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LAWS OF FASTING FOR A TRAVELLER →
← TIMES WHEN IT IS OBLIGATORY (WĀJIB) TO ONLY MAKE UP (QAḌĀʾ) A FAST
LAWS OF A LAPSED (QAḌĀʾ) FAST
Ruling 1663. If an insane person becomes sane, it is not obligatory for him to make up the fasts that he did not keep when he was insane.
Ruling 1664. If a disbeliever becomes a Muslim, it is not obligatory for him to make up the fasts that he did not keep when he was a disbeliever. However, if a Muslim becomes a disbeliever and then becomes a Muslim again, he must make up the fasts that he did not keep while he was a disbeliever.
Ruling 1665. One must make up a fast that he did not keep due to intoxication, even if he consumed the intoxicating thing for the purposes of treatment.
Ruling 1666. If someone does not fast for a few days due to a legitimate excuse and afterwards doubts when his excuse expired, it is not obligatory for him to fast more days than what he deems probable as having missed. For example, someone who travelled before the month of Ramadan and who does not know whether he returned on the fifth of the month of Ramadan or the sixth, or he travelled in the last few days of the month of Ramadan and returned after the month of Ramadan but does not know whether he travelled on the twenty-fifth or the twenty-sixth, in both cases, he can keep qaḍāʾ fasts for the lower figure – i.e. five days – although the recommended precaution is that he should keep qaḍāʾ fasts for the higher figure, i.e. six days.
Ruling 1667. If someone has qaḍāʾ fasts left over from a number of previous Ramadans, it does not matter which month of Ramadan he keeps qaḍāʾ fasts for first. However, if the time for the qaḍāʾ of the last month of Ramadan is short – for example, he has to keep five qaḍāʾ fasts from the last month of Ramadan and only five days remain until the beginning of the next month of Ramadan – it is better that he keep the qaḍāʾ fasts for the last month of Ramadan first.
Ruling 1668. If a person has to keep qaḍāʾ fasts for a number of Ramadans and he does not specify in his intention which month of Ramadan he is keeping a qaḍāʾ fast for, it will not be regarded as the qaḍāʾ fast for the last year; as a result, the kaffārah for delaying its qaḍāʾ would not be waived.[1]
Ruling 1669. One can invalidate the qaḍāʾ fast of the month of Ramadan before ẓuhr. However, if the number of days left for him to keep his qaḍāʾ fasts [before the start of the month of Ramadan] are few, it is better that he does not invalidate them.
Ruling 1670. If a person has kept a qaḍāʾ fast for a dead person, it is better that he does not invalidate it after ẓuhr.
Ruling 1671. If someone does not fast in the month of Ramadan due to illness, ḥayḍ, or nifās, and he dies before the passing of a period in which he could have made up those fasts, then those fasts do not have to be made up.
Ruling 1672. If due to illness one does not fast in the month of Ramadan and his illness continues until the month of Ramadan of the following year, it is not obligatory for him to make up the fasts he did not keep; and for each day he must give one mudd (approximately 750 grams) of food – i.e. wheat, barley, bread, and suchlike – to a poor person.[2] However, if one does not fast because of another legitimate excuse – for example, he was travelling – and his excuse remains valid until the following month of Ramadan, he must make up the fasts that he did not keep; and the obligatory precaution is that for each day, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person.
Ruling 1673. If due to illness one does not fast in the month of Ramadan, and after the month of Ramadan his illness is cured but another legitimate excuse arises such that he cannot make up the fasts until the following month of Ramadan, he must make up the fasts he did not keep; and based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person for every missed fast. The same applies if in the month of Ramadan one has another legitimate excuse – other than illness – and after the month of Ramadan that excuse expires and until the month of Ramadan of the following year he cannot fast due to illness.
Ruling 1674. If in the month of Ramadan one does not fast due to a legitimate excuse and after the month of Ramadan that excuse expires but he intentionally does not make up the fasts before the following month of Ramadan, he must make them up and give one mudd of food to a poor person for each day.
