What is the expiation that I should observe as I did not make up the days which I missed during months of Ramadan throughout the past fourteen years? What shall I do to cleanse such a sin?

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

Referring to your question, all scholars agreed upon the must of making up the days that any woman misses during Ramadan as she is excused before the following Ramadan. The majority of them find that she must make up the days in the same year before the following Ramadan. However, the disagreement occurs when a woman does not make up the days in the same year without being excused; shall she pay ransom or not?

Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussain, the General Mufti (Muslim Legal Scholar), in the Palestinian Legal Verdict Council, was once asked a similar question. He said: “Actually, a Muslim should make up the days they miss immediately after Ramadan unless there is a serious excuse which prevents them from fasting. All scholars have consensus that if a Muslim delays compensation as they are excused, they are not required to pay ransom. However, if the delay was not excused, Muslim legal scholars have different opinions.

A. The Maliki, Shafi’i, and the Hanbali schools decide that anyone who does so is considered to be sinful; they must pay ransom and fast. They depended on what Aisha RRA said.

Aishah RRA, one of the prophet Muhammad’s wives, said that when she had some part of Ramadan to makeup, she would be able to do so only in Sha’ban, the eighth month of the Hijri calendar. Related by Al-Bukhari. What is concluded from this narration is that she was careful not to delay fast compensation after the following Ramadan.

B. Abu Hanifa (the Hanafi school) finds that a Muslim should make up the same number of days only. He says: “It is allowed to a Muslim to delay compensation regardless of being excused; however, it is much better if they make up missing days instantly as they are asked to complete the duty. (Fath al-Qadeer: 2/274) This opinion was strongly overweighed by al-Bukhari depending on the verse in Al-Baqarah Chapter: “but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. Al-Baqarah: 184. He noted that the verse only mentioned compensation without paying ransom and also he assured that compensation should be instant earlier than the following Ramadan.

How much should one pay as ransom?

The Higher Palestinian Legal Verdict Council decided the following: if a Muslim is suffering from a chronic disease which will not be cured, or if they are elderly whose health is retarded a year after another, they should pay ransom instead of fasting which equals feeding a poor two times instead of every missing day; provided that these two meals should be almost equal to what they themselves eat and no less than the fast-breaking charity which is decided to be ₪8 for this year (1436 H). (item: 1/129) Allah says: “but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskin (poor person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast is better for you if only you know.” Al-Baqarah: 184 

My advice to you is to ask Allah for His forgiveness, count all the days you missed and make them up; and in the future, try not to postpone compensation.