Grand Ayatollah Shirazi remarks on rulings of missed fasting days

The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadegh al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Sunday, the 16th of Rajab. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudential issues.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi discussed some of the rulings on fulfilling missed days of fasting and paying fidyah. He said: This issue is covered in Urwa al-Wuthgha, that if someone missed a day of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, being a traveler or sick, they must observe this day of fasting until the next year. But, if they fail to observe this day of fasting during the following 11 months, due to the same illness that kept them from fasting during holy Ramadan, there is a consensus among the jurists that the person will be excused from observing that day of fasting (Qadha), and will only have to pay fidyah.

His Eminance continued: But if he contracted a disease other than the one due to which he could not fast during Ramadan, that is, they contracted a type of illness in the month of Ramadan and were unable to fast, and in the following 11 months they contracted a different disease and became unable to perform Qadha of the fasting, in this case, a group of jurists have said that they will not be excused from the Qadha of the missed day of fasting for the rest of their life, and they must fulfill it whenever they can, in addition to having to pay fidyah.

He also said: If someone did not fast in the month of Ramadan because they were traveling, and in the following 11 months because they were sick, they did not succeed in fasting, or vice versa, the same ruling will apply to them as I earlier mentioned.

Referring to the opinion of some jurists, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi said: But in the case of a person who does not suffer from illness but suffers from other excuses, a group of jurists, including the late Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad al-Shirazi and the late Mullah Ahmed Naraghi, as well as some other jurists who base their verdict on narrations that impart a general application, they have said that if a person failed to fast for any excuse in the month of Ramadan, and for any excuse during the next 11 months, they will be excused from observing the Qadha altogether.

The Marja continued: This is the opinion of a group of jurists, which I also think is valid based on certain hadiths.