Fidya Guide 2027: Who Pays Fidya, How Much, and How to Pay It
Quick answer: Fidya is paid by a Muslim who cannot fast in Ramadan and cannot make the days up later — for example due to chronic illness or frail old age. For each missed day, one poor person is fed two meals, or the local monetary equivalent is given. Fidya never replaces fasts you are able to make up.
What is fidya, and what is its basis?
Fidya is the feeding of a poor person in place of a fast that can never be made up. Its basis is the verse of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:184), which speaks of those who can fast only with great difficulty: a ransom (fidya) of feeding a poor person. The companion Ibn Abbas explained that this applies to the elderly man and woman who cannot fast, and scholars extended it to anyone in the same permanent situation.
Think of fidya as the Shariah's way of keeping a door of worship open. A person who will never again be able to fast is not simply released from Ramadan with nothing: instead, their missed fasts become meals on the table of someone in need, and the reward and connection to the month remain.
Who pays fidya — and who does NOT
Fidya is for permanent inability: the frail elderly person who cannot fast, the person with a chronic or terminal illness for whom fasting is harmful and recovery is not expected, and similar cases where making up fasts in the future is realistically impossible. The judgment should be based on honest self-knowledge and, where health is involved, medical advice.
Fidya is NOT for temporary situations. If you missed fasts because of travel, a short illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or menstruation, your obligation is qaza — making the days up later — not fidya. Paying money in such cases does not remove the duty to make up the fasts. Likewise, a healthy, able person who deliberately skipped fasts cannot pay fidya to escape them: their path is repentance, qaza, and — for deliberately broken Ramadan fasts — the kaffarah rules.
- Pays fidya: frail elderly unable to fast; chronically ill with no expected recovery enabling qaza
- Does qaza instead: traveller, temporarily sick, menstruation and nifas days, pregnancy and breastfeeding (subject to the scholarly difference explained in our exemptions guide)
- Not fidya at all: fasts an able person skipped deliberately — repentance and qaza (and possibly kaffarah) apply, not payment
How much is fidya per day in 2027?
The classical measure of fidya is to feed one poor person two average meals for each missed day — roughly, the amount of food that would satisfy a person for a day. Scholars expressed this in measures of staple food, such as half a sa' of wheat or its equivalent in the local staple, and in modern practice most fatwa bodies convert it into a local money rate.
Because food prices differ by country and city, there is no single worldwide fidya figure, and any honest guide must say so. Your local mosque, national fatwa council or a trusted charity publishes a fidya rate for your area each year. Use our fidya calculator to work out your total for the number of days you owe, based on the local rate you enter, and check the Ramadan timetable pages for your country to confirm how many days of Ramadan apply to you.
Paying per day, or the whole month in advance?
Fidya can be paid day by day as Ramadan progresses, or for the whole month at once. Paying for the entire month in advance — for example, giving thirty days' worth on the first day of Ramadan — is permitted according to many scholars, since the obligation is known and the cause (permanent inability) already exists. Others prefer payment as each day arrives, because the duty for a day is tied to that day.
Both approaches have scholarly support, so follow the guidance you trust. Practically, paying in advance through a reliable charity is often the safest way to ensure the full amount is actually delivered, rather than small daily amounts being forgotten in the busyness of the month. Keep a simple record of what you paid, for how many days, and through whom.
Money or food? The scholarly positions
The Quran describes fidya as feeding (ta'am), and the majority of scholars — Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali — hold that actual food should be given to the poor, or a charity should be appointed to buy and distribute food with the money. The Hanafi school permits giving the monetary value of the food instead, reasoning that the purpose — meeting the poor person's need — is fulfilled either way, and money may even benefit them more.
This is a legitimate, long-standing difference, not a matter of right versus wrong practice to argue over. If you follow the Hanafi position, paying the cash equivalent through a charity is valid. If you follow the majority, choose a charity that explicitly distributes fidya as food or meals. ZakatSuite's fidya calculator helps with the arithmetic whichever position you follow.
Paying fidya through charities, and common mistakes
Most people today pay fidya through mosques or charities, which is perfectly valid: you are appointing them as your agent to feed the poor on your behalf. Choose an organisation that separates fidya funds from general donations and zakat, states clearly how fidya is delivered, and can handle the full number of days before Ramadan ends where possible.
Avoid three common mistakes. First, do not pay fidya for someone who is merely temporarily unable — they owe qaza. Second, do not count fidya as zakat; they are separate obligations with separate rules. Third, do not delay without reason once you know you owe it: the poor benefit most when fidya reaches them during Ramadan itself. For your personal situation, consult a qualified local scholar if anything about your case is unusual.
Frequently asked questions
How much fidya do I pay for the whole month of Ramadan 2027?
Multiply your local daily fidya rate by the number of days you cannot fast — twenty-nine or thirty for a full Ramadan. Rates are set locally because food costs differ, so check your national fatwa council, mosque or charity's published 2027 rate, then use our fidya calculator to total it precisely for your days.
Can I pay fidya for my elderly parent?
Yes. You may pay fidya on behalf of a parent or another person who is permanently unable to fast, with their knowledge where possible, either from their money with permission or as a gift from your own. Families commonly arrange this for elderly parents each Ramadan. Make sure the full number of days is covered and keep a record.
I missed fasts through illness last year. Can I pay fidya instead of making them up?
Only if your inability is permanent. If you were temporarily ill and can now fast, you owe qaza — the actual days — and fidya does not replace them. If your condition has become chronic with no realistic prospect of fasting, fidya becomes your obligation instead. A scholar who knows your medical situation can confirm which category you are in.
Can fidya be given as money instead of food?
Scholars differ. The Hanafi school permits giving the monetary value of the food. The majority prefer that actual food or meals reach the poor, which is why many charities collect cash but spend it on food distribution for fidya. Follow the position of the school or scholar you trust, and choose a charity whose delivery method matches it.
When should fidya be paid?
Fidya may be paid day by day during Ramadan, or for the whole month in advance according to many scholars, and it should not be delayed beyond Ramadan without a reason. If you only realise later that you owed fidya, pay it as soon as possible. Charities can usually still distribute it after Ramadan on your behalf.