Ruling 1675. If a person is negligent in keeping qaḍāʾ fasts until the time [before the next month of Ramadan] becomes short, and in the shortage of time a legitimate excuse arises, he must make them up; and based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person for each day. The same applies if after the excuse expires he decides to make up his fasts but before he does so, a legitimate excuse arises in the short time [remaining before the month of Ramadan].
Ruling 1676. If a person’s illness continues for some years, he must make up the fasts for the last month of Ramadan after he gets better; and for each missed day of the previous years, he must give one mudd of food to a poor person.
Ruling 1677. Someone who must give one mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast can give the kaffārah of several days to one poor person.
Ruling 1678. If a person delays keeping the qaḍāʾ fasts of the month of Ramadan for a few years, he must make them up. For the first year’s delay, he must give one mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast [as kaffārah]; however, for the delay in the later years, there is no obligation for him [to give kaffārah].[3]
Ruling 1679. If a person intentionally does not keep the fasts of the month of Ramadan, he must make them up; and for each missed fast, he must fast for two months, or give food to sixty poor people, or free one slave. In the event that he does not make them up until the next month of Ramadan, then based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food as kaffārah.
Ruling 1680. If a person intentionally does not keep a fast of the month of Ramadan, and in the day he repeatedly has sexual intercourse or masturbates, the kaffārah is not repeated. Similarly, if one does something else that invalidates a fast a number of times – for example, he eats food a number of times – then giving one kaffārah is sufficient.
Ruling 1681. After a father’s death, the eldest son must, based on obligatory precaution, keep his father’s qaḍāʾ fasts of the month of Ramadan as per the details mentioned in Ruling 1370 concerning prayer. Instead of fasting each day, he can give 750 grams of food to a poor person even from the deceased's property if the heirs consent to it.
Ruling 1682. If a father had not kept obligatory fasts other than the fasts of the month of Ramadan – for example, he had not kept a fast that had become obligatory on account of a vow – or, if he had been hired to fast on behalf of someone else but had not done so, it is not obligatory for the eldest son to make up such fasts.
Ruling 1664. If a disbeliever becomes a Muslim, it is not obligatory for him to make up the fasts that he did not keep when he was a disbeliever. However, if a Muslim becomes a disbeliever and then becomes a Muslim again, he must make up the fasts that he did not keep while he was a disbeliever.
Ruling 1665. One must make up a fast that he did not keep due to intoxication, even if he consumed the intoxicating thing for the purposes of treatment.
Ruling 1666. If someone does not fast for a few days due to a legitimate excuse and afterwards doubts when his excuse expired, it is not obligatory for him to fast more days than what he deems probable as having missed. For example, someone who travelled before the month of Ramadan and who does not know whether he returned on the fifth of the month of Ramadan or the sixth, or he travelled in the last few days of the month of Ramadan and returned after the month of Ramadan but does not know whether he travelled on the twenty-fifth or the twenty-sixth, in both cases, he can keep qaḍāʾ fasts for the lower figure – i.e. five days – although the recommended precaution is that he should keep qaḍāʾ fasts for the higher figure, i.e. six days.
Ruling 1667. If someone has qaḍāʾ fasts left over from a number of previous Ramadans, it does not matter which month of Ramadan he keeps qaḍāʾ fasts for first. However, if the time for the qaḍāʾ of the last month of Ramadan is short – for example, he has to keep five qaḍāʾ fasts from the last month of Ramadan and only five days remain until the beginning of the next month of Ramadan – it is better that he keep the qaḍāʾ fasts for the last month of Ramadan first.
Ruling 1668. If a person has to keep qaḍāʾ fasts for a number of Ramadans and he does not specify in his intention which month of Ramadan he is keeping a qaḍāʾ fast for, it will not be regarded as the qaḍāʾ fast for the last year; as a result, the kaffārah for delaying its qaḍāʾ would not be waived.[1]
Ruling 1669. One can invalidate the qaḍāʾ fast of the month of Ramadan before ẓuhr. However, if the number of days left for him to keep his qaḍāʾ fasts [before the start of the month of Ramadan] are few, it is better that he does not invalidate them.
