Fasting Debt Calculator — Kaffarah and Fidyah Guide

Overview of Fasting Debt

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. When missed for a legitimate reason, the fast must be made up afterward. Additionally, deliberately breaking a fast may require kaffarah (expiation), and certain situations call for fidyah (compensation).

Tracking fasting debt is just as important as prayer debt and can be managed with a structured plan. This guide helps you calculate your debt and understand its categories.

Types of Fasting Debt

Islamic jurisprudence recognizes four main categories:

• Qaza (make-up): Ramadan fasts missed for legitimate reasons.
• Kaffarah: Expiation fasting for deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast without excuse.
• Fidyah: Monetary compensation when a person permanently cannot fast.
• Nadhr (vow): Fasting debt from a vow made to Allah.

Make-Up Fasting

Make-up fasting is for Ramadan fasts missed due to:

• Illness (when fasting would harm health)
• Travel (being a traveler)
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Menstruation (hayd) and postpartum bleeding (nifas)
• Temporary inability due to age or chronic illness

Make-up fasts should be completed before the next Ramadan. In the Hanafi school, delaying is disliked but the debt remains. In the Shafi'i school, delaying may require both make-up and fidyah.

Make-up fasts do not need to be consecutive; they can be spread across different days. However, kaffarah fasting must be consecutive.

Kaffarah Fasting

Kaffarah is required when a Ramadan fast is deliberately broken without excuse. In the Hanafi school:

• 60 consecutive days of fasting: Must be fasted without interruption.
• If unable, one must feed 60 poor people or pay the equivalent amount.
• Women pause during menstruation and continue from where they left off.

In the Shafi'i school, kaffarah is only required when the fast is broken through sexual intercourse; breaking it by eating or drinking only requires make-up.

Fidyah (Compensation)

Fidyah applies to those who have permanently lost the ability to fast:

• Elderly people who cannot bear fasting
• Chronically ill individuals with no hope of recovery

Nadhr (Vowed) Fasting

If a vow was made to fast for Allah, fulfilling it is wajib (obligatory). If the vow specifies a day, it must be observed on that day. A general vow can be fulfilled on any day.

Calculation Method

To calculate your fasting debt:

1. Review each Ramadan since puberty: Estimate how many days you missed each year.
2. Separate by reason: Count illness, travel, menstruation, and deliberate breaking separately.
3. Identify kaffarah cases: Calculate kaffarah for deliberately broken fasts.
4. Check fidyah status: Are you permanently unable to fast?

Rulings for Women

Women do not fast during menstruation or postpartum bleeding. Unlike prayer, these fasts must be made up.

A woman who menstruates for an average of 6-7 days each Ramadan accumulates 6-7 make-up fasts per year. These should be made up before the next Ramadan.

Fasts missed during pregnancy and breastfeeding must also be made up. Some scholars (Shafi'i view) additionally require fidyah.

Digital Tracking

Kaza Defteri supports fasting debt tracking alongside prayer debt. You can track these fasting types separately:

• Ramadan make-up fasting
• Kaffarah fasting
• Nadhr (vowed) fasting
• General fasting debt

Each type shows total debt, completed count, and remaining count. Try our free calculator — no account required, all data stays on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can make-up fasts be observed during Ramadan?

No. During Ramadan, only the current year's obligatory fast is observed. Make-up fasts must be done outside Ramadan.

Can women pause kaffarah during menstruation?

Yes. Women pause during menstruation and resume from where they left off. This does not break the consecutive requirement.

Does one kaffarah cover multiple broken fasts?

In the Hanafi school, if multiple fasts were broken in the same Ramadan, one kaffarah suffices. For different Ramadans, a separate kaffarah is required for each.

I also have prayer debt — which should I prioritize?

Both are separate obligations and are made up independently. For prayer debt, see our prayer calculation guide.

What happens to the fasting debt of someone who passes away?

A guardian may fast on their behalf or pay fidyah for each day. Prayer debt cannot be made up; fidyah is given instead.