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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AS Salam Alaikum,

Dear Brother,

I want to know what is kaffarh is Islam, once I ask an Aalim for forgiveness of my sin he said I have to do Taubah and explain in detail my Sins so that he can tell me how much Kaffarah I should pay, I am confuse regarding Kaffarh?

Ahz

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Answer:

What is kaffarah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I want to know what is kaffarh is Islam

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verse 29:

29 O ye who believe! If ye fear Allah He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong), ‘yo-kaffir’ (remove, blot) from you evil, and forgive you: for Allah is the Lord of Grace Unbounded.

The literal meaning of the Arabic term ‘Kafarah’ means to remove, or blot out, or wipe out something. When the term ‘Kaffarah’ is used in Fiqh or Islamic Jurisprudence it would mean an act of prescribed atonement or penitence one has to do for making an error or mistake one has made, which will wipe out or blot out that evil in the Sight of Allah Subhanah. In effect, the ‘kaffarah’ is but a manifestation of one’s sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance for their transgression of a specific mistake.

Your Question: once I ask an Aalim for forgiveness of my sin he said I have to do Taubah

If one seeks the general forgiveness of one’s past sins or mis-deeds, one need not go to an ‘aalaim’ or anyone in creation….one simply needs to turn back to their Lord Most Gracious in ‘taubah’ and in absolute humility, and fear, in hope and in awe beseech and implore their Lord Most Gracious to forgive them their sins….it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

This door of ‘Taubah’ or turning back to Allah Subhanah in sincere repentance is open for each and every individual only until one meets with their appointment of death; after which this door is shut.

Whatever deeds one might have done, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere Taubah and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only will forgive the sins of the believer, He will change his evil deeds done into good deeds!

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

1. One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
2. Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
3. Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
4. Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Your Question: ……and explain in detail my Sins so that he can tell me how much Kaffarah I should pay

If one has violated one of the clear Commandments of the Lord in the practice of one’s deen or one’s worship, Shariah has indeed prescribed specific forms of atonements (or Kaffarah) which must be performed as a manifestation of one’s sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance to Allah Subhanah.

For example:

1. If one misses an obligatgory prayer for any reason, its prescribed ‘kaffarah’ or atonement is that one pray it later as soon as one remembers it.
2. If one misses an obligatory fast, its prescribed ‘kaffarah’ or atonement is to make up the missed fast later; and if one is terminally ill and does not possess the strength to make up the missed obligatory fasts later, then the ‘kaffarah’ of such a person is to feed one poor indigent person for each fast missed.
3. If one makes an error in or misses an obligatory rite of the Hajj pilgrimage, then its prescribed ‘kaffarah’ is that one sacrifice a sheep as atonement.
4. If one has made a oath in the Name of Allah to do something and for some reason has to break that oath, then the prescribed ‘kaffarah’ in Shariah is that such a person feed those who are indigent, or clothe them, or free a slave.
5. If one accidentally kills another person, the Shariah has prescribed that such a person manifest his repentance by paying the blood money and free a slave as the ‘kaffarah’; and if one cannot free a slave then they should fast two consecutive months.
6. If one has sexual intercourse with one’s wife during one of the days of obligatory fasting in Ramadan, then Shariah has prescribed that one manifest their ‘taubah’ for their transgression by either freeing a slave, or fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people.

In conclusion brother, if one wishes to seek general forgiveness for their past mis-deeds, one need not consult or confess their deeds to anyone in creation….but rather confess their sins only to their Lord and turn back to Him in ‘taubah’ and seek forgiveness for their past deeds; it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

But if one has violated or missed or made a specific error in one of the obligatory acts of worship, or one seeks forgiveness for a sin for which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have prescribed a specific form of ‘kaffarah’ or atonement….then indeed one, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, must manifest their ‘taubah’ and repentance by fulfilling the prescribed ‘kaffarah’ or act of atonement.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan