What is the ruling if a woman does not make up the fasts missed during menstruation due to her ignorance?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : How are you, Shaykh Muhammad?
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah.
The questioner : I have a question, if you would be so kind. My mother is approximately seventy years old. During the time of menstruation, she did not make up the fasts because of her ignorance. Now, it has been approximately twenty years since her menstruation stopped. What is required of her?
The Shaykh : Why did she not make them up?
The questioner : Out of ignorance.
The Shaykh : If she was in a place where ignorance is predominant, such as the desert, far from cities and villages,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : then she owes nothing. But if she was in cities and villages, she must make up the fasts, because she could have learned; she was negligent. So there is a distinction between a woman who grew up in a remote desert, far from the cities and villages where there is knowledge, and a woman who grew up in cities and villages but was negligent and did not ask. The former does not have to make up the fasts, while the latter must make them up.
The questioner : She must make up the fasts now, approximately thirty years' worth. If we add them up over five days, it amounts to one hundred and fifty or more.
The Shaykh : There is no problem; the year is three hundred and sixty days, there is no problem, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Is it permissible for me to help her by fasting some of the days?
The Shaykh : No, it is not permissible. Do you see? If a person had missed prayers, would it be permissible for someone else to help him?
The questioner : No, absolutely not.
The Shaykh : I am like him.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : How are you, Shaykh Muhammad?
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah.
The questioner : I have a question, if you would be so kind. My mother is approximately seventy years old. During the time of menstruation, she did not make up the fasts because of her ignorance. Now, it has been approximately twenty years since her menstruation stopped. What is required of her?
The Shaykh : Why did she not make them up?
The questioner : Out of ignorance.
The Shaykh : If she was in a place where ignorance is predominant, such as the desert, far from cities and villages,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : then she owes nothing. But if she was in cities and villages, she must make up the fasts, because she could have learned; she was negligent. So there is a distinction between a woman who grew up in a remote desert, far from the cities and villages where there is knowledge, and a woman who grew up in cities and villages but was negligent and did not ask. The former does not have to make up the fasts, while the latter must make them up.
The questioner : She must make up the fasts now, approximately thirty years' worth. If we add them up over five days, it amounts to one hundred and fifty or more.
The Shaykh : There is no problem; the year is three hundred and sixty days, there is no problem, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Is it permissible for me to help her by fasting some of the days?
The Shaykh : No, it is not permissible. Do you see? If a person had missed prayers, would it be permissible for someone else to help him?
The questioner : No, absolutely not.
The Shaykh : I am like him.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. May Allah bless you.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 1995- ما الحكم إذا كانت المرأة لا تقضي الصيام وقت الحيض جهل منها/سؤال على الهاتف 📞 /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.