Question 386: What is the duty of a person who breaks their fast in the month of Ramadan with something forbidden?
Answer
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنْ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبْدُوسٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ عَنْ حَمْدَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ الْهَرَوِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ- قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ آبَائِكَ فِيمَنْ جَامَعَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- أَوْ أَفْطَرَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثُ كَفَّارَاتٍ وَ رُوِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَيْضاً كَفَّارَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَبِأَيِّ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ نَأْخُذُ قَالَ بِهِمَا جَمِيعاً مَتَى جَامَعَ الرَّجُلُ حَرَاماً أَوْ أَفْطَرَ عَلَى حَرَامٍ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- فَعَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثُ كَفَّارَاتٍ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ وَ صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ وَ إِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً وَ قَضَاءُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ نَكَحَ حَلَالًا أَوْ أَفْطَرَ عَلَى حَلَالٍ فَعَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَ نَاسِياً فَلَا شَيْ ءَ عَلَيْهِ.
📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 378
📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, Vol. 1, p. 314
📚 Ma'ani al-Akhbar, p. 389
Translation: Harawi said: I said to Imam Rida (peace be upon him): O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), it has been narrated to us from your forefathers regarding a person who has intercourse or breaks his fast in the month of Ramadan, that there are three expiations, and also one expiation has been narrated. Which hadith should we follow? The Imam said: Follow both of them: In this way, whenever a person has forbidden intercourse or breaks his fast with something forbidden in the month of Ramadan, three expiations are on him: freeing a slave, fasting for two consecutive months, and feeding 60 poor people, along with making up that day's fast. And if he has lawful intercourse or breaks his fast with something lawful, one expiation is on him, and if it is out of forgetfulness, there is nothing on him.
2 مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْأَسَدِيِّ فِيمَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الشَّيْخِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْعَمْرِيِّ يَعْنِي عَنِ الْمَهْدِيِّ فِيمَنْ أَفْطَرَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مُتَعَمِّداً بِجِمَاعٍ مُحَرَّمٍ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ بِطَعَامٍ مُحَرَّمٍ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَ كَفَّارَاتٍ
📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 118
Translation: It has been narrated from our master Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) regarding a person who intentionally breaks his fast on a day in the month of Ramadan with intercourse that is forbidden for him or with food that is forbidden for him, that three expiations are on him.
✅ It is clear from the above narrations that if a person, God forbid, breaks their fast during the day in the month of Ramadan with forbidden intercourse or another forbidden thing, three expiations are on him along with making up that day. Of course, freeing a slave is dropped from us due to its unavailability in our time, but fasting for two consecutive months and feeding 60 poor people, as mentioned in the narrations, with one 'mudd' of food for each poor person, as well as making up that day's fast, will be on him. In the case where he breaks his fast with lawful intercourse or lawful food, he performs one of these three expiations of his choice and also makes up that day's fast, and with no slave to free, the person is given the choice between fasting for two consecutive months and feeding 60 poor people for his expiation.
✅ Feeding with forbidden food includes breaking the fast with wine, intoxicants, and other forbidden foods and drinks.
✅ Each of the expiations has specific rulings and details that are mentioned in Shi'a jurisprudence books.