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Fatwa CenterMaking up missed days of Ramadan
Question
I missed many days of Ramadhan year, because of sickness and childbirth, and I couldn't make up my missing days until now and the coming Ramadhan is almost here I am planning to make up my missing days of Ramadhan after this Ramadhan is finished. What's the ruling of Islam on that? By the way I can't make up my missing days of Ramadhan now because the day is very long and I have problem handling the hunger as I have the severe headache (migraine?). Please answer me very soon because I need to know before Ramadhan.
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
Every woman who breaks fasting in Ramadan due to childbirth or menses or illness has to make up for her missed days of Ramadan before the next Ramadan. If she neglects making up for the missed fast despite her ability to do so till the following Ramadan begins, then she is obliged to make up for the missed days of Ramadan, in addition to giving an expiation. The expiation is feeding a needy person for each missed day. If this delay was for any legal reason, i.e. she cannot fast because of continuous illness, breast feeding, etc. then she has to make up for the missed fasts only without offering any expiation because of the delay in making it up.
Therefore, if your headache is so severe that you cannot endure it easily, or that it causes harm to your health, then you are allowed to break your fast and you are not obliged to give expiation for this delay. However, if the case is not so, and you can make up for the missed fast, then you have to make up for the missed days as soon as possible, i.e. before the next Ramadan begins.
Finally, you should know that the length of the day is not a legal excuse to neglect fasting.
Allaah Knows best.
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