Is it necessary to keep Qada fasts or can Fidyah be paid instead

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

     What do the honourable scholars say regarding this matter: At the moment, my father is over 50 years of age, but he has the ability to keep fasts, and he does fast as well. My father says that he has intentionally missed many fasts in his life. Now, he wants to know how to make up (Qada) the missed fasts? Is it necessary to keep Qada fasts or can Fidyah (monetary compensation) be paid instead? If there is permission to pay Fidyah, how much is the Fidyah for one missed fast?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

     In the aforementioned case, it is Fard  (mandatory) for your father to make  up(Qada) all the fasts which he missed intentionally, but keeping them all consecutively, in a row, is not necessary; they can be kept with gaps in between. As it is easier to fast in the winter because the days are shorter, Qada fasts can be kept in that season. In summary, the Qada fasts must be kept as soon as possible, and paying Fidyah or Kaffarah is not enough for the missed fasts. Moreover, it is also necessary to repent from the sin of missing fasts.

Remember! Paying Fidyah is only permitted for Shaykh Faani (an extremely old person) not for everyone. Shaykh Faani  is that person who has become so weak due to old age that he does not have the strength to fast, neither in  the winter nor in the summer, neither consecutively nor separately, and there is no expectation of him gaining strength to fast in the future.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered by: Mufti Fuzayl Raza Attari