did not allow fasting on the Day of Doubt, and he forbade fasting two
days before Ramadaan, but is itpermissible for me to make up missed
Ramadaan fasts on these two days?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to make up missed Ramadaan fasts on the day of
doubt and one or two days before Ramadaan.
It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade fastingthe day of doubt, and he forbade anticipating
Ramadaan by fasting one or two days before it begins, but this
prohibition does not apply to a person who has a habitual pattern of
fasting, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Do not anticipate Ramadaan by fasting one or two days
before it begins, but if a man habitually fasts, thenlet him fast."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1914; Muslim,1082. So if a person is used to
fasting on Mondays, for example, and that coincides with the last day
of Sha'baan, then it is permissible for him to observe that as a
voluntary fast and it is notforbidden for him to do so.
If it is permissible to observe a voluntary fast that one does
regularly, then it is more appropriate that it should be permissible
to make up a missed Ramadaan fast, because that is obligatory, and
because it is not permissible to delaymaking up missed fasts until
after the following Ramadaan.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo', 6/399:
Our companions said: It is not correct to fast on the day of doubt
when it is uncertain that Ramadaan has begun, and there is
nodifference of scholarly opinion on this point… But if a person fasts
it to make up for a missed fast,or in fulfillment of a vow, or as an
act of expiation (kafaarah), then it is permissible, because if it is
permissible to observe a voluntary fast on that day for one who has a
reason to do so, then it is more appropriate that one should be
allowed to observe an obligatory fast. This is like the time when it
is forbidden to pray (when one may nevertheless offer a prayer for
which there is areason). And if a person still owes some missed
Ramadaan fasts, then he has to observe those fasts,because the time
for making it up has become very short.
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