your ability, until you have completed them all—even if that means setting aside different periods and, in each period, making up whatever you can—for this is still obligatory upon you.

As for fasting, Allah has granted the sick person a dispensation to break the fast when fasting is too difficult for him or would worsen his illness; nevertheless, he must make up the missed days. You therefore must also make up the fasts you missed during the illness, and the make-up is to be carried out according to your capability: if you can perform them consecutively, then do so; otherwise you may spread them out in line with what you can manage. Now that—praise be to Allah—you are praying the obligatory prayers on time and fasting the current days on time, you are likewise able to perform the make-up prayers and fasts that you owe, in a manner commensurate with your capacity and without subjecting yourself to future hardship. Allah, exalted is He, knows best.

Question: With regard to fasting, it appears that up to the time he sent his letter he had not fasted because he was unable to do so. Is his illness considered incurable?

Answer: He says that he is now fasting to make up the missed days, just as he stated in his question that he is fasting the current obligatory fasts.

Question: The patient has returned to performing the prayer and fasting to the best of his ability; is he still required to make them up?

Answer: So long as he can fast, then—God willing—he is able to make them up, but that is to be done according to his circumstances. If, however, the illness were chronic so that he could not fast and there were no hope of recovery, he would feed one needy person for each day. Yet he says that his ability to fast has returned.

Question: If feeding the poor becomes necessary, must he feed for both the past days and the present ones if another Ramadan arrives?