What is fidya? Fidya (فدية) is a charitable compensation in Islam for Ramadan fasts a person cannot keep and cannot make up later. For each missed day, the person feeds someone in need, usually by giving the cost of a day’s food.
If you live with a chronic illness, are getting older, or have been told by your doctor not to fast, fidya is how Islam keeps the door to Ramadan open for you. This guide covers what fidya means, who pays it, how much it is, and where scholars differ, so you can make an informed decision with your local imam or scholar.
What is fidya? The meaning of the word
The Arabic word fidya means “ransom” or “redemption”: something given in place of something else. You’ll also see it spelled fidyah, fidiya or fideya. All refer to the same practice.
In the context of fasting, fidya is what you give in place of a fast you’re unable to keep. Instead of going without food yourself, you make sure someone who is going without gets fed.
Where fidya comes from in Islam
Fidya is rooted in the Qur’an. In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:184), after describing the Ramadan fast, Allah says that those who can fast only with great hardship have a ransom: “feeding a poor person” for each day.
The same verse makes clear that people who are sick or traveling make up the days later. That distinction, between making up a fast and paying fidya, is the most important thing to understand.
Fidya vs. making up missed fasts
Not every missed fast calls for fidya. The question is whether you’ll realistically be able to fast those days later.
Make up the fasts later (qada), with no fidya, if the reason is temporary:
- Short-term illness, such as the flu or recovery from a procedure
- Travel
- Menstruation or postpartum bleeding
Pay fidya if the reason is ongoing and you can’t make the days up:
- A chronic illness that makes fasting harmful, such as diabetes needing regular meals and medication, kidney disease, or heart conditions
- Old age, when fasting causes real weakness or health decline
- A condition your doctor says isn’t likely to improve
Gray areas are common. A condition might improve with treatment, for example. Scholars generally advise making up fasts if recovery is realistic in a reasonable time, and paying fidya if it isn’t. Your doctor and a knowledgeable scholar should both be part of that decision.
Who should pay fidya?
People with chronic illness
If fasting puts your health at risk and that isn’t expected to change, fidya is the path Islam provides. Protecting your health is itself part of your faith. We cover this in depth in chronic illness and Ramadan: understanding your fidya options.
Elderly Muslims
When age makes fasting harmful, paying fidya is not a lesser form of worship. It’s the form of worship meant for you. Read more in elderly Muslims and fasting.
Pregnant and nursing women
This is where the schools of thought differ most. In the Hanafi school, pregnant and nursing women generally make up missed fasts later rather than paying fidya. Other schools add fidya in some situations, depending on whether the concern is for the mother or the baby. Our guide on pregnancy, nursing and fidya walks through the views.
Paying for a family member
Family members can pay fidya on someone’s behalf with their knowledge and consent, which is common for adult children of elderly parents. See can I pay fidya for someone else? and how to talk with family about fidya.
How much is fidya?
The Qur’an sets the measure as feeding one poor person for each missed day. It doesn’t set a dollar figure, so scholars translate it into what a day’s food costs where you live.
- In the United States: the Fiqh Council of North America recommended $15 per missed day for 2026, based on the average daily cost of food. A full 30-day Ramadan comes to $450. Islamic Relief USA and ICNA Relief use the same figure.
- The Hanafi measure: a set quantity of staple grain per day (about 1.75 kg of wheat), or its cash value, or two full meals for one person.
- Updated yearly: food prices change, so the recommended amount is usually reviewed before each Ramadan. Check for the 2027 figure as Ramadan approaches (it’s expected to begin around February 8, 2027).
To work out your total, multiply the number of days you can’t fast by the per-day amount. Our fidya calculator does the math for you.
When should fidya be paid?
Scholars differ on timing. Most scholars hold that fidya can’t be paid before Ramadan begins, because the obligation starts with the month itself. Once Ramadan starts, the Hanafi school allows paying for the whole month at once, while the Shafi’i school has you pay for each day as it comes or in one sum at the end. Paying at the end of Ramadan, or afterward, is accepted across the schools.
If you have missed several Ramadans without paying, you can still settle them. Count the missed days and pay for each.
Who can receive fidya?
Fidya goes to people who are poor and in need, the same groups generally eligible for zakat. It can’t go to someone who is well off, or to the people you’re already responsible for supporting, such as your spouse, parents or children.
Scholars differ on whether fidya may go to people in need who are not Muslim. Many Hanafi scholars hold that it must go to poor Muslims, while some scholars permit giving it to anyone in need. If this matters for how you give, ask a scholar you trust.
Fidya vs. kaffarah
These two get confused often. Fidya is for fasts you can’t keep for a valid reason. Kaffarah is the expiation for deliberately breaking a Ramadan fast without a valid reason: fasting 60 consecutive days, or, if that isn’t possible, feeding 60 people in need. Islamic Relief USA estimates that at $15 per person, or $900, for each broken fast. Full comparison: kaffarah vs. fidya: which do you owe?
Common questions about fidya
Can I fast some days and pay fidya for others?
Yes. If your condition allows you to fast on some days but not others, fast when you safely can and pay fidya for the days you can’t.
What if my condition improves after I’ve paid fidya?
Many scholars hold that fidya paid in good faith for a condition believed to be permanent remains valid, and you simply fast normally going forward. Some scholars hold you should make up the days. Ask your scholar about your situation.
Do children owe fidya?
No. Fasting becomes obligatory at puberty, so younger children owe neither fasts nor fidya.
What if I can’t afford fidya?
Islam doesn’t burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Give what you can when you can. And never skip medical care or medication to make a payment.
Can I pay fidya in the USA through a local program?
Yes. Many American Muslims want their fidya to feed people close to home. We look at the options in can I pay fidya in the USA?
Where Meals N Feelz fits in
Fidya is one of the most direct forms of giving in Islam: a fast you can’t keep becomes a meal for someone who needs one. Meals N Feelz exists to connect that obligation to the community food programs already feeding people with dignity.
We’re not collecting fidya or donations yet. Right now, we’re building the community that will make this work, one name at a time. If you believe fidya can feed your neighbors, add your name to Fuel the Launch. It’s just your name and email, and we’ll only reach out when it’s time to launch.
This guide is for general education. For rulings on your specific situation, please consult a qualified scholar and, for health questions, your doctor.