Separating the days when making up Ramadan

Muhammad bin al-Munkadir said: It reached me that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was once asked whether the making up of Ramadan fasts may be split up and done separately. He said: "Yes, you may do that. Consider: if one of you owed a debt and paid it off one or two dirhams at a time, would the debt not be paid? And Allah Almighty is more forgiving and pardoning."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is no harm in making up the Ramadan fasts separately.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you wish, make up the Ramadan fasts consecutively, and if you wish, make them up separately.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is no harm in making up the Ramadan fasts separately.

Ubayd bin Umayr said regarding making up the Ramadan fasts: If he wishes, he may make them up separately.

Ibn Muhayriz said regarding making up Ramadan: Complete the count, and fast however you wish.

Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about making up Ramadan, and he said: "Complete the count, and fast however you wish."

Sayyiduna Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Complete the count, and fast however you wish.

Ata said: Once a woman asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about making up the Ramadan fasts, and he said: "Complete the count, and keep the fasts separately." Sa'id bin Jubayr and Ikrimah also held the same view.

Ata, Mujahid, Tawus and Sa'id bin Jubayr said: If you wish, make up Ramadan consecutively, and if you wish, make it up separately.

Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ata, Mujahid and Tawus did not regard splitting up the making up of Ramadan as forbidden.

Mujahid was asked: If a man owes fasts from Ramadan, should he keep them consecutively, or may he keep them separately? He said: Allah Almighty wants ease for His servants. Let him act on whichever way is easier for him: if keeping them together is easier, let him do that, and if keeping them separately is easier, let him do that.

Abu Maysarah used to keep his make-up fasts of Ramadan separately.

Al-Sha'bi said: If a person finds it hard to keep the fasts consecutively, let him keep them separately, for it is (only) a number of other days.

Ikrimah said regarding the Qur'anic verse "then a number of other days" [Al-Baqarah: 184]: If he wishes, he may keep them together, and if he wishes, he may keep them separately.

Al-Hakam said: There is no harm in keeping the make-up fasts of Ramadan separately.

Al-Dahhak said regarding the make-up fasts of Ramadan: If he wishes, he may keep them consecutively, and if he wishes, separately.

Ja'far bin Maymun said: Making up Ramadan is a number of other days.

Ata bin Yasar said: There is no harm in making up Ramadan separately.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said regarding the make-up fasts of Ramadan: Keep them however you wish. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Keep them in the same way as you missed them.

Sayyiduna Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about making up the Ramadan fasts separately, and he said: "Complete the count, and fast however you wish."