Is it permissible for a person who is permanently unable to fast to pay fidya at the beginning of the blessed month, or must it be paid on a daily basis?

According to some jurists, including the Hanafis, it is permissible to pay the fidya (compensation) for not fasting in advance at the beginning of Ramadan. However, scholars differ regarding the ruling on paying the fidya in advance for the entire month at the beginning of Ramadan.

In Shafi‘i jurisprudence, paying the fidya at the beginning of the month does not fulfill the obligation, as this would amount to applying the ruling before the underlying cause of its obligation arises, as noted by Imam al-Ramli in Fatawa (2:74). This is likewise the position of the Hanbalis. Imam Ibn Rajab noted in Al-Qawa‘id (p. 6),
"Rule 4: All acts of worship—physical, financial, or a combination of both—should not be performed before the cause of their obligation arises." The fidya is a financial act of worship, and the cause of its obligation is the incapacity to perform the obligatory fast. Therefore, it should not be paid at the beginning of Ramadan for the remainder of the month.

In contrast, according to Hanafi jurisprudence, it is permissible to pay the fidya either at the beginning of Ramadan for the remainder of the month or at its end. The luminary Ibn ‘Abidin noted in Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar (2:427) that it is permissible for an elderly person who is unable to fast to refrain from fasting and pay fidya instead, as an obligatory substitute, even at the beginning of the month. In a commentary, he said, “An elderly person who is unable to fast may choose to pay the fidya either at the beginning or at the end of Ramadan."

 

The ruling

Based on the above, it is permissible according to the Hanafi view to pay the fidya for missed fast days at the beginning of Ramadan

And Allah Almighty knows best.