Kaffarah

What Does Kaffarah Mean in Detail?

Kaffarah is prescribed in قرآن مجید and Sunnah for specific violations. The most common types include: Kaffarah for breaking the fast intentionally during Ramadan (freeing a slave, or fasting 60 consecutive days, or feeding 60 poor people — in that order of preference), kaffarah for breaking an oath (feeding 10 poor people, clothing them, or freeing a slave — if unable, then fasting 3 days), and kaffarah for dhihar (a pre-Islamic form of divorce). In the حج context, the most serious kaffarah applies when a حاجی engages in sexual relations before the standing at عرفات, which invalidates the حج and requires: completing the invalid حج, performing qada حج the next year, and sacrificing a camel (or cow or seven sheep). Kaffarah serves both as a deterrent and as a means of seeking Allah's forgiveness for the violation.