Question:
What is the ruling on a Muslim who, over the years, has missed several months of fasting in Ramadan without any valid excuse, while continuing to perform other obligatory acts such as prayer? He lived as a traveler away from his homeland, but there was no real obstacle preventing him from fasting. Is he required to make up for the missed fasts after repenting or after returning to his homeland?
Answer:
Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Deliberately abandoning the fast without a valid excuse is considered a major sin. According to some scholars, such a person even falls into disbelief (kufr) and apostasy due to their negligence in fulfilling this fundamental duty of Islam.
Thus, such a person must:
- Sincerely repent (Tawbah) to Allah.
- Increase in good deeds, such as voluntary prayers, fasting, and charity.
- Commit firmly to fulfilling all Islamic obligations, including Salah, Sawm, Hajj, and Zakah.
The most correct opinion among scholars is that such a person is not required to make up for the missed fasts, as the sin is too severe to be compensated merely by making up the fasts. Instead, he must repent sincerely and remain steadfast in obedience to Allah.
And Allah Alone grants success.
Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fatwa (اللجنة الدائمة)