Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

i would be very thankful if you could answer my question .my question to you is that "i had made a niyyat to fast(nafil) and did my saher but later slept and missed my fajr prayer. and due to that i did not fast .and now i have heard that making a niyyat and not performing a fast calls for a kuffara .if that is true please tell me what should i do. thanking you 

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Answer:

Atonement for breaking a nafl voluntary fast

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.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 18.50

Yahya related from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Aisha and Hafsa, the wives of the Prophet (saws) began fasting voluntarily one morning and then food was given to them and they broke their fast with it. Then the Messenger of Allah (saws) came in. A'isha said, "Hafsa asked, 'O Messenger of Allah (saws), A'isha and I began the morning fasting voluntarily and then food was given us and we broke the fast with it.' The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, 'Fast another day in its place.' "

If one intends or embarks on the fulfillment of a voluntary good deed, one should strive to complete it…..if one has intended to observe a voluntary fast for the Pleasure of Allah Subhanah, and in the course of the day happens to break the fast for any reason whatsoever, the atonement or ‘kaffarah’ for breaking the fast is to fast another day in its place.

Beloved brother, although you have not specifically asked about the ruling of missing an obligatory prayer unintentionally or due to over-sleeping….for your information this is the ruling:

Whoever sleeps through or has forgotten to pray a certain prayer should pray it when he wakes up or remembers the prayer. Abu Qatadah related that sleeping through the prayer time was mentioned to the Prophet (saws) and he said, "There is no negligence in sleep, but negligence occurs while one is awake. If one of you forgets a prayer or sleeps through its time, then he should pray it when he remembers it."

Related by an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmidhi.

Anas related that the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers it, and there is no expiation for it save that."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

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