Then it ended, and after a few days it came back a second time, and I did not know the reason. It lasted one day, then it ended, and I fasted the other day, then it came back again, and so on, and I do not
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The questioner : She says: I fasted Ramadan last year, and my menstrual period came and lasted six days, as it does every month. Then it ended, and after a few days it came back a second time, and I did not know the reason. It lasted one day, then it ended, and I fasted the other day, then it came back again, and so on. I do not know how many days I broke my fast because it was intermittent. At the end of the month, it came back a second time and lasted seven days. Since the days I know are six and seven, as for the other intermittent days, I do not know how many, and for this reason I did not fast them. Then the second Ramadan came while I still had these days to make up, so I fasted and only broke my fast for five days. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good. Do I have to pay an expiation, and is it permissible for me to feed people from my father’s house?
The Shaykh : You must make up what you know is obligatory upon you. The five days you owe from the second Ramadan, you must make them up if you have not already done so. Likewise, the intermittent days must be made up, but you are only required to make up what you know you broke your fast for. So, if you estimate that you are unsure whether you broke your fast for five days or six, you are only required to make up five days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because they are certain, and anything beyond that is doubtful, and the original state is the innocence of one’s conscience.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if you take the side of caution and adopt the greater number, there is no blame on you. For example, if you say, “I am unsure whether it was five days or six, and I want to make up six days as a precaution,” there is no blame on you for that. What is obligatory upon you is only what you are certain you broke your fast for.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Which is the five days in the example we mentioned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The brother in Allah, Muhammad Yusuf, sent this message.
The Shaykh : You must make up what you know is obligatory upon you. The five days you owe from the second Ramadan, you must make them up if you have not already done so. Likewise, the intermittent days must be made up, but you are only required to make up what you know you broke your fast for. So, if you estimate that you are unsure whether you broke your fast for five days or six, you are only required to make up five days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because they are certain, and anything beyond that is doubtful, and the original state is the innocence of one’s conscience.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if you take the side of caution and adopt the greater number, there is no blame on you. For example, if you say, “I am unsure whether it was five days or six, and I want to make up six days as a precaution,” there is no blame on you for that. What is obligatory upon you is only what you are certain you broke your fast for.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Which is the five days in the example we mentioned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The brother in Allah, Muhammad Yusuf, sent this message.