Is it permissible for a person to break the fast of making up missed days and the fast of the six days of Shawwal without an excuse, or is there a difference between them? What are the excuses that permit breaking these two fasts?
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The questioner : Regarding the fast of making up missed days of Ramadan and the fast of the six days of Shawwal, is it permissible for a person to break them without an excuse, or is there a difference between the two fasts? What are the excuses that permit breaking these two fasts?
The Shaykh : As for the fast of making up missed days, it is not permissible to break it, because the principle indicated by the texts is that if one begins an obligatory act, it is not permissible to break it except for a legal excuse. For this reason, if a person is in the middle of saying the obligatory prayer and someone knocks on the door, it is not permissible for him to break the obligatory prayer in order to answer the door for that person.
As for the fast of the six days, it is voluntary, and it is permissible for a person to break a voluntary fast, but it is disliked except for a purpose. This is the ruling on breaking the fast of making up missed days and the fast of the six days.
However, is the ruling on making up missed days the same as the ruling on performing the fast in Ramadan, in the sense that if a person has intercourse with his wife while making up a missed day, does he have to pay an expiation? The answer is no; the expiation is only for one who has intercourse during the day in Ramadan and is one of those for whom fasting is obligatory.
In any case, to summarize the answer now: as for making up missed days, it is not permissible to break the fast except for a legal excuse.
As for the voluntary fast, it is permissible to break it, but it is disliked except for a valid purpose.
He asks, saying, "What are the things that permit us to break the fast in the case of making up missed days, for example?" We say: such as if a person is afflicted with hardship, whether from hunger, thirst, fatigue, or something similar. The legal excuses that permit breaking the fast are known to the scholars. Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the fast of making up missed days, it is not permissible to break it, because the principle indicated by the texts is that if one begins an obligatory act, it is not permissible to break it except for a legal excuse. For this reason, if a person is in the middle of saying the obligatory prayer and someone knocks on the door, it is not permissible for him to break the obligatory prayer in order to answer the door for that person.
As for the fast of the six days, it is voluntary, and it is permissible for a person to break a voluntary fast, but it is disliked except for a purpose. This is the ruling on breaking the fast of making up missed days and the fast of the six days.
However, is the ruling on making up missed days the same as the ruling on performing the fast in Ramadan, in the sense that if a person has intercourse with his wife while making up a missed day, does he have to pay an expiation? The answer is no; the expiation is only for one who has intercourse during the day in Ramadan and is one of those for whom fasting is obligatory.
In any case, to summarize the answer now: as for making up missed days, it is not permissible to break the fast except for a legal excuse.
As for the voluntary fast, it is permissible to break it, but it is disliked except for a valid purpose.
He asks, saying, "What are the things that permit us to break the fast in the case of making up missed days, for example?" We say: such as if a person is afflicted with hardship, whether from hunger, thirst, fatigue, or something similar. The legal excuses that permit breaking the fast are known to the scholars. Yes.