What are the penalties (فدية) for violating الإحرام?

الإحرام violations fall into different categories with corresponding penalties. The most common violations — wearing sewn clothing (men), covering the head (men), using perfume, cutting hair, and trimming nails — carry the standard فدية outlined in القرآن (2:196). The الحاج chooses one of three options: fasting 3 days, feeding 6 poor people (giving each approximately 1.5 kg of staple food like wheat or rice), or sacrificing a sheep. This choice is the الحاج's, not ranked in priority.

For sexual intercourse before standing at عرفة, the penalty is the most severe: the الحج is invalidated (though the الحاج must complete the remaining rituals), a camel (or equivalent large animal) must be sacrificed, and the الحج must be repeated the following year. If intercourse occurs after عرفة but before the first Tahallul (partial exit from الإحرام), it does not invalidate the الحج but still requires a camel sacrifice.

For hunting a land animal while in الإحرام, the penalty is to sacrifice an equivalent animal, or to estimate the animal's value and feed the poor accordingly, or to fast one day for each poor person who would have been fed. If a violation was committed out of forgetfulness or genuine ignorance, scholars differ — the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools still require فدية regardless of intent, while the Hanafi school distinguishes between intentional and unintentional violations. In all cases, consult a knowledgeable scholar for your specific situation.