Ramadan started two weeks ago, and every year the same question comes back with the same discomfort: did you actually have to skip that fast, or were you just tired and telling yourself a story? The suhoor alarm goes off and you turn it off, because the baby needs you more than the fast does, and somewhere in the back of your mind a running tally of missed days begins.
It is at this point where the misconception regarding the fidyah for missed Ramadan fasts becomes evident. Most sources provide information that either state one should compensate for the fasts or give information on fidyah but fail to explain when it should be used by a nursing woman or someone who is ill for one week. These rulings are mixed up; however, they are different from each other.
This article distinguishes between both. This includes determining under which conditions a nursing mother has to make up the days, whether she has to give fidyah for some of her days or all of them, the cost of fidyah for each day that she misses, and what will happen if Ramadan comes before she makes up those days. Each verdict here is based on a verse or a hadith.
What Is Fidyah for Missed Ramadan Fasts?
Fidyah is a form of compensation. A Muslim who is unable to fast, and has no real prospect of making up the missed days through qada, feeds a poor or needy person instead. It is rooted directly in the Quran, in Surah Al-Baqarah:
“And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] is a ransom [fidyah] of feeding a poor person [for each day].” (Al-Baqarah, 2:184, Saheeh International)
Fidyah is not the same as qada, and it is not the same as kaffarah. A quick way to hold the three apart:
Qada is making up a missed fast on another day.
Fidyah entails offering food in those instances when the reason for failing to fast is assumed to persist.
Kaffarah is a more serious form of expiation that is related to the deliberate violation of the fast without any valid excuse.
For a nursing mother, the keyword that matters most is temporary. If your excuse is temporary, qada applies. Fidyah enters the picture in a narrower set of circumstances, which the next section breaks down.
Who Must Pay Fidyah for Missed Ramadan Fasts?
The general principle in Islamic jurisprudence is that fidyah is for people whose inability to fast is not expected to end, or is prolonged enough that scholars have extended the same ruling as pregnancy and breastfeeding to them. Qada is for people whose inability is temporary.
1. Elderly People Who Cannot Fast
An elderly man or woman who can no longer fast, and has no realistic hope of regaining the ability, pays fidyah instead of qada. This case comes directly from the verse in Al-Baqarah 2:184 above, which scholars have long applied to old age as the clearest example of a permanent excuse.
2. People With Chronic or Permanent Illness
Someone with an illness that doctors do not expect to improve falls under the same ruling as the elderly. There is no obligation to fast later, because later will not come. Fidyah is paid instead, one portion for every missed day.
3. People With Temporary Illness
This is where many mothers accidentally over-apply fidyah to themselves. A person with a temporary illness, a fever, an infection, a short recovery period, simply makes up the missed fasts once they recover. No fidyah is owed for a fast missed due to a condition expected to pass. This is the same logic that governs breastfeeding, which is explained below.
4. Missed Fasts Due to Menstruation
The woman who breaks her fast due to her periods needs to perform qada and not fidya. It is among the clearest rulings in this field, and it should be mentioned clearly for it should not become confused with the issue of breastfeeding.
5. Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
The Prophet ﷺ addressed the traveler, the pregnant woman, and the breastfeeding mother in the same breath. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has waived meaning half of the prayer and fasting for the traveler, and from pregnant women and the sick.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i 2274, graded authentic by Al-Albani)
Due to the classification of the pregnant or nursing woman by the Prophet ﷺ along with the traveller and sick person, most scholars see the excuse of the nursing woman as being one of a temporary nature. By default, the Hanafi madhab and other fatwas on Islamqa indicate that the excuse of the nursing mother who fears harm for herself and the baby can break her fast temporarily and do qada at another time.
A second position exists too. Some scholars, drawing on reports from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar, hold that a mother whose concern is specifically for her nursing child, rather than her own health, may instead feed a poor person for each missed day and skip qada altogether. This view is discussed at length by scholars such as Abu Khadeejah Abdul Wahid, who summarized it as the stronger position for mothers whose primary concern is the baby’s wellbeing.
A practical way to hold the two views together:
If you feared for your own health or strength, qada is the safer and more widely held position.
If your only concern was your baby’s nutrition or milk supply, and your own health was fine, some scholars permit fidyah instead of qada.
If you are unsure which applies to you, qada satisfies every scholarly opinion, since everyone agrees qada is at minimum sufficient.
Because this is one of the areas where the four schools genuinely differ, it is worth asking a scholar you trust to weigh in on your specific situation, especially if you were both pregnant and breastfeeding across the same Ramadan.
Do I Pay Fidyah or Make Up Missed Ramadan Fasts?
A simple table makes the distinction easier to hold onto during a season when your memory is already stretched thin.
| Situation | Qada | Fidyah |
| Temporary illness | Yes | Generally no |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Menstruation | Yes | No |
| Breastfeeding (fear for own health) | Yes | Generally no |
| Breastfeeding (fear for baby only) | Difference of opinion | Difference of opinion |
| Permanent illness | No | Yes |
| Old age with inability to fast | No | Yes |
| Delaying qada until next Ramadan | Depends on scholarly opinion | Difference of opinion |
What If I Did Not Make Up My Missed Fasts Before the Next Ramadan?
