Do I Need to Make up My Missed Obligatory Fasts or Is an Expiatory Payment a Valid Option?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalaamu-alaykum wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

Due to personal circumstances I have been finding it difficult to make up my missed obligatory fasts from Ramadhan. Will expiatory payments (fidya) be a valid option for me?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

May Allah Most High grant you strength and facilitation.

The upshot is that you need to make up (qada’) these fasts, and making expiatory payments (fidya) will not suffice to lift the duty.

My advice would be to use some of the blessed days of the year to fast, intending therein to seek Allah Most High by (1) fulfilling what is due from you, (2) benefiting from the blessings of those days, and (3) increasing in gratitude for the blessing of being able to fast. Such days include the tenth Muharram, the day of `Ashura, the six days of Shawwal, the first nine days of Dhu’l Hijjah, notwithstanding recurring blessings such as, the white days, Mondays and Thursdays and a number of other occasions.

Pray the Prayer of Need (salat al-hajah) [see: How Does One Perform the Prayer of Need (salat al haja)], and ask for facilitation and success. And remember that the shorter days of Winter are fast approaching, and you could do worse than benefiting from them.

Please also see: Fasting Six Days of Shawwal- Ruling Whether Consecutive Combining Intentions, Wisdoms and What if Unable to Fast-Faraz Rabbani and: The Complete Guide to Fasting and: Struggling to Have Children: Ten Key Etiquettes of Dua

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam was born and raised in Ipswich, England, a quiet town close to the east coast of England. His journey for seeking sacred knowledge began when he privately memorized the entire Qur’an in his hometown at the age of 16. He also had his first experience in leading the tarawih (nightly-Ramadan) prayers at his local mosque. Year after year he would continue this unique return to reciting the entire Quran in one blessed month both in his homeland, the UK, and also in the blessed lands of Shaam, where he now lives, studies and teaches.