Q: My father is suffering from depression and his psychiatrist has put him on medication which he has to take 3 times a day. His condition is such that he was suicidal and the medication keeps him calm. Due to the above he is unable to fast.
Must fidyah be given in lieu of the missed fast and how much is it? We are in KwaZulu Natal.
A: Fidyah is for a person who has no hope of recovery. If the person with no hope of recovery eventually does recover, the missed fasts will be kept, irrespective of whether the Fidyah was paid or not. Payment of Fidyah is the last resort, once one is sure that the sick person will not be able to fast in the future. So pay the Fidyah and if he does recover he can keep the Qadhaa, otherwise not.
The Fidyah for one missed fast is the amount given in Fitrah (Sadaqatul-Fitr) Find out your from your local Ulama what this amount is.
Moulana Yusuf Laher