If You Had a Valid Excuse
If you were still breastfeeding, pregnant again, ill, or otherwise unable to fast right up until the new Ramadan began, the delay itself is excused. You still owe the missed days, but there is no additional penalty simply because a full year passed while you were caring for a baby or carrying another one.
If You Delayed Without a Valid Excuse
If you were physically able to make up the fasts and simply put it off, scholars differ on what follows. The majority position, held by the Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools, is that qada is still owed and fidyah is added on top for the delay itself.
The Hanafi position differs, holding that only qada is required, with no added fidyah regardless of the delay. This is one of the clearest examples of a difference of opinion rather than a single settled rule, so a mother in this exact situation benefits from asking a scholar familiar with her circumstances rather than assuming one view applies everywhere.
How Much Is Fidyah for One Missed Fast?
The amount is generally described as feeding one poor person a full meal, or giving the equivalent in a staple food, for each missed day. Different schools express this in slightly different measures, commonly around half a sa’ of a staple food such as wheat, rice, or dates, though the exact figure and its modern cash equivalent vary by school and by local scholarly authority.
How Is Fidyah Calculated?
The formula stays the same no matter which school you follow:
Number of missed fasts × fidyah amount per day = total fidyah owed
For example, if you missed 12 fasts across two Ramadans while pregnant and breastfeeding, and you are following a position that permits fidyah for those days, you would multiply the fidyah value for one day by 12. A local scholar or a reputable Islamic organization can confirm the current monetary equivalent where you live, since food prices are not the same everywhere.
Can Fidyah Be Paid in Money?
Scholars differ here too. Some hold that fidyah must be given as actual food, staying close to the wording in the Quranic verse. Others permit the cash value of that food to be given instead, reasoning that the underlying purpose, feeding someone in need, is met either way. If your local mosque or a fiqh council has a standing position on this, following it keeps things simple and consistent.
Who Can Receive Fidyah?
Fidyah is given to poor and needy people, following the same wording used in the verse from Al-Baqarah. A few practical points:
One poor person can receive fidyah for more than one missed day.
Fidyah for several days can also be spread across several people.
The core requirement is that the recipient genuinely qualifies as poor or needy, not simply a general charity case.
Can I Pay All My Fidyah at Once?
Yes. If you owe fidyah for multiple missed days, whether from one Ramadan or several, it is acceptable to calculate the full amount and give it in a single payment, rather than distributing it day by day. What matters is that the total reflects the correct number of days owed.
What Is the Difference Between Fidyah and Kaffarah?
These two words get mixed up constantly, and they are not the same thing.
Qada is simply making up a missed fast on another day.
Fidyah is feeding someone in the specific situations described above, where the excuse for missing the fast is ongoing rather than temporary.
Kaffarah is a separate and heavier expiation, tied to deliberately breaking a fast during Ramadan without any valid excuse. It is not a synonym for fidyah, and a breastfeeding mother who missed a fast for a legitimate reason does not fall under kaffarah at all.
How to Calculate Fidyah for Multiple Missed Fasts
A simple process to work through once you sit down with a notebook or your phone:
Count how many fasts you missed, across every affected Ramadan.
Decide, ideally with a scholar’s input, whether qada or fidyah applies to each group of missed days.
Confirm the fidyah amount according to the school or local authority you follow.
Multiply the daily fidyah value by the number of days that require it.
Distribute the total to eligible poor or needy recipients, in one payment or several.
Ready to understand your own fasting rulings with more confidence, not just for Ramadan but for the fiqh questions that come up all year? Explore the Islamic courses at Miftah Alhuda and study fiqh, hadith, and Quran with a qualified teacher who can walk through your specific situation.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Fidyah for Missed Ramadan Fasts
Do I have to pay fidyah for every missed Ramadan fast?
No. Most missed fasts, including those from temporary illness, travel, and menstruation, are made up through qada rather than fidyah.
Do breastfeeding mothers always pay fidyah instead of making up fasts?
Not always. The stronger and more widely held position is that qada applies, the same as it does for the sick. Fidyah is only held by some scholars in the narrower case where the concern is purely for the baby.
Do I pay fidyah if I missed fasts because of illness?
Only if the illness is permanent or long term. A temporary illness simply requires qada once you recover.
Can I pay fidyah in cash?
Scholars differ. Some require actual food to be given, while others accept its cash equivalent. Following your local scholar’s guidance keeps this consistent.
What if I lost count of how many fasts I missed across a few years of pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Make your best honest estimate, rounding upward rather than down, and proceed with qada or fidyah based on that number.
What happens if the next Ramadan arrives before I finish making up my fasts?
If you had a continuing valid excuse, such as still breastfeeding, there is no extra penalty for the delay itself, though the missed days remain owed.