Making up missed fasts (qada)
The rules for making up fasts that were missed or broken: when, in what order, and who owes the compensation (fidyah) instead.
If you missed a fast that you were supposed to keep (whether you had a good reason or not, or your fast broke for some reason), you owe a make-up day (qada) later.
The rules for making up missed fasts
- There's no deadline for making up a missed fast: you can do it whenever you're able. It's better to do it soon, though, so you don't put it off.
- You don't have to make up missed fasts all in a row. You can take breaks between them.
- You don't have to make them up in any particular order.
- If next Ramadan arrives and you still haven't made up fasts from last time, fast this Ramadan first, then make up the older missed days afterwards.
- Girls and women who missed fasts because of their monthly period or after having a baby make those days up after Ramadan ends.
- Someone who missed fasting because they're elderly, or have an illness that isn't expected to get better, doesn't have to make those days up at all. Instead, they give fidyah: feeding one poor person two meals, or its equivalent, for each day missed.
Necessary (Wājib)must do
Wherever an obligatory or compulsory fast is missed on time, whether due to an excuse or without one, or is broken or invalidated for any reason, making it up on another day is obligatory.
1234Rules for making up missed fasts
- There is no specific time limit for making up missed fasts; they may be made up whenever possible, though it is better to do so as soon as possible to discharge the obligation promptly.
- It is not necessary to make up qada fasts consecutively, whether they are Ramadan fasts or others; breaks may be taken between them.
- There is no requirement to make up missed fasts in the order they were missed, just as there is none in making up missed prayers. If a new Ramadan arrives before the previous year's missed fasts have been made up, the current Ramadan's fasts are observed first, and the older missed fasts are made up afterward.
- Women who missed fasts due to menstruation or post-natal bleeding make those fasts up after Ramadan.
- Fasts missed due to old age, or a similar condition such as an illness from which recovery is not expected, do not require qada at all; fidyah is given instead: feeding a poor person two meals, or the equivalent of sadaqat al-fitr, for each fast missed.
Necessary (Wājib)must do
Whenever a farḍ or wājib fast is missed at its proper time, whether excused or unexcused, or is invalidated or broken for any cause, its qaḍāʾ on another day is wājib.
1234Governing rules for qaḍāʾ
- Qaḍāʾ carries no fixed time limit and may be discharged whenever possible, though prompt discharge (ta'jīl) is preferable.
- Tatābu' (consecutiveness) is not required for qaḍāʾ fasts, whether of Ramaḍān or otherwise; interruptions between them are permitted.
- Tartīb (sequence) is not required in discharging multiple qaḍāʾ fasts, exactly as with missed prayers. Where a further Ramaḍān arrives before the previous year's qaḍāʾ has been completed, the current Ramaḍān is observed first, with the outstanding qaḍāʾ deferred to afterward.
- Women who missed fasts to ḥayḍ or nifās make their qaḍāʾ after Ramaḍān.
- Where fasts were missed owing to old age, or an illness from which recovery is not medically expected, qaḍāʾ is waived entirely and fidyah substituted: feeding one poor person two meals, or the equivalent of ṣadaqat al-fiṭr, per missed day.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 223 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Fasting Introduction
13. Rulings Regarding Qada (Making Up Missed Fasts):
- If obligatory or compulsory fasts are missed on time, whether due to an excuse or without any excuse, or if the fasts were broken or invalidated for some reason, it is obligatory to make up for them on other days.
- There is no specific time limit for making up missed fasts. They can be made up whenever possible, although it is better to do so as soon as possible to fulfill the responsibility quickly.
- It is not necessary to fast continuously for Qada fasts (whether they are Ramadan fasts or others); breaks can be taken between the fasts.
- The sequence of making up missed fasts is not necessary, just like the sequence in prayer. If the person has not made up their missed fasts and a new Ramadan begins, they should observe the fasts of the current Ramadan first and then make up the missed fasts later.
- Women who missed fasts due to menstruation or postpartum bleeding should make up those fasts after Ramadan.
- If fasts were missed due to reasons like aging [Or a disease from which recovery is no longer expected.] or other such factors, they do not require Qada, but Fidya (compensation) must be given, i.e., feeding a poor person two meals or giving the equivalent of Sadaqat al-Fitr for each fast.
Terms on this page
Related
- Valid excuses for not fasting, and the compensation (fidyah) Who is excused from fasting (travel, illness, pregnancy, old age and more), when a fast may actually be broken, and who pays the compensation (fidyah) instead of making up the fast.
- What breaks a fast: making it up (qada), expiation (kaffarah), or nothing at all Which acts break a fast and only need making up, which need making up plus an expiation, and which do not break the fast at all.
- Who must fast, and the conditions for it Who fasting in Ramadan is obligatory on, the conditions for that obligation, and the two conditions a fast needs to be valid at all.
- The nine kinds of fast The nine categories of fasting in the Hanafi school, from the obligatory fasts of Ramadan, through the emphasised and recommended fasts, down to the fasts it is disliked or sinful to keep.