Why is kaffarah of Ramadan fasting 61 days?

In Ramadan, if a Muslim breaks his fast intentionally, he has to offer expiation (kaffarah) of 61 days fasting. Why is it 61, but not 30, 60 or any other?

60 days of the kaffarah is penalty, 1 day is qada (re-fasting the broken day)

Ulama (scholars) agree upon the idea that, in the case of taking food or drink or any kind of substance like food "intentionally" during Ramadan fast, it is neccessary to offer both kaffarah (expiation) and qada (compensation). (Diyanah)

The 60 days of the 61 days kaffarah is penalty of breaking the fast, 1 day is re-fasting the broken fast.



Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states in the hadith that, the expiation of a Ramadan fast which is broken intentionally is fasting for 61 days

Narrated Abu Huraira:

While we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said,
"O Allah's Apostle! I have been ruined." Allah's Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied
"I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." Allah's Apostle asked him, "
Can you afford to manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. Allah's Apostle asked him,
"Can you fast for two successive months?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him,
"Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet . He asked,
"Where is the questioner?" He replied,
"I (am here)." The Prophet said (to him),
"Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity." The man said,
"Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains who are poorer than I." The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said,
'Feed your family with it." (Bukhari;31;157)


As breaking Ramadan fast deliberately is a sacrilege to the blessed month of Ramadan, its penalty is fasting for 61 days

As intentionally breaking fast in Ramadan is a kind of violating the dignity of the blessed month Ramadan, it is neccessary to offer expiation for it. Although there are three options of kaffarah that are adviced in the hadiths, today two of them are applicable. One is fasting for consecutive 60 days, the other is feeding 60 poor people.