Seeking Guidance on Kaffarah for Broken Fasts - Need Clarity
As-salamu alaykum, Hope everyone is well. I’ll try to keep this short and simple. When I was about 16/17, during Ramadan I broke a few fasts by eating because I was hungry. At the time I wasn’t practicing and didn’t understand how serious that was. I’m now in my 30s and practising, and this is weighing on me - I really want to make it right. I follow the Hanafi school. Everywhere I look it says you must do 60 consecutive fasts (kaffarah), but many sites don’t say whether that requirement is specifically for someone who breaks a fast by having sexual intercourse (which is the explicit example in the hadith) or if it applies equally to breaking a fast by eating. I heard a lecture by Belal Assad saying the 60 consecutive fasts are only required for intercourse, and that someone who broke a fast by eating should instead simply repent and make up those missed fasts (for example, 3 or 4 fasts). Some Hanafi sources say feeding 60 poor people is only an alternative for those who can’t fast due to illness or old age, and otherwise you must do the 60 fasts. That leaves me confused, because I would have thought breaking a fast by eating is less severe than by sexual intercourse, but the Hanafi sites I’ve checked don’t seem to make that distinction. I’m leaning toward just completing the 60 consecutive fasts to be safe and for peace of mind, but if that’s not required I’d rather not put myself through it unnecessarily. I know the best route is to ask a qualified scholar, and I’ll do that, but if anyone can point me to reliable Hanafi sources or share experiences that were confirmed by a scholar, I’d really appreciate it. JazakAllahu khairan.