Fasting during Menstruation out of Ignorance

Question: 38867

I fasted all of Ramadan and I did not know that on the days of my period I should not fast, or that I should make up those days after that. I want to make up for those days by fasting and feeding a poor person for each day, but I do not know any poor people whom I could feed.

Is it permissible for me to donate money to any cause such as orphans or to mosques instead of that? And how much is the expiation for each day in Egyptian pounds?

Summary of answer

The scholars agreed that the menstruating woman should not fast, and that her fast is not valid if she does fast, and that she has to make up the days that she did not fast in Ramadan because of her period. What you have to do is to make up for those days, and repent to Allah for your failing to seek knowledge which led you to commit this prohibited action.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

What you have to do is to make up for those days , and repent to Allah for your failing to seek knowledge, which led you to commit this prohibited action.

If you will be able to make these days up in the same year before the next Ramadan comes , then all you have to do is to make up the fasts, and you do not have to feed the poor.

However, if you delayed making the fasts up until the next Ramadan came , with no excuse, then there is a difference of scholarly opinion in this case: should you feed the poor as well as make up for the missed fasts, or not?

We have already stated in the answer to question no. 26865 that you do not have to feed the poor.

But if you want to be on the safe side, and you feed the poor as well as make up for the missed fasts, that is good.

What is meant by feeding the poor is feeding one poor person for each day, giving half a Sa` of the local staple food, such as rice or dates. Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that this is approximately equivalent to one and a half kilograms of rice. (Fatawa Ramadan, p. 545)

The majority of scholars are of the view that it is not sufficient to pay the monetary value of the Fidyah (ransom) , so you cannot pay money; rather you should give the actual food to a poor person, as stated above.

The Standing Committee was asked about an old man who was not able to fast. They replied:

“You are allowed not to fast so long as you are unable to do so, and you have to feed one poor person for each day that you do not fast. You can give it all at once or break it up into smaller amounts, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…and [Allah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship.” [Al-Hajj 22:78]

It is not enough to give money instead of giving food.” (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah, 10/163)

You can give money to any charitable organization, or to the Imam of a mosque who is known for his religious commitment and righteousness, to buy food on your behalf and distribute it to the poor, and how many there are nowadays.

You could also make food for the poor, of an amount commensurate with the number of days you owe. Al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to the old man, if he is unable to fast: for one or two years Anas, after he grew old, fed bread and meat to a poor person every day and did not fast.”

It is permissible to give this expiation to orphans if they are poor, but not every orphan is poor or needy.

And Allah knows best.

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