Fasting in Ramadan and the Ruling on Denying Its Obligation
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As for fasting in Ramadan, it is not hidden from any of us that it is one of the pillars of Islam upon which this religion was built, the one with which Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: “Islam is built on five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House of Allah the Sacred.” And Jibril asked him about Islam, so he answered him with this, saying: “Islam is that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that you establish the prayer, that you give zakah, that you fast Ramadan, and that you perform Hajj to the House if you are able to find a way to it.”
Therefore, the status of fasting in Ramadan in the Islamic religion is a high one; because it is one of its pillars, and its fasting is obligatory by the consensus of the Muslims, which is based on the indication of the Book and the Sunnah.For this reason, the scholars said: Whoever denies its obligation is an apostate and a disbeliever; because this is something known by necessity from the religion of Islam. Except if he is a recent convert to Islam and does not know anything about Islam, in which case he is taught. If he persists in denying the obligation after being taught, he is ruled to be an apostate and killed, except if he repents and acknowledges the obligation.
As for the one who leaves it out of negligence without denying its obligation, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether he becomes a disbeliever and an apostate; because he left a pillar of the pillars of Islam? Some of them said so,And it is a narration from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him): that the one who leaves fasting out of laziness and negligence is a disbeliever like the one who leaves the prayer.
But the majority of scholars: That he does not become a disbeliever; because Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the great Tabi'un, said: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any of the acts of worship whose abandonment is disbelief except the prayer.
So the correct view is: That no one becomes a disbeliever by leaving a pillar of the pillars of Islam except in the case of the two testimonies and the prayer only.
Therefore, the status of fasting in Ramadan in the Islamic religion is a high one; because it is one of its pillars, and its fasting is obligatory by the consensus of the Muslims, which is based on the indication of the Book and the Sunnah.For this reason, the scholars said: Whoever denies its obligation is an apostate and a disbeliever; because this is something known by necessity from the religion of Islam. Except if he is a recent convert to Islam and does not know anything about Islam, in which case he is taught. If he persists in denying the obligation after being taught, he is ruled to be an apostate and killed, except if he repents and acknowledges the obligation.
As for the one who leaves it out of negligence without denying its obligation, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether he becomes a disbeliever and an apostate; because he left a pillar of the pillars of Islam? Some of them said so,And it is a narration from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him): that the one who leaves fasting out of laziness and negligence is a disbeliever like the one who leaves the prayer.
But the majority of scholars: That he does not become a disbeliever; because Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the great Tabi'un, said: The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider any of the acts of worship whose abandonment is disbelief except the prayer.
So the correct view is: That no one becomes a disbeliever by leaving a pillar of the pillars of Islam except in the case of the two testimonies and the prayer only.