This excerpt is taken from the book of Fadhilat al-Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani, may Allah have mercy on him, Ahkam wa Masail Ramadan.
Will a person who commits a secret bad habit while fasting have to give expiation?
Question:.
I am a 19-year-old young man and I am in a difficult situation, which is that I am addicted to masturbation and I do this act about four times a day, even during the blessed month of Ramadan I cannot refrain from it. So, is there any expiation required from me because of this or not?
Fatwa:.
We advise you to practice patience and to exercise patience because this act is forbidden according to the command of Sharia. However, it is a sin of a lesser degree than adultery. Some scholars of the past have allowed for a person who is at risk of falling into adultery or sodomy if their lust cannot be controlled in any other way. Otherwise, we advise you to fast, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) guided such young men who currently do not have the ability to take on the responsibility of marriage. Then we advise you to make an effort to get married because it helps in lowering the gaze and protecting the private parts, so exert all your strength towards marriage. Soon Allah Almighty will grant you relief from this bad habit. As for committing this bad habit during the month of Ramadan, it does invalidate the fast, but it does not necessitate a expiation. Therefore, you should make up for the fasts of those days that you invalidated with this bad habit last year and this year, and along with making up for last year's fasts, feed a poor person for each day in compensation, and sincerely repent to Allah because repentance erases all sins.
