Can I feed 30 poor students twice for kaffārah for fasting?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

If you forgetfully had sexual intercourse during the time of fasting, then your fast will not break, nor would it require any qaḍā’ or kaffārah.  However, if this was done intentionally, then the fast will break and will necessitate, both, qaḍā’ and kaffārah. Therefore, in addition to making up this fast after Ramaḍān (qaḍā’), you will need to fast for two consecutive lunar months or sixty days as kaffārah.

If you start the first fast of your kaffārah on the first of the lunar month, then you will fast for two consecutive lunar months, regardless of whether they are of twenty-nine or thirty days.  However, if you start the fast on any other day besides the first of the month, then you will fast sixty consecutive days.

It is important to note that the fasts must be consecutive.  If any day is missed in the middle, one will have to start over the kaffārah.  However, if a woman experiences her hayḍ (menstrual cycle) during the fasts, then she will continue the fasts immediately after her hayḍ finishes and will not need to restart the kaffārah.

If one is physically unable to fast, only then will he be allowed to pay kaffārah by feeding sixty poor people two meals each. If one feeds thirty people four meals each, his kaffārah will be fulfilled.

Accordingly, if you are physically unable to fast, you may feed thirty poor students four times to fulfill your kaffārah.

In addition to the qaḍā’ and kaffārah, you and your partner should make taubah begging Allāh for forgiveness and make a firm intention not to repeat such an act ever again.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abrar Habib

Student - Darul Iftaa

New York City, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

(2020-06-29)