If you swear by Allah about something in the future and then break your oath, the kaffarah is one of three, your choice: feed ten poor people, clothe them, or free a slave. If you cannot do any of these, fast three days. You may not fast while you are able to feed.
Work out your amount in kg and in your own currency with the kaffarah calculator.
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:89
Verified recitation
لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلْأَيْمَٰنَ ۖ فَكَفَّٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَٰكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّٰرَةُ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَٱحْفَظُوٓا۟ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find it, then a fast of three days. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be grateful
Steps to pay the kaffarah
- Confirm the oath is binding: sworn by Allah or one of His attributes, about the future, and meant as an oath.
- Choose feeding or clothing (freeing a slave is not practically available today).
- Give to ten different poor people, not one person ten times in a single day according to most scholars.
- If you cannot feed or clothe, fast three days.
How many kg?
| Method | Per person | For ten |
|---|---|---|
| Half a sa' of food (Ibn Baz, Permanent Committee) | about 1.5 kg | about 15 kg |
| One mudd of food (Maliki and Shafi'i view) | about 0.6 kg | about 6 kg |
| One filling lunch or dinner | one meal | ten meals |
The food should be the average of what you feed your family: rice, wheat, dates or the local staple. Taking the cautious half sa' settles the matter with certainty.
What counts as clothing?
A garment for each person that covers what must be covered in prayer, such as a long shirt for a man or a dress and headscarf for a woman. A handkerchief or socks do not count.
Can the kaffarah be paid in cash?
Most scholars (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) say cash does not count, because the verse names feeding. The Hanafis allow it. The Permanent Committee followed the majority. You can give money to a trusted charity and authorise it to buy and distribute food on your behalf.
Three days of fasting: in a row or separate?
- Hanafi and Hanbali: they must be consecutive, based on the reading of Ibn Mas'ud "three consecutive days".
- Maliki and Shafi'i (stronger view): they may be separate.
- Consecutive is the safer choice; a break for a valid excuse is fine.
Which oaths require kaffarah?
| Type | Example | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Idle oath (laghw) | "No, by Allah" in casual speech without intent | No kaffarah |
| Binding oath | "By Allah, I will not enter this house", then you enter | Kaffarah due |
| False oath (ghamus) | Deliberately lying under oath about the past | A major sin needing repentance; no kaffarah for most scholars, the Shafi'is require it |
The Prophet ﷺ said: "If you swear an oath and then see something better, expiate your oath and do what is better." Bukhari (6622) and Muslim (1652).
Several oaths: how many kaffarahs?
- Same matter repeated: one kaffarah for the Hanbalis and others, unless you expiated in between.
- Different matters: one kaffarah for each oath.
- Unsure of the number? Go with what you think is most likely.
Before or after breaking the oath?
Both are valid for most scholars; the Hanafis require it after. If you decide to break an oath because the better choice is clear, you may expiate first and then act.
Common mistakes
- Fasting while able to feed, which does not count.
- Giving the kaffarah to people you must already support, such as your children or spouse.
- Treating an oath by divorce or by the Prophet as an oath by Allah; these have separate rulings.
- Skipping the kaffarah because the oath was made in anger; anger that leaves you aware does not cancel it.
Quick questions
Can I feed one poor person for ten days? Valid for the Hanafis, not for the majority; ten people is safer.
Can I give a poor family of ten? Yes, each needy member counts as one person.
Need a different kaffarah? For intercourse during a Ramadan day, read Kaffarah for intercourse in Ramadan.
Related articles
Data sources
Last updated: 9 October 2026