By: "Sr.Silent Ink"
I don’t know where to start with my story. My story is not so different from many other sisters.
My story is deep with emotions and struggles, but there is only so much I can write. 
Insha’Allaah, what I want to achieve from writing this is to please Allaah. I want to expose an issue that is common among many sisters.
While I fasted during Ramadan year after year, I missed a couple of fasts during Ramadan due to natural reasons (menstruation). There are so many of us, especially sisters, with this issue. Missing fasts due to menstruation during Ramadan, and not doing anything about it.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “We were commanded to make up the missed fasts but we were not told to make up the prayers.” (Agreed upon)
I had so many fasts that piled up over the years that I didn’t make-up.
When I became part of my college MSA, Allaah increased my iman and guided me to make righteous friends. I remember hearing constantly that fasts missed during Ramadan due to a valid reason, such as menstruation, had to be made-up. It was something I owed to Allaah. It was a duty I had to fulfill.
Something that kept scaring me about my missed fasts was death. I knew and thought that death is indeed inevitable. We must all go one day … and what if I leave this world tomorrow to meet my Lord and I haven’t made-up my missed fasts ! This thought scared me so much !
Allaah says in the Qur’aan:
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
I sat down and told myself I would fast and make up everything I missed. There I was trying to figure out how many I had missed. The number was a whopping 45+ .
I told myself I would fast on the days I didn’t have long hours of class or work. So, I would fast Mondays and Thursday, as it is a Sunnah. I would make the intention to make-up my fard missed fasts and fast during these days.
Then I realized I could also fast on the weekends so I began to fast Fridays, Saturday and Sundays as well. I kept track by drawing “X”s on my calendar with a big black Sharpie. Soon, I was fasting all week and there were “X”s all over my calendar.
There were times when I was fasting and it would be Maghrib time. I would be in class, so I would break my fast in class with water and a date. Then, walk outside the class, made wudoo . I would then pray in a stairwell. Would I miss prayer for class ? No way. I, as the rest of mankind, was created to worship and I know my purpose in this world.
After prayer, I would go back to class. My professor always looked at me but never said anything, which I am thankful to Allaah for. He would always look up when I got out of my seat and when I returned, he would give me a knowing smile.
By the time I realized that I should keep count of how many more I needed to make-up, I was well over 60 made up fasts. Subhan’Allaah.
The days went quickly, and I lost count.
I look at my calendar with all the “X”s and I know how hard I worked in the path of Allaah. How hard I worked to please my Lord. How I would not take a chance in keeping a fard duty to my Lord.
People ask me often, “ How did you do it ?” Their faces shine with amazement, while I look at them with a contented heart that is indeed thankful to Allaah.
I think it is the will power to obey Allaah. The willingness to please Allaah and to make sure my duties are accomplished in this world before I meet Him. I would not just turn my back on so many fasts I had to make up !
What advice do I have ? You should repent to Allaah for the delay, make the intention to make them up, and then try your best to fast one day at a time insha’Allaah.
AllaahuAkbar – Allaah is the Greatest. It is hard to imagine and think about how Allaah guided me to actually make up those fasts. Alhamdulillah.
I look back to that time and I remember many moments. I remember waking up for suhr early in the morning while the sky was black and eating a banana ordrinking a glass or water so I could fast. At that time, everyone in my house would be asleep. As for me, I would be awake trying my best to keep my duty to my Lord.
In school and at work, people would constantly eat in front of me, which was difficult for me sometimes. They would offer and I would politely decline. While at work, they began to notice that I would be fasting so they would make jokes and say,
“ Every time I see you, you are always fasting !”
Alhamdulillah. All praise is due to Allaah.
Prophet Muhammad salAllaahu ‘alayhi wassallam said:
“Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will keep his face seventy years distance from Hell,” (al-Nasaa’i, 2247;)
Do you know what happened after making up my fasts ? Fasting has become a constant type of worship for me. Now, I try to fast every Mondays and Thursdays. In addition, I also fast the 13th, 14th and 15th of the Islamic Months.
If you have fard fasts that you have to make-up in your situation, don’t delay. Remember death is bound to come and there are no more second chances once it comes to you.
