He repented and regretted abandoning prayer and fasting in the early days of his puberty, so how does he make up what is due from him?

The questioner:
The first question in this episode is from a listener, M.S.A., from Riyadh. He says: I traveled to one of the Western countries when I first reached puberty, at the age of seventeen or thereabouts. Ramadan came upon me, and I did not fast, nor did I maintain my prayers. In fact, I would abandon some of the prayers without making them up; I would not pray them and I would not make them up. Is there any making up or expiation required of me? And what do you advise me to do, as I still feel much regret and remorse? After that, I traveled to another Western country the following year, and, by the grace of Allah, I have maintained my prayers and fasting until today. I ask Allah to keep us and you and the Muslims firm.

The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what this questioner mentioned, it highlights the danger of traveling to lands of disbelief, and how it affects a person in his religion, causing him to be lax in performing his obligations or committing what is forbidden. This is part of the danger of traveling to the lands of the disbelievers or to lands that are not committed to the religion. As for what he mentioned about abandoning fasting during this travel, and also abandoning some of the prayers, as long as he was abandoning some of the prayers intentionally, he was not on the religion of Islam at that time, because the one who abandons prayer intentionally has exited Islam. What is required of him is to repent to Allah with sincere repentance, and to maintain fasting and prayer in the future. As for what has passed, his repentance is sufficient for him, because repentance wipes out what came before it. Since he abandoned prayer, he had no religion with him, so his fasting and other acts were not valid. When he repented to Allah with a valid repentance, Islam began anew for him, so he must be diligent in his religion in the future of his life, and Allah forgives what has passed. Yes.

The questioner:
What do you advise him, Honorable Shaykh, regarding the sorrow and regret he feels? He says: I want to provision myself with righteous deeds.

The Shaykh:
This is the meaning of repentance. The meaning of repentance is abandoning sins and abandoning disobedience, and resolving not to return to them, not to return to them, and feeling regret for what happened, and increasing in righteous deeds. Except for those who repented and reformed , so repentance must be accompanied by uprightness and righteous work.