Voluntary Fasts and Menstruation: Must the Fast be Made Up?
While fasting during the month of Ramadan is mandatory (Fard), there are numerous other fasts—including those based on specific days, months, and weeks—that are voluntary (Nawafil) and carry great spiritual merit (Fadilat).
The question arises: If a woman begins her menstrual cycle (period/Hayed) while observing a Nawafil fast, what should she do? Must she make up (Qada) that fast later?
Types of Nawafil Fasts Mentioned
• Day-Specific Fasts: Six fasts of Shawwal, Nine fasts of Dhul Hijjah, the fast of the Day of Arafah, and the fast of Ashura in Muharram.
• Monthly Fasts: The three days of Ayyam-e-Beed (13th, 14th, and 15th) of every Arabic month, and the fasts of Sha’ban.
• Weekly Fasts: Fasts observed every Monday and Thursday.
• Special Fasts: Fasting every other day, known as Sawm-e-Dawud (Fast of David), which was the practice of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him).
The hadith mentions the special virtue of several of these fasts:
• Six Fasts of Shawwal: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six [days] from Shawwal, it is as if they have fasted the entire year.” (Muslim 2815)
• Fast of Ashura: “I hope in Allah that it [the fast of the Day of Ashura] will atone for the sins of the preceding year.” (Muslim 1976)
• Weekly Fasts: The Prophet (PBUH) prioritized fasting on Mondays and Thursdays because deeds are presented to Allah on these two days. (Tirmidhi 1027)
The Islamic Ruling on Breaking a Nawafil Fast Due to Menstruation
The ruling from Islamic scholars regarding a woman whose Nawafil fast is broken due to the onset of menstruation (Hayed) is as follows:
The fast of the day on which the Hayed (menstrual cycle) begins must be made up (Qada) later.
The underlying principle (Usul) is:
Once a person begins observing a Nawafil (voluntary) fast, it becomes obligatory (Wajib) for them to complete it. Since menstruation legally prevents a woman from completing the fast on that day, she is required to make up the fast later.
The scholarly consensus is that starting a voluntary fast establishes an obligation to complete it, and since the period legally necessitates breaking the fast, the missed day must be observed as a Qada fast afterward.
