Discussion: The First Condition, Which Is That One Must Be a Muslim
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The Shaykh : So we begin first: What is the first condition?
The questioner : That one must be a Muslim.
The Shaykh : The first condition is that one must be a Muslim. Therefore, a non-Muslim is not commanded to fast, and his fast is not accepted. We gave an example of this, which is that we know it is impossible for a Jew, a Christian, or a polytheist to fast Ramadan. However, it is possible for someone who claims to be a Muslim to fast Ramadan while not actually being a Muslim. We gave an example of this. So what is the example we gave?
The questioner : The one who abandons prayer.
The Shaykh : The one who abandons prayer claims to be a Muslim, but he is not a Muslim in reality. That is, some people fast but do not pray. The one who fasts but does not pray has an invalid fast because he is not a Muslim.
The questioner : That one must be a Muslim.
The Shaykh : The first condition is that one must be a Muslim. Therefore, a non-Muslim is not commanded to fast, and his fast is not accepted. We gave an example of this, which is that we know it is impossible for a Jew, a Christian, or a polytheist to fast Ramadan. However, it is possible for someone who claims to be a Muslim to fast Ramadan while not actually being a Muslim. We gave an example of this. So what is the example we gave?
The questioner : The one who abandons prayer.
The Shaykh : The one who abandons prayer claims to be a Muslim, but he is not a Muslim in reality. That is, some people fast but do not pray. The one who fasts but does not pray has an invalid fast because he is not a Muslim.