Launched under the heading of "Let your Fasting Kaffarah be a Food for the Poor," Tkiyet Um Ali's most recent Ramadan campaign is a significant program to lend a helping hand to the poor and the disadvantaged, and assist those who fail to fast to perform a proper Kaffarah.
In Islam, a Kaffarah is a penance, given in money or otherwise, which a person completes for committing a sin or a wrongdoing, or for even failing to fulfill a religious duty. The derivative verb of Kaffarah in Arabic literally means the erasing of a wrongdoing, and Kaffarah is applied in many of Al Fiqh principles.
"Your Kaffarah" is also intended for individuals who mean to expiate for breaking an oath or a vow for Allah, breaking a fast whether under an approved justification or not, or for those who are ill and are not physically able to perform fasting in Ramadan.
Commenting on the launch, Director General of Tkiyet Um Ali Mahmoud Saif Al-Sharif said: "Kaffarahs carry meanings of reverence, spirituality, and important values of communal solidarity that some might not be familiar with. It is by launching this campaign that we will be able to spread such knowledge about Islamic Shari'a and make it much easier for those who want to do penance. The launch certainly asserts Tkiyet Um Ali's goals in alleviating hunger and spreading the spirit of social justice and communal living."
The Kaffarahs are calculated on the average cost of a meal per person (2.75 JDs), the amount could be subject to increase or reduction depending on the usual cost of an Iftar for the person performing the Kaffarah. An amount of 27.5 JDs expiates for failing to act upon vows, being enough money to feed 10 poor individuals. As for the Kaffarahs for the ill who can not do fasting days, or those who break a fast under a justification, the amount would be 2.75 JDs for each non-fasting day. For a person who left out a fasting during Ramadan without an approved justification, the value of the Kaffarah is the price of a regular meal at Tkiyet Um Ali (2.75 JDs), provided that the person could not fast for two consecutive months instead.
Donations for "Your Fasting Kaffarah" could be given over the phone 06-4916800, paid in Tkiet Um Ali's Donation Centers in malls, or sent directly to Tkiyet Um Ali's address. Donations can also be deposited to Tkiyet Um Ali's Bank account, or in the charity boxes which are found in malls, stores, and restaurants in Amman, Irbid, and Aqaba.
