Back to search

Is delaying the making up of Ramadan days since the age of six considered a shortcoming, and how are the due expiations for those days to be made up? Must they be paid daily, or can they be collected and given as charity? Is it obligatory to fast the days consecutively? What is the value of one expiation? And is it necessary to make up for an unknown number of days on which one broke their fast?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If you were not an adult (baligh) at the time of breaking your fast in Ramadan, then you are not required to make up those fasts (qada'), because the Pen is lifted from the child until he reaches puberty. If you doubted your adulthood, you are also not required to make up those fasts. However, if you were an adult at the time of breaking your fast, then you must make them up. It is important to note that if you delay making up the fasts without a valid excuse, you are sinful and must repent.

Moreover, an expiation (kaffarah) for delaying the make-up fasts is obligatory for each day if the delay was intentional. However, if it was due to forgetfulness or ignorance, it is not obligatory. It is permissible to give the expiation before, with, or after making up the fasts. The required amount for the expiation is one mudd of food (approximately 750 grams), but it is safer to give half a saa' (one and a half kilograms). The basic principle is that the expiation should be given as food, not money. You are only required to make up the days for which you are certain that you broke your fast.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy