Fatwa ID: 06573
Answered by: Alimah Jannatun Nessa
Question:
Salam, I have a question in regard to making up the fasts that I missed during Ramadan while menstruating. I have 112 fasts to make up for the past 16 years. I was wondering if I feed the poor 112 people/more—is that sufficient to make up for it? I would appreciate some advice. Thank you so much.
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
What you are asking is: if it is permissible for you to give fidya instead of fasting qadha (the amount of fidya is equivalent to feeding one person a day for each fast missed).
This is not permissible because menstruation necessitates qadha, not kaffarah (for those who intentionally missed a fast without a valid excuse) or fidya (which is an exemption for those who are elderly or sick i.e. those with a valid excuse to not fast).
If one is healthy and capable then one must keep the qadha fast by fasting and fidya is only a last resort for those with a valid excuse if fasting in Ramadan/qadha of Ramadan is impossible.
According to the Hanafis, it is not necessary to keep all the fasts before the next Ramadhan even though it is better to do so and it is not a condition to keep them consecutively either. Therefore, you can space out your fasts throughout the year according to what is convenient for you.
[Surah Baqarah 2: verse 184]
أَيَّامًۭا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍۢ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُۥ فِدْيَةٌۭ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍۢ ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا۟ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
˹Fast a˺ prescribed number of days. But whoever of you is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. For those who can only fast with extreme difficulty, compensation can be made by feeding a needy person ˹for every day not fasted˺. But whoever volunteers to give more, it is better for them. And to fast is better for you, if only you knew.
[Al-Hidaya, volume 1, page 63, al Misbah]
والحيض يسقط عن الحائض الصلاة ويحرم عليها الصوم وتقضي الصلاة ولا تقضي الصلوات
[Radd ul Mukhtar, volume 3, page 405, Daar al Kutub al Ilmiyyah]
و قضوا لزوما ما قدروا بلا فدية و بلا ولاء لأنه على التراخي ولذا جاز التطوع قبله بخلاف قضاء الصلاة ولو جاء رمضان الثاني قدم الأداء على القضاء ولا فدية.
[Maraqi al Falah, Shurunbulali, page 391-392, Daar Quba]
ولا يشترط التتابع في القضاء فان جاء رمضان آخر قدم على القضاء ولا فدية بالتاخير إليه
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Jannatun Nessa
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
