Question:

assalamualaikkum my son was born 2 yrs back in the month of ramadan.i have 20 fasts remaining in that year.can you explain what all i should do to repent on tht fasts. my mother says that if a woman gets her period stopped on the fourth day then she can fast but she cannot perform her salah and can perform only after the seventh day. is there any hadith saying so that u can take ur fast but cant perform salah. pls clarify

Fatwa:

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.

First of all, along with making up for those days, you must repent for delaying making them up. Your repentance takes place by regretting being negligent about making up your missed fasts and by being determined not to delay it in the future. Also, you are obligated to expiate for every day if you have no valid reason for delaying making it up. It should be noted that ignorance (of the obligation of making up the missed fasts before next Ramadan) is considered a valid reason (i.e. it drops the obligation of the expiation). For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 101245.

On the other hand, it is not correct that if the blood discharges of a menstruating woman stop at the fourth day or at any other day, she has to fast and does not have to pray. Menses and postpartum bleeding are among the matters which prevent a woman from the prayer and fasting, and when she becomes pure, she is no longer prevented from fasting or praying and she becomes obligated to perform the prayer and fasting as well. Whenever a woman is permitted to fast, she is permitted to pray, and whenever she is permitted to pray, she is permitted to fast. There is no difference between them except that fasting is acceptable before performing Ghusl (ritual bath) contrarily to the prayer. Also, regarding making up the missed prayer and fasting, a menstruating woman has to make up the fasting but does not have to make up the prayer. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 100850.

Allah Knows best.