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Fatwa CenterPutting expiation in public donation fund is not valid
Question
I did not make up many missed days of Ramadan. Several Ramadans have passed, and I did not make up missed fasts out of laziness. I have recently come to know that this is impermissible and that I have to feed one poor person as expiation for each day that I did not make up for. I do not know how to reach such poor persons to give them food. Is it permissible to put it in the donation fund, hoping that it may reach them? Is there any other expiation? I would also like to know what the intention of making up the missed fasts is.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is obligatory upon you to fast those days with the intention of making up for them. According to the most preponderant opinion among the Muslims scholars, you should have this intention from the night and renew it every night. Also, you are required, along with making up for the missed days, to offer an expiation for every day of which you delayed its fasting without a valid excuse until the following Ramadan came.
The expiation has to be delivered to poor persons, whether by yourself or by someone whom you trust, and it those not matter who does that—individuals, groups, or institutions.
As for just putting it in a donation fund, hoping that it may reach the poor, that is not valid because the money of a donation fund may be spent on the poor or in other matters. It your expiation money is spent for other purposes, then you will not have cleared yourself of your liability because the expiation must be paid to the poor. Thus, it is not permissible to give it to other than them, even if it is spent in charitable fields.
Allaah Knows best.
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