Is It Permissible to Make Up a Ramadan Fast Just before the Upcoming Ramadan?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it permissible for a woman to fast to make up for their period during the month of Ramadan this close to Ramadan?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Yes, it is permissible to perform makeup fasts just before Ramadan. [‘Ayni, Binaya Sharh al-Hidaya]

As for the narration of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), “Do not precede Ramadan with a fast.” [Abu Dawud]

And, “When the second half of Sha’ban comes, do not fast until Ramadan comes.” [Ibn Maja]

The first Hadith is understood to be specific to those who fast the day before Ramadan out of a sense of caution that it may already be Ramadan. As for the second Hadith, many have opined that it is a weak narration and the actions of many of the Companions oppose it. [‘Ayni, ‘Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari]

Imam Tahawi gives preference to the opinion that fasting after the halfway point of Sha’ban is permissible and not disliked due to the following Hadith.

Narrated by Thabit on the authority of Anas (Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The best of fasts after Ramadan is Sha’ban.” [‘Ayni, ‘Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.