarily does more good than is required, will find it better for him; and that you should fast is better for you, if you only know." (Qur’an | 2:184)
Where Your Fidya Goes?
In the Hanafi school, fidya is only paid by a person who is not able to fast in Ramadan, cannot make up for the missed fasts at any other time and is not expected to ever regain the ability to make up the missed fasts. All three conditions must be fulfilled, otherwise one does not pay fidya but has to make up the missed fasts.
There is no time limit for making up missed fasts in the Hanafi school so fidya is only valid if a person has no hope of being able to make up the missed fasts in their lifetime. This means that the following do not qualify to pay fidya:
- One who misses out on a few days of fasting due to a temporary illness
- One who accidentally or deliberately broke their fast
- One who is unable to fast this year due to surgery or the like, but is expected to be able to fast next year
If one pays fidya thinking they will not have the health to make up missed fasts but then regains their health later in life, their fidya will be considered as charity and they must then make up the missed fasts.
Therefore, in the Hanafi school there is no fidya to be paid by a pregnant or nursing woman who misses fasts in Ramadan as she will be able to make up the fasts later.
According to the Shafi’is and Hanbalis, fidya is also required for those who cannot fast in their lifetime due to illness or age. However, the amount of fidya differs from the Hanafis (please consult a local scholar or you may follow Hanafi guidelines on this matter). The Malikis view paying fidya as recommended for those who are no longer able to fast, but not as mandatory.
The majority of scholars among the Malikis, Shafi’is, and Hanbalis hold the view that fidya is compulsory for individuals who have missed a fast (such as a pregnant woman or someone who was traveling, etc.) and, despite having the ability to make up for it, did not do so before the arrival of the next Ramadan. In this case, they are required to pay fidya in addition to making up the missed fasts (qadah).
Ramadan Giving
FAQ
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When to pay Fidyah?
You’re supposed to pay it before you miss a fast, or before Ramadan if you know you can’t participate for the whole month.
How to pay Fidya?
Your donation directly supports our humanitarian programs, including orphan care, education, healthcare, disaster relief, clean water initiatives, and community development projects. Every contribution is utilized with transparency and accountability.
Is Fidya compulsory?
You’re supposed to pay it before you miss a fast, or before Ramadan if you know you can’t participate for the whole month.