This excerpt is taken from the book of Fadhilat al-Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani, may Allah have mercy on him, Ahkam and Masail of Ramadan.
Is it necessary to make up missed fasts after recovering from illness?
Question:.
A woman was suffering from a psychological illness, fever, depression, and nervous weakness, due to which she was unable to fast for almost four years. In this condition, is it obligatory for her to make up the missed fasts or not? What is the ruling regarding her fasts?
Fatwa:.
If she has missed fasting due to inability, then when she is able, she must make up for all the fasts she missed in the past four years. Allah, the Exalted, says:
وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتَكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah: 185)
"And whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days (should be made up). Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship, and (He intends) that you complete the period and glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you; perhaps you will be grateful."
According to doctors' reports, if a woman is unable to fast due to her illness and weakness, she should feed a poor person half a sa' of wheat, dates, or rice, etc., which is the food of the people there for each day missed. This is because her situation is similar to that of extremely old men and women who face severe hardship due to fasting and cannot fast; therefore, in this case, she will not have to make up the fasts.
