Making Up Missed Fasts (Qada)

The obligation

Missed fasts due to illness, travel, menstruation or post-natal bleeding are made up day for day (Qur’an 2:184–185). ‘A’ishah said she used to have days to make up from Ramadan and could not do so until Sha‘ban (Sahih al-Bukhari 1950), showing the window extends to the next Ramadan.

Consecutive or spread out?

The majority hold that qada fasts need not be consecutive, because the verse requires only “an equal number of days”.

Delaying past the next Ramadan

If the delay was without excuse, most scholars require the fasts and, in the view of many, an additional fidya for the delay. If it was due to continuing illness, the fasts alone are required once able.

Plan it

Use the Missed Fast Calculator to schedule the days across weeks and to see your finish date. Mondays and Thursdays are a practical and Sunnah-aligned pattern.

Attribution: the rulings summarised here are the positions recorded in the classical schools and the well known hadith collections. They are presented for information, not as a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar in your community.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fast the six days of Shawwal before my qada?

Scholars differ: many say the obligatory fasts come first, while others permit the voluntary days beforehand. Follow the position of your school.

What if I do not know how many days I missed?

Estimate carefully in favour of caution and fast the larger number you are reasonably confident about.