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Making up for the days missed in Ramadan because of pregnancy, post partum bleeding, and then suckling

Question

My wife has missed some days last Ramadan and she has delivered a baby shortly before this Ramadan came? What should she do, and how can she make up for the days that she has to make up for?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The predominant opinion among the Muslim scholars is that whoever delays fasting the missed days of Ramadan until the following Ramadan without a valid excuse is required to make up for the missed days and has to offer an expiation for each day missed day. The expiation is to feed a poor person per missed day. However, if someone delays the fasting of the days that he missed due to a valid excuse, then he is only required to make up the days of fasting.

It seems like your wife had valid excuses not to make up the fasts that she missed before this Ramadan started since she was pregnant. Pregnancy is one of the excuses for which the Muslim woman is allowed to break the fast. Also, as you mentioned, your wife delivered shortly before Ramadan, which means that she is now experiencing postnatal bleeding, which is another excuse that allows her to break the fast. Not to mention that your wife must currently be breastfeeding the newborn, which is a third excuse for her to break her fast. To keep the story short, your wife is required to make up for the days that she missed whenever she is able to, and nothing else is required from her.

Allaah Knows best.

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