Successiveness in fasting as a Kaffarah unless there is an excuse

Q: I want to inform Your Eminence that I had to observe Sawm (Fast) for two consecutive months due to hitting a person with my car and killing him. I began Sawm, yet (Part No. 21; Page No. 318) after ten days I felt tired and broke my Sawm, intending to postpone it to a later time. This same day when I returned home, I felt better. Thus, I resumed observing Sawm for the rest of the prescribed period. Is observing Sawm for sixty days on my part, even though I broke my Sawm for just one day after the tenth day from the beginning of Sawm, considered consecutive or not? Does this suffice for the prescribed period?

A: It is obligatory to observe Sawm for two months, which is Kaffarah (expiation) for involuntary manslaughter, consecutively except when there is a Shar`y (Islamic legal) excuse; such as illness, traveling, the day of `Eid, and suchlike. Accordingly, if you broke your Sawm on the day you have mentioned due to not being able to complete Sawm as a result of feeling sick, then you are not considered as having broken off consecutiveness. Otherwise, you should observe Sawm for two months beginning from the first day you observed Sawm on following the day on which you broke your Sawm.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.