Shariah Rulings on Qadāʾ and Fidya for Pregnant and Nursing Women
Reference: Ahkam wa Masail, Fasting Issues, Vol. 1, Page 288
❖ Question:
What do the scholars of Islam say regarding this matter:
A woman did not fast in Ramadan because she was in the state of childbirth. After becoming a mother, she remained in the state of nursing, and therefore could not fast until the following Ramadan. Now, as another Ramadan is approaching, she is pregnant again. She has been making up the missed fasts of the previous Ramadan, so can she give fidya for the coming Ramadan’s fasts? In this situation, is qadāʾ (making up) obligatory upon her or not? Kindly explain in light of the Qur’anic verse:
﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ﴾
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
◈ Ruling Regarding Missed Fasts
The woman should continue making up the missed fasts of the previous Ramadan.
When the current year’s Ramadan begins, she must leave the qadāʾ fasts of the previous year and observe the obligatory fasts of the current Ramadan.
After this year’s ʿEid al-Fiṭr, she should then complete the remaining qadāʾ fasts of the previous Ramadan.
◈ Ruling for Pregnant and Nursing Women
A nursing mother (murḍiʿah) and a pregnant woman (ḥāmilah), if unable to fast, are treated under the same ruling as a sick person.
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيْضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 185]
Likewise, Allah ﷻ also said:
﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ﴾
But this verse referred to those who were able to fast but chose to give fidya instead. Later, this ruling was abrogated by the command:
﴿فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ﴾
◈ Summary
✔ A pregnant or nursing woman who cannot fast falls under the same ruling as a sick person, and therefore must make up the missed fasts later (qadāʾ).
✔ Fidya is only for those who can never fast and have no hope of fasting in the future — such as very elderly people or those with chronic illness.
✔ Since a pregnant or nursing woman is capable of making up the fasts later, only qadāʾ is obligatory, fidya is not sufficient.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