While we have time, we should do our best to obey and worship Allaah by following the Qur'aan and Sunnah in this big, big, big test ; Life.
“Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed...” ( 67:2)
8 commentaires:
SubhanAllah! This just inspired me to make up mine asap! JazakAllah Khair, sister! :D
SubhanAllah this is so so sooooooooo amazing!
may Allah bless the sister who took the effort to write this up for other sisters to derive encouragement!
jazak Allah khair!
with that im off to making my fasts chart! :)
jazak Allah khair habibi halaqas!
SubhanAllah! This article really inspired me too
JazakiAllah sister and also habibi halaqas for posting this .
I am a revert so i dont have ramadan fasts remaining except 1 but I have about 56-60 fasts remining which i voewed to fast. I have kept on delaying for about 5 years now.
But inshaAllah I will start fasting tomorrow and continue to finish my vowed fasts. InshaAllah by doing this I will become a better muslimah.
Assalamu-alaikum,
Thanks to reading your post yesterday, i am fasting today alhamdulillah!!!
Even before last ramadan i told myself i would make all my missed fasts, but i only managed to make up for a couple.
Ramadan came last year and ramadan went but alhamdulillah i was able to make a good start (good by my standard!), i fasted a good few days and made up 2009's missed fast and a few of 2010's. By fasting today i will have insha-Allah made up 2010's missed fasts too(another 1hr and 25 mins to go!!).
JazakAllahkhair - reading your post yesterday, really reminded me that this is something i owe and need to strive to complete it, no matter how difficult i find it initially. i had lost the momentum but insha-Allah today will be the start of a new cycle and i will continue insha-Allah.
i have alot more than 45 to make - i have all of the ones i missed prior to 2009 (so between 1994 and 2009 - i've estimated it at 99 (deep breath). May Allah give me the strength and determination to make them all up before ramadan 2011 approaches and all the other sisters out there and may He accept them from us all. Ameen
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatoh,
Masha'Allah, you give us a good reminder, and inspiration to keep striving in making up ours, too, Insha'Allah.
I've had 2 pregnancies with gestational diabetes and couldn't fast (insulin only tx during pregnancy). That's alot of making up.
When I fast sometimes I get severe headaches and nausea, and now that I have progressed to Type II Diabetes recently, my blood sugar gets just slightly low, so I shake and get weak.
My endocrinologist has told me that fasting is fine for me, and gave me some good advice:
Cut my oral medication in half in the a.m., and MAKE SURE TO DRINK ALOT between Maghrib and Fajr, as the headaches and nausea are only due to dehydration.
I wish I had known this all these years. Fasting has always been so incredibly difficult for me due to these headaches.
I hope this also helps others to make their fasts easier. HYDRATE YOURSELF AT NIGHT. You will find it much easier to get through the day, Insha'Allah.
Alhamduliah. Shukran for sharing this has definately inspired me to make up my missed fasts. As well as how to accomplish this. Allah u Akbar. Subanah Allah.
Asalam Aleikoun!! Thank you so much really you help me Alot!!!!! . May Allah reward for this . I love you for the sake of Allah.
I was pulled to read this because of a similar experience in my life... Some years ago, when I first started working, I awakened to the realisation of how I would not be able to make up for the fasts that I have missed if I were to pass away - now, or tomorrow. So I sat down with my Nana (maternal grandfather) to calculate how to make up for them in payment. I decided on this means because my fasts were over 70 in number and there was no guarantee of how long life were to be mine. So I decided to pay off the 70+ fasts, and make up for the one's I would miss that year on. Despite my resolve to make up for the ones missed that year, some years down the line, I accumulated about 18+ in the last 2 years of Ramadhan, which involved travelling and adding to the numbers that were just because of menstruation. Therefore, I got straight with myself again this year, and Alhumdulillah, in a similar manner as yourself, finished them all just recently, again. SubhaanAllah, the peace that follows it, is just beyond description. Insha'Allah, may we all be able to overcome our shortcomings, and be able to make amends while we are blessed with this life; Ameen!
JazakAllah khayr for sharing your story, sister.
Best wishes; FiamaanAllah :)
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