is not possible; for if it were possible, a menstruating woman would be commanded to make up the prayer, whether as an obligation or as a recommendation (1).

If it is said, “The requirement to make it up is waived as a concession to her,” the reply is: If she wished to make up the prayer in order to obtain (2) the reward of the prayer she had missed, this would not be prescribed, by scholarly consensus. She could, however, perform as many voluntary prayers as she wished, for she had not been commanded to perform that particular prayer at its appointed time. An obligatory prayer can only be performed at the time when the servant is commanded to perform it, and therefore may not be performed thereafter. As for anyone who has an excuse—whether asleep, forgetful, or mistaken—such people are commanded to perform it at the later time. Thus, they perform it only at the time when they are commanded to do so, just as a menstruating woman, a traveler, and a sick person are commanded to make up missed days of Ramadan.

It has been said concerning one who deliberately breaks his fast: “Even a lifetime of fasting would not suffice for him, were he to observe it.”

They said: A person who forgets is commanded to pray only when he remembers; he was not commanded to do so before then. That is therefore the prayer’s appointed time in his case, and so he performs it only within its time. Likewise, when a sleeping person awakens, he performs the prayer within its appointed time.

They said: Allah has not permitted anyone to perform a prayer at a time other than its appointed time, nor will He ever accept it from him outside its appointed time. The same applies to the month of Ramadan. It is related in the Sunan that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Whoever breaks his fast for one day of Ramadan, a lifetime of fasting would not make up for it, even if he were to observe it.” (3)

They said: Allah accepts fasting performed outside the month only from one who has an excuse,