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Fatwa CenterMaking up missed fasting for pregnant and breastfeeding woman
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I have some fasts to make up. Actually, they are two kinds of fasts, so I will ask about both:
1. I missed 2-3 years of fasting due to pregnancy and breastfeeding about a decade ago. My husband paid expiation for those years, and we were not really aware that it is required to make up those fasts. It is only a few years back that we learned about that, and ever since, I have been trying to make up the fasts, but since there are so many and I still have small children and a skin condition etc., I still have about 50 days of fastsing left. Allaah willing, I will continue to do as many as I can, but of course I cannot finish them before this Ramadan. Is there anything wrong with this? Please clarify.
2. I also missed about 10-12 fasts this last Ramadan in 2016, and I still have to make up for about 4. Allaah willing, I will make up for them, but the skin condition which I mentioned above results in dryness and intense thirst, and I do not know if I can continually fast and keep making up. In this case, I was thinking of giving an expiation. Now, if I want to give an expiation, I know that it is to be given in food, not cash, and that it is preferably given where I live, meaning in Qatar. So please advise me in riyals at today's rate; how many riyals would I need to pay to offer the expiation for 10 days of fasting?
I prefer a personal answer to my query. May Allaah reward you very well.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We have already highlighted the rulings concerning the fasting of the pregnant and the breastfeeding woman, as well as the consequences of her not fasting during Ramadhaan, and we clarified the amount of the expiation and explained that it is not sufficient to pay money instead; rather, it should be given out as food.
We have highlighted all this in several fatwas, such as fatwas 113198, 101245, and 90726, so please refer to them.
We have elaborated on this, and there is no need to repeat the same thing again.
In regard to the expiation that your husband had paid, if he did so based on a fatwa from a scholar who said that you are not obliged to make up the fast and that the expiation is sufficient, then this is the view of some scholars: that the pregnant woman and the breastfeeding woman are not obliged to make up for the fast and that it is enough for them to just feed a poor person (for every day they missed).
This is the view of Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas 
and Sa’eed ibn Jubayr.
Therefore, if you and your husband had sought a fatwa from a scholar and he issued a fatwa to you to this effect and you fed a poor person (for every day you missed), then we believe that you are not required to do anything more, but if you make up for the fast, then this is better in order to be on the safe side.
If a person is obliged to make up for the fast but it is difficult for him because of a chronic disease which is not hoped to be cured, then one moves from making up for the fasting to feeding.
Allah knows best.
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