[Article] Permissibility to delay making up for Ramadan until Sha‘ban, without an excuse

The second question of Fatwa no. 4909 

Q 2: Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to delay the Sawm (Fasting) of Ramadan to the following year because of her menses or being in the state of postpartum period during Ramadan? Does she have the right to delay it to the following year? If it is difficult for her to observe Sawm in the following year, does she have the right to fast it after two years for having excuses like sickness, inability to endure Sawm or make up for the missed days of Sawm?

(Part No. 10; Page No. 338)

May a Muslim woman who cannot bare Sawm and it is hard for her to make up for the missed days of Sawm to pay a Fidyah (ransom) instead of Sawm or what should she do? Could you kindly advise; may Allah reward you with the best!

A: It is permissible to delay making up for Ramadan until Sha‘ban even without an excuse, but it is better to hasten in making up for these days. It is permissible for those women who break the Sawm during Ramadan due to excuses such as menstruation or postpartum period to delay making up for these days because of sickness or general weakness which do not enable them to fast. If the period is long, and she delays Sawm for one or two years, when she is cured and her strength is regained, she should hasten to make up for the missed days. If she has despaired of her ability to make up for these days, she should feed a needy person for each day she did not fast by paying half a Sa‘ (1 Sa‘ = 2.272 kg.) of the staple food of the country such as barley, dates, rice, corn or the like for each day they did not fast. If she gathers all the required amounts of food and gives them to one poor person or more for the whole of Ramadan, there is nothing wrong with this. May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

 Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’

Member	Deputy Chairman	Chairman
`Abdullah ibn Qa`ud	`Abdul-Razzaq `Afify	`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

Source:  Fatwas of the Permanent Committee