Of course! We have many non-Muslim donors who help support our vital work.

No, beneficiaries of our work include Muslims and non-Muslims. We do not discriminate based on religion, race or ethnicity.

The best way to support our work is to donate. There are however other ways to help us, as outlined here.

Contact details can be found here.

MCUK will ensure that your fidyah or kaffarah is spent correctly -- feeding poor and needy people.

The only type of fasting which is obligatory is that during Ramadan for those who are able, or the making up of missed Ramadan fasts for those who are able.

A valid reason is only needed for missing an obligatory fast such as during Ramadan. Some examples of the types of people excused are:

• Those who are ill or on a journey
• Pregnant or suckling mothers
• Those who are weak due to old age
• Those suffering from long term illness that would be made worse by fasting, such as certain types of diabetes

If you miss a non-obligatory fast there is no harm and typically the fast cannot be made up at a later date. Missed fasts during Ramadhan are of two types:

• A person has not kept the fast due to a valid reason
• A person has deliberately not kept the fast or broken their fast without a valid reason

In the first case, there is no sin upon the person, but they should either make up the missed days as soon as they are able, or if they are not able they should offer fidyah. In doing so the person will receive the same reward as the one who fasted, insha'Allah.

In the second case, the person has committed a sin for which he should repent. In addition, the person must fast for two consecutive months with no break in between. If one is absolutely not able to do that kaffarah must be offered.

Fidyah is a way for those who are not able to fast due to age, long term illness etc. to share in the reward of fasting, and is obligatory upon them if they can afford it.

The fidyah is to feed a poor person for each day of fasting missed. The scholars have said it is sufficient to provide a single poor person with two meals for every day missed, or to feed lots of people a meal on a single day.

Each meal costs £2.50 and thus the fidyah for each day of fasting missed is £5. Thus, if one missed 30 days of fasting during Ramadan due to long term illness one should pay £150 in fidyah.

You can make a fidyah payment here.

Kaffarah is the expiation that must be offered if one deliberately does not fast or breaks a fast in the month of Ramadhan without a valid reason.

In such a case a person is liable to fast for two month continuously with no break between. If one cannot perform this fast due to valid reasons then a person must feed (the equivalent of) 60 poor persons two meals.

Each meal costs £2.50 and thus the cost of the kaffarah payment is £2.50 × 2 × 60 = £300.

You can make a kaffarah payment here.

Zakat al-Fitr (also known as Fitrana) is an amount of charity -- in the form of staple foodstuffs -- that all Muslims with the means are required to pay at the conclusion of Ramadan.