Is it permissible to perform voluntary fasting while one has obligatory fasts remaining to make up?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Fasting
Primary text
There is a variation in narration from Ahmad regarding the permissibility of voluntary fasting for one who owes obligatory fasts. One narration, transmitted by Hanbal, states that it is not permissible for such a person to fast voluntarily until they have completed the obligatory makeup fasts, prioritizing the obligatory fast first. If an obligatory vow fast (nadhir) is owed, it should be performed after the obligatory fast (fard). The evidence cited for this position is a narration from Abu Hurairah, stating that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever fasts voluntarily while owing something from Ramadan that he has not made up, it will not be accepted from him until he fasts it.' Furthermore, it is argued that since the obligatory fast involves a compensatory monetary obligation (implying its seriousness, though the text mentions money vaguely in relation to جبرانها المال, it is used analogously to fasting makeup), voluntary performance is invalid before fulfilling the obligation, similar to Hajj.
Supporting text
A second narration attributed to Ahmad permits voluntary fasting. This permission is based on the reasoning that obligatory fasting relates to an extended time frame, thus allowing for voluntary acts within that time before fulfillment, analogous to voluntary prayer performed early in its permissible time, distinguishing it from Hajj where voluntary Hajj may prevent the obligatory Hajj. Additionally, the Hadith cited for the prohibition is questioned due to weakness in Ibn Lahiyyah's chain and problematic phrasing in its context.