Which to Keep First: Vowed Fasts or Make-Up Fasts

Question

A person whose Ramadan fasts were missed due to some excuse afterwards vowed (nadhr) to fast. The question is: if this person keeps the vowed fasts before keeping the make-up fasts of Ramadan, will keeping the vowed fasts be permissible, or will he keep the vowed fasts after the make-up of the Ramadan fasts?

Answer

The Shari‘a has not fixed a time for make-up (qada) fasts and for fasts of an unconditional vow (nadhr mutlaq). So if he keeps the vowed fasts first and then the make-up fasts, he will still be discharged of the obligation, because of the words of Allah Most High: [ar]فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ (الآية)[/ar] “…then a number of other days” (Surah al-Baqara, 2:185).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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