I have a specific plan in mind for making up for the months of Ramadan that I failed to fast during my early youth. In fact, I plan to fast a number of months, which may be six or seven, in succession in one year's time. I believe that I am physically able to do this. Is this permissible, given the fact that I am making up for obligatory, not voluntary, fasts, or is fasting such long period of time forbidden given that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade fasting the entire year? Please advise!

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is recommended to consecutively make up for the days of fasting that you missed in Ramadan. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord.} [Quran 3: 133] Ibn Hazm and others held the view that it is mandatory to consecutively make up the missed days. However, the preponderant opinion, which is adopted by the majority of Muslim scholars, is that it is recommended, rather than mandatory. Consequently, there is nothing wrong with separately fasting the days that you missed in Ramadan. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {… then an equal number of days [are to be made up]...} [Quran 2: 184] In this verse, Allaah Almighty does not impose consecutiveness as a condition for making up missed fasts. Moreover, the basic ruling in Islam is that a Muslim's is free from liability (until proven otherwise).

The fact that fasting the days that you have missed in Ramadan may take almost a full year to finish does not clash with the prohibition of fasting a whole year. This is because the Muslim is required to make up for the days that he missed in Ramadan immediately after the respective Ramadan ends, lest the Muslim happens to go through a hardship that prevents him from fasting, such as death or sickness. In fact, the prohibition of fasting a whole year only covers voluntary fasting.

It is worth noting that fasting a whole year, as stated in the Sunnah, means that a person fasts every day except for the days in which fasting is forbidden such as the days of ‘Eed and the Days of Tashreeq.

With this last point in mind, Muslim scholars do not see a wrong in continuous fasting provided that the person who is fasting is able, that his health will not be affected, and that he breaks the fast on the days on which the Prophet prohibited it.

Finally, the best plan for voluntary fasting is that of Prophet Daawood (David) which is to fast every other day.

Allaah Knows best.