Making up Ramadhan Fast?
Fasting `Ashura when one still has days to make up from Ramadan
The jurists differed concerning the ruling on observing voluntary fasts before a person has made up days that he or she did not fast in Ramadaan.
The Hanafis said that it is permissible to observe voluntary fasts before making up days from Ramadan, and it is not makrooh to do so, because the missed days do not have to be made up straight away.
The Maalikis and Shaafa’is said that it is permissible but is makrooh, because it means that one is delaying something obligatory.
Al-Dusooqi said:
“It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast when one still has to make up an obligatory fast, such as a fast in fulfilment of a vow, or a missed obligatory fast, or a fast done as an act of expiation (kafaarah), whether the voluntary fast which is being given priority over an obligatory fast is something confirmed in sharee’ah or not, such as `Ashura and the ninth of Dhoo’l-Hijjah, according to the most correct opinion.” The Hanbalis said that it is haraam to observe a voluntary fast before making up any fasts missed in Ramadan, and that a voluntary fast in such cases does not count, even if there is plenty of time to make up the obligatory fast. So a person must give priority to the obligatory fasts until he has made them up.”
Muslims must hasten to make up any missed fasts after Ramadan, so that they will be able to fast ‘Arafaah and `Ashura without any problem. If a person fasts ‘Arafah and `Ashura with the intention from the night before of making up for a missed fast, this will be good enough to make up what he has missed, for the bounty of Allah is great.
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