Making up Fasts for Women Experiencing Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding
Question: What is the ruling on fasting for women who are menstruating or experiencing postpartum bleeding?
Answer: It is obligatory for women who are menstruating or experiencing postpartum bleeding to break their fast during that time. It is not permissible to fast or pray during menstruation and postpartum bleeding, and such prayers and fasts are not valid. They only need to make up the missed fasts later, not the prayers. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she was asked whether a menstruating woman should make up missed prayers and fasts, and she said:
“We were commanded to make up the fasts but were not commanded to make up the prayers.”
Scholars agree based on the narration of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that women experiencing menstruation and postpartum bleeding only need to make up the missed fasts, not the prayers. This is a mercy and ease from Allah, the Exalted, because prayers are performed five times a day, so making up missed prayers would be burdensome for such women. In contrast, fasting is obligatory only once a year, during the month of Ramadan, so making up missed fasts does not involve hardship or difficulty.
