Missed Fasts From Previous Years: Qada and Fidyah Now

If you have missed fasts from previous years, separate the make-up fasting from the question of compounded fidyah. MUIS's updated guidance removes the default compounded payment for delayed qada; it is not an announcement that old fasting obligations disappear. Start with what remains outstanding, why it was delayed and whether you can now fast. MUIS explains the change here².

1What changed for missed fasts from previous years?

MUIS's announcement states that Muslims are “no longer required by default to pay compounded fidyah” for delayed repayment of Ramadan fasts.

The important change concerns compounding: an additional payment associated with allowing qada to remain outstanding across subsequent Ramadans. Read the official announcement².

This matters if you have found older explanations of fidyah for previous years and assumed that a growing total is automatically your present obligation. Those explanations may describe a recognised school position, but they do not, by themselves, explain the Fatwa Committee's current decision for Singapore.

The fatwa text¹ gives the decision directly: “The Fatwa Committee is of the view that compounded fidyah payment is not required.” It explains that Islam emphasises ease and rejects difficulty.

Keep the scope clear. Removing compounded fidyah is not the same as removing every form of fidyah, nor does it turn payment into a general alternative to making up fasts. The circumstances behind your missed days still matter.

2Who does the relief particularly cover?

The announcement particularly identifies people whose qada was delayed for valid reasons: continued illness, travel, pregnancy, breastfeeding or circumstances beyond their control.

It does not describe the change solely as relief for someone who forgot a payment. MUIS lists these circumstances explicitly².

The detailed fatwa also addresses lack of knowledge and forgetfulness. It explains that some people did not know about fidyah, did not know about the prohibition against delaying qada, or forgot to pay it. It states that compounded fidyah is not required where someone did not deliberately delay payment or qada, or was unaware of the ruling. See the fatwa's explanation¹.

If your situation involves pregnancy or breastfeeding, distinguish the reason for missing the original fast from the reason qada remained delayed. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are named among the valid reasons for delay, so no compounded fidyah is due for the years they lasted; whether the original days also need fidyah depends on the reason you did not fast (see who needs to pay fidyah).

The table draws on the announcement² and fidyah fatwa¹. If your circumstances overlap, take the full history to your ustaz or the Office of the Mufti rather than selecting whichever row seems simplest.

3Does the qada itself still need to be done?

The change is about compounded fidyah, not cancellation of outstanding qada.

A clear example appears in Muslim.sg's Ramadan questions⁴: concerning days missed because of menstruation, it states: “What is obligatory for her is to make up for the missed days of fasting (qadha’).”

Do not treat a payment receipt for a project as evidence that make-up fasting has been discharged. For someone with outstanding qada who can fast, the practical task remains identifying those days and arranging to make them up, with religious guidance where the circumstances need clarification.

For someone unable to fast and unable to make up the days, the question is different. MUIS defines fidyah as obligatory compensation, normally food for the poor or needy, in circumstances such as chronic illness, old age or prolonged health conditions. Its factsheet³ describes people who are unlikely to be able to make up the missed fasts.

That distinction prevents a common misunderstanding: temporary difficulty and an ongoing inability to make up fasting are not interchangeable descriptions. If you do not know which applies, seek advice about your actual condition rather than deciding from the age of the missed days alone.

4Why do older Shafi'i explanations mention compounding?

MUIS acknowledges the difference between recognised scholarly positions.

It states that the authoritative Shafi'i view requires compounded fidyah when making up Ramadan fasts is delayed until the subsequent Ramadan begins. It explains that this ruling aims to prevent negligence in fulfilling religious obligations. Both points appear in the fatwa¹.

The same text identifies the Maliki and Hanbali schools, together with some opinions within the Shafi'i school, as not requiring compounded fidyah for delayed qada. These are recognised alternative positions cited by the Committee, rather than a claim that scholars have always held the same view.

MUIS's fatwa also discusses delay caused by an ongoing valid excuse, such as travel, illness or breastfeeding. Citing the Shafi'i scholar al-Dimyati, it says there is no obligation while the excuse persists, even if it continues for years. Read this within the discussion of delay; it should not be lifted out as a general cancellation of the original fasting obligation.

SedekahSGPay fidyah with SedekahSGChoose the number of days you owe and pay online in a few minutes, for yourself or on behalf of a loved one who has passed away.Support now →

5How can you organise and count old missed days?

Make a record before trying to calculate money. If you cannot remember the exact number, ask your ustaz how to estimate it; the steps below simply help you organise what you know.

1. List each Ramadan. Create a separate entry for every period you remember having outstanding fasts.
2. Record the missed days. Use any diary, calendar or personal notes you already have, and mark uncertainty rather than concealing it.
3. Subtract completed qada. Record make-up fasts already performed so the same outstanding day is not counted again.
4. Describe the circumstances. Note why you missed the fasts, why repayment was delayed and whether the difficulty continues.
5. Separate the questions. Keep your outstanding fasting record apart from any possible fidyah payment, then seek guidance on the parts you cannot establish.

A useful record has space for the original missed days, completed make-up fasts, remaining balance and supporting notes. If you remember some years clearly but not others, preserve that distinction. A precise-looking total should not hide an uncertain starting point.

Keep a dated note whenever you complete a make-up fast, so you can update the relevant entry without relying on memory later. If you discover an older diary or payment receipt, add what it actually establishes and leave other questions open. This is a record-keeping suggestion, not a prescribed religious procedure or a substitute for advice about uncertain days.

For an unknown total, ask your ustaz or the Office of the Mufti how to proceed with your particular recollection. This article cannot supply a compulsory estimation method that the provided sources do not state.

6How should you approach a fidyah payment now?

Establish whether fidyah applies before multiplying days by a rate. As of February 2026, MUIS announced a rate of S$4 per day, based on the average cost of a moderate meal. See the rate announcement².

MUIS's official online channel is go.gov.sg/pay-fidyah, and mosque self-service kiosks also accept fidyah.

You can also pay on SedekahSG's fidyah page, where fidyah is a flat S$5 per day. For questions about a payment or its receipt, use SedekahSG's contact page.

Voluntary giving, such as food support for madrasah students or water-well and wudu projects, is separate from fidyah and does not replace it.

Your next step should follow the unresolved issue: clarify uncertain religious circumstances first, organise outstanding qada where applicable, and only then arrange any payment established for your case.