The Question
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum, Sheikh. What is the ruling for someone who has outstanding Ramadan fasts from the past six years and has not made them up, but has now decided to do so? What must they do? Should they only make up the missed fasts, or must they also feed needy people?
The
Answer
Wa
Alaikumussalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
All praise belongs
to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The ruling on
delaying missed Ramadan fasts depends on the reason for the delay. Islamic
scholars distinguish between someone who was unable to make up the fasts
because of a valid excuse and someone who delayed despite being able to do so.
1.
If the Delay Was Due to a Valid Islamic Excuse
If someone could
not make up missed Ramadan fasts because of a valid excuse, such as an illness
that prevented fasting, menstruation, postnatal bleeding, or another legitimate
impediment that continued until the next Ramadan, the person must make up the missed
days when able.
According to many
scholars, feeding a needy person is not obligatory when the delay resulted from
a valid excuse.
The obligation in
this situation is to make up the missed fasts when the person becomes able to
do so.
2.
If the Delay Occurred Without a Valid Excuse
If someone was
able to make up the missed fasts but neglected to do so until another Ramadan
arrived, the person must repent sincerely to Allah and make up all the missed
days.
However, scholars
differ on whether feeding needy people is also obligatory.
·
Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools: The well-known position is that the person must make
up the missed fasts and feed a needy person for each day whose make-up was
delayed without a valid excuse.
·
Hanafi school: The person must make up the missed fasts and repent for the
unjustified delay, but feeding a needy person is not obligatory solely because
of that delay.
Therefore, this
issue involves a recognised difference of scholarly opinion. A person may
consult a qualified scholar familiar with the school of jurisprudence they
follow for guidance appropriate to their circumstances.
3.
How Should Someone Make Up Six Years of Missed Fasts?
A person with
outstanding fasts from six years should estimate or establish the number of
missed days for each year and calculate the total.
For example, if
the person missed five days in each of the six years, the total would be thirty
days.
The missed fasts
do not necessarily have to be observed consecutively. The person may spread
them out according to their ability and circumstances, while making a sincere
effort to complete them without further unjustified delay.
Allah says:
Arabic:
فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ
Transliteration:
Faʿiddatun min
ayyāmin ukhar.
English
translation:
“Then an equal
number of days [are to be made up].”
— Qur'an 2:184
This verse
establishes the obligation to make up the relevant number of missed fasting
days.
4.
How Much Food Must Be Given to a Needy Person?
According to
scholars who require feeding because of an unjustified delay, a needy person
should be fed for each affected day.
The precise
quantity differs among the schools of jurisprudence. For example, the Maliki
school commonly describes the amount as one mudd of staple food,
equivalent to a quarter of a saʿ. Other schools may prescribe a
different quantity, such as half a saʿ.
Consequently,
there is no single measurement that should be presented as the unanimous
position of all Islamic schools.
Staple foods
commonly consumed in the local community, such as rice, millet, or maize, may
be used according to the relevant scholarly ruling. Anyone following an opinion
that requires feeding should ask a qualified scholar about the appropriate
quantity and method of distribution.
5.
What If the Person Cannot Afford to Feed the Needy?
If someone follows
the scholarly opinion that requires feeding but genuinely cannot afford it, the
person should repent sincerely, make up the missed fasts, and seek qualified
guidance about the outstanding feeding obligation.
The person should
not despair of Allah's mercy.
Allah says:
Arabic:
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
Transliteration:
Fattaqullāha
mastataʿtum.
English
translation:
“So fear Allah as
much as you are able.”
— Qur'an 64:16
Financial hardship
does not, by itself, remove the obligation to make up missed fasts when the
person is able to do so.
Conclusion
A person who has
outstanding Ramadan fasts spanning six years should determine the number of
missed days and make them up.
If the delay
resulted from a valid Islamic excuse, many scholars hold that making up the
fasts is sufficient, without additional feeding for the delay.
If the person
delayed without a valid excuse, they must repent and make up the missed fasts.
Whether feeding a needy person is also obligatory is a matter of scholarly
disagreement: the well-known Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali position requires it,
while the Hanafi school does not make it obligatory solely because of the
delay.
The person should
seek qualified guidance if uncertain about the number of missed days, the
reason for the delay, or the ruling to follow.
May Allah help us
fulfil our obligations, accept our acts of worship, and forgive our
shortcomings.
Wallāhu
Taʿālā Aʿlam — And Allah knows best.
Questions and
Answers According to the Qur'an and Sunnah.
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