Ruling 1670. If a person has kept a qaḍāʾ fast for a dead person, it is better that he does not invalidate it after ẓuhr.
Ruling 1671. If someone does not fast in the month of Ramadan due to illness, ḥayḍ, or nifās, and he dies before the passing of a period in which he could have made up those fasts, then those fasts do not have to be made up.
Ruling 1672. If due to illness one does not fast in the month of Ramadan and his illness continues until the month of Ramadan of the following year, it is not obligatory for him to make up the fasts he did not keep; and for each day he must give one mudd (approximately 750 grams) of food – i.e. wheat, barley, bread, and suchlike – to a poor person.[2] However, if one does not fast because of another legitimate excuse – for example, he was travelling – and his excuse remains valid until the following month of Ramadan, he must make up the fasts that he did not keep; and the obligatory precaution is that for each day, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person.
Ruling 1673. If due to illness one does not fast in the month of Ramadan, and after the month of Ramadan his illness is cured but another legitimate excuse arises such that he cannot make up the fasts until the following month of Ramadan, he must make up the fasts he did not keep; and based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person for every missed fast. The same applies if in the month of Ramadan one has another legitimate excuse – other than illness – and after the month of Ramadan that excuse expires and until the month of Ramadan of the following year he cannot fast due to illness.
Ruling 1674. If in the month of Ramadan one does not fast due to a legitimate excuse and after the month of Ramadan that excuse expires but he intentionally does not make up the fasts before the following month of Ramadan, he must make them up and give one mudd of food to a poor person for each day.
Ruling 1675. If a person is negligent in keeping qaḍāʾ fasts until the time [before the next month of Ramadan] becomes short, and in the shortage of time a legitimate excuse arises, he must make them up; and based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food to a poor person for each day. The same applies if after the excuse expires he decides to make up his fasts but before he does so, a legitimate excuse arises in the short time [remaining before the month of Ramadan].
Ruling 1676. If a person’s illness continues for some years, he must make up the fasts for the last month of Ramadan after he gets better; and for each missed day of the previous years, he must give one mudd of food to a poor person.
Ruling 1677. Someone who must give one mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast can give the kaffārah of several days to one poor person.
Ruling 1678. If a person delays keeping the qaḍāʾ fasts of the month of Ramadan for a few years, he must make them up. For the first year’s delay, he must give one mudd of food to a poor person for each missed fast [as kaffārah]; however, for the delay in the later years, there is no obligation for him [to give kaffārah].[3]
Ruling 1679. If a person intentionally does not keep the fasts of the month of Ramadan, he must make them up; and for each missed fast, he must fast for two months, or give food to sixty poor people, or free one slave. In the event that he does not make them up until the next month of Ramadan, then based on obligatory precaution, he must also give one mudd of food as kaffārah.
Ruling 1680. If a person intentionally does not keep a fast of the month of Ramadan, and in the day he repeatedly has sexual intercourse or masturbates, the kaffārah is not repeated. Similarly, if one does something else that invalidates a fast a number of times – for example, he eats food a number of times – then giving one kaffārah is sufficient.
Ruling 1681. After a father’s death, the eldest son must, based on obligatory precaution, keep his father’s qaḍāʾ fasts of the month of Ramadan as per the details mentioned in Ruling 1370 concerning prayer. Instead of fasting each day, he can give 750 grams of food to a poor person even from the deceased's property if the heirs consent to it.
Ruling 1682. If a father had not kept obligatory fasts other than the fasts of the month of Ramadan – for example, he had not kept a fast that had become obligatory on account of a vow – or, if he had been hired to fast on behalf of someone else but had not done so, it is not obligatory for the eldest son to make up such fasts.
[1] See Ruling 1678.
[2] This type of compensative payment is known as fidyah.
[3] For example, if someone has to make up one fast and he delays making it up for three years, he must give one kaffārah [i.e. one mudd of food] to a poor person, not three kaffārahs.