قضاء
Qada
Pronounced: qa-DAA
Qada means fulfilling an obligation after its appointed time has passed. Here it refers to making up Ramadan fasts missed because of hayd or nifas: one make-up day for each missed day. Prayers missed because of menstruation are not made up. The rules for delaying fasts, and for other reasons for not fasting, need separate consideration.
Why it matters for your worship
A clear record helps you separate the Ramadan days you missed, the make-up days you have completed and the days still owed. Sahih Muslim 335c explains why missed fasts and prayers during menstruation are treated differently. Fidyah is a separate question: it is not an automatic charge for every menstrual day or a way to replace qada when you are able to make up the fast.
Keep missed fasts separate from completed qada
Record the Ramadan year and the number of missed days, then note each make-up fast you complete. For example, six days missed and two made up leaves four to plan for. If the original count or the reason for missing a day is uncertain, keep that uncertainty in the record for a scholar rather than turning a guess into a confirmed obligation.
If another Ramadan has already arrived
Do not erase the older balance or assume a payment clears it. The cited Dar al-Ifta guidance says to fast the current Ramadan and make up the earlier missed fasts afterward. Whether fidyah is also due depends on your school and whether there was a valid excuse for the delay.
How the four madhabs differ
These summaries concern delay by someone who can make up the fasts. Ongoing illness, permanent inability to fast, pregnancy and breastfeeding need their own assessment. The existence of another opinion is not a recommendation to switch rulings without guidance.
| Madhab | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Hanafi | The cited comparison describes qada as not restricted to the next Ramadan deadline. Passing that Ramadan does not itself incur fidyah; the missed fasts still need to be made up.Postponing qada: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, Fatwa Council |
| Shafi'i | When able, make up the missed fasts before the next Ramadan. Delaying beyond it without a valid excuse requires fidyah as well as qada; a continuing valid excuse changes that ruling.Making up missed fasts: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, fatwa 8051 |
| Maliki | The cited comparison requires qada and fidyah when the delay until the next Ramadan was without a valid excuse. Where there was a valid excuse for the delay, it describes qada without that additional payment.Making up missed fasts: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, fatwa 8051 |
| Hanbali | The comparison attributes qada plus fidyah for an unexcused delay to Imam Ahmad. Dar al-Ifta also records another Hanbali opinion without fidyah for delay; ask which ruling applies rather than assuming there is no disagreement.Postponing qada: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, Fatwa Council |
Common questions
How do I make up missed Ramadan fasts?
For fasts missed because of hayd or nifas, make up one day for each missed day when you are able and on days when fasting is permitted. The cited Dar al-Ifta guidance says the days do not have to be consecutive. Choose a manageable schedule and keep a record of completed days; ask about your situation if health or other circumstances prevent fasting.
What happens if I do not make up my fasts before the next Ramadan?
The make-up fasts remain outstanding. Dar al-Ifta describes the majority ruling of fidyah in addition to qada for delay without a valid excuse, while the Hanafi position does not impose fidyah for that delay; it also notes another Hanbali opinion. A continuing valid excuse matters. Ask a scholar about the dates, reason for delay and school you follow before calculating a payment.
Do I make up prayers missed during my period too?
No. Prayers missed because of menstruation are not made up, while Ramadan fasts missed because of it are. Aisha states this distinction in Sahih Muslim 335c. Questions about a prayer time when bleeding began or ended need individual guidance; they should not be settled by counting every menstrual day as missed prayers.
Sources and scope
These references explain the guidance summarized here. School-specific answers apply to the circumstances they describe; they are not interchangeable personal rulings. This page is general education, not a fatwa or a medical diagnosis.
- Sahih Muslim 335c
Aisha explains that fasts missed during menstruation were made up, while prayers missed during menstruation were not.
- Making up missed fasts: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, fatwa 8051
Covers fasts missed during menstruation or postnatal bleeding, making them up separately, and school differences over delay with or without an excuse.
- Postponing qada: Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, Fatwa Council
Contrasts the majority deadline and fidyah ruling with the Hanafi position and one Hanbali opinion that do not impose fidyah for delay.
Put the terms in context
What changes for prayer and fasting?Read the sourced distinction between hayd, istihadha and the worship obligations that follow.
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