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Is it permissible to feed sixty poor people instead of fasting for the expiation of Dhihar, fearing inability to complete the fasting on time due to the advent of Ramadan, and fearing falling into what is forbidden before completing the expiation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible to move from fasting to feeding in expiation for ẓihār unless one is unable to fast. Mere fear of intercourse is not considered inability. The one who pronounced ẓihār must fast, and it is forbidden for him to have intercourse with his wife before completing the two months of fasting. If he has intercourse with her, whether at night or during the day, intentionally or forgetfully, the jurists have agreed that he incurs sin. The majority of jurists hold that the continuity of fasting is broken, along with the sin, while the Shāfiʿīs hold that the continuity is not broken, and he must repent. The fatwa we adhere to is that the continuity is not broken by fasting Ramaḍān and breaking fast on the day of Eid.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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