Vowed to fast for a month then is unable to do so

Name

Question:

A woman makes a vow that if this thing happens then she will keep fasts for a month. She did not mention that she will keep the fasts consecutively. Now that thing has come to pass; but she is unable to keep the fasts. What should she do now?

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

When making the vow, if she meant (i.e. intended) to fast for a month consecutively (even though she did not mention "consecutively") then she will have to fast for a month consecutively. On the other hand, if she did not mean to keep the fasts consecutively, then she will not have to fast consecutively; she can fast intermittently. (Fatawa Mahmudiya: 14/74, footnote 1)

If she has the ability to fast then she has no choice but to fast. If however she is very old and weak or is afflicted with a debilitating disease from which she has no hope of recovery and because of these things she is unable to fast then she can give fidya in lieu of each fast.(Raddul Muhtar: 2/427, Saeed)

The fidya for each day of fast is 2.25 kg of wheat or the value thereof. This must be given to a poor person who is eligible to receive zakat. It is permissible to give the fidya of multiple fasts to one poor person. (Ahsanul Fatawa: 4/431)

And Allah Ta'ala knows best

Mufti Faizal Riza
20/11/2013

Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

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