When the obligatory and the recommended coincide, such as the Day of Ashura coinciding with making up fasts from Ramadan, which takes precedence?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Your Eminence, when making up an obligatory fast coincides...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : When making up an obligatory fast and a recommended fast coincide, and it falls within a time that is recommended, it is permissible for a person to perform the recommended fast and make up the obligatory one later, rather than starting with the obligatory one first.
The Shaykh : What is an example?
The questioner : An example is the Day of Ashura coinciding with making up a fast from Ramadan?
The Shaykh : Regarding fasting, both the obligatory and the voluntary, there is no doubt that it is prescribed and reasonable to begin with the obligatory before the voluntary, because the obligatory is a debt that is required of him, while the voluntary is an act of devotion; if it is facilitated, good, otherwise there is no blame on him.
Accordingly, we say to the one who has fasts to make up from Ramadan: Make up what you owe before you volunteer. If you volunteer before making up what you owe, the correct view is that your voluntary fast is valid, as long as there is ample time.
This is because the time for making up Ramadan extends until there is a period between the man and the second Ramadan equal to the amount he owes. As long as the matter is spacious, the voluntary is permissible, just as, for example, if a person prays a voluntary prayer before the obligatory prayer while there is ample time, it is permissible.
So, if a person fasts the Day of 'Arafah or the Day of Ashura and has fasts to make up from Ramadan, his fast is valid. However, if he intends to fast this day as a make-up for Ramadan, he will receive two rewards: the reward of the Day of 'Arafah and the reward of the Day of Ashura, along with the reward of the make-up. This is regarding the absolute voluntary fast that is not linked to Ramadan.
As for fasting six days of Shawwal, they are linked to Ramadan and do not count unless after making up the missed fasts. If he fasts them before making up the missed ones, he will not receive their reward, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 2433Sahih (Al-Albani) It is known that one who has fasts to make up is not said to have fasted Ramadan until he completes the make-up. This is a matter in which some people think that if they fear the end of Shawwal before fasting the six days, they should fast them even if they still have make-up fasts remaining. This is an error, for these six days are not to be fasted unless a person has completed what he owes from Ramadan.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Your Eminence, when making up an obligatory fast coincides...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : When making up an obligatory fast and a recommended fast coincide, and it falls within a time that is recommended, it is permissible for a person to perform the recommended fast and make up the obligatory one later, rather than starting with the obligatory one first.
The Shaykh : What is an example?
The questioner : An example is the Day of Ashura coinciding with making up a fast from Ramadan?
The Shaykh : Regarding fasting, both the obligatory and the voluntary, there is no doubt that it is prescribed and reasonable to begin with the obligatory before the voluntary, because the obligatory is a debt that is required of him, while the voluntary is an act of devotion; if it is facilitated, good, otherwise there is no blame on him.
Accordingly, we say to the one who has fasts to make up from Ramadan: Make up what you owe before you volunteer. If you volunteer before making up what you owe, the correct view is that your voluntary fast is valid, as long as there is ample time.
This is because the time for making up Ramadan extends until there is a period between the man and the second Ramadan equal to the amount he owes. As long as the matter is spacious, the voluntary is permissible, just as, for example, if a person prays a voluntary prayer before the obligatory prayer while there is ample time, it is permissible.
So, if a person fasts the Day of 'Arafah or the Day of Ashura and has fasts to make up from Ramadan, his fast is valid. However, if he intends to fast this day as a make-up for Ramadan, he will receive two rewards: the reward of the Day of 'Arafah and the reward of the Day of Ashura, along with the reward of the make-up. This is regarding the absolute voluntary fast that is not linked to Ramadan.
As for fasting six days of Shawwal, they are linked to Ramadan and do not count unless after making up the missed fasts. If he fasts them before making up the missed ones, he will not receive their reward, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
If anyone fasts during Ramadan, then follows it with six days in Shawwal, it will be like a perpetual fast.
من صام رمضان ثم أتبعه بست من شوال فكأنما صام الدهرThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.