A man says: He is fifty-three years old and has not fasted in his life except once. He says:
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The questioner : This listener, Muhammad, is Egyptian and works in al-Jawf. He says in this message that he is fifty-three years old and has not fasted in his life except for one year. We ask Allah for steadfastness. He says: Knowing that I maintain the prayers at their times, the issue of my not fasting, which happened due to my negligence, occupies my mind, O honorable Shaykh, and disturbs my sleep. So how should I deal with all these past years? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : We say that if the days, or rather the past years, were not fasted, then there is no doubt that you are a sinner with a great sin, having left a pillar of Islam. It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, and to apologize to your Lord for what you did, and to feel remorse for what happened, and to rectify your deeds in the future. You are not required to make up what has passed, because making it up would not benefit you. The legal principle indicated by the text is that every time-bound act of worship, if a person leaves it without an excuse until its time has passed, then making it up does not benefit him. This is because a time-bound act of worship is limited by a time with two ends. Just as it is not valid if he anticipates it before its time, it is also not valid if he delays it beyond its time without an excuse.
And if it is assumed that he delayed it beyond its time without an excuse and then prayed it afterwards, it will not be accepted from him, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sahih Muslim 1718b.
And it is known that delaying the prayer until its time has passed is an action not in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger, so it is rejected and not accepted. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:103] meaning an obligatory duty limited by a time. So if a person takes it out of its time, it is not valid except for an excuse, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) . So repent to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, for what you left of fasting in the past years, and rectify your deeds. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : We say that if the days, or rather the past years, were not fasted, then there is no doubt that you are a sinner with a great sin, having left a pillar of Islam. It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, and to apologize to your Lord for what you did, and to feel remorse for what happened, and to rectify your deeds in the future. You are not required to make up what has passed, because making it up would not benefit you. The legal principle indicated by the text is that every time-bound act of worship, if a person leaves it without an excuse until its time has passed, then making it up does not benefit him. This is because a time-bound act of worship is limited by a time with two ends. Just as it is not valid if he anticipates it before its time, it is also not valid if he delays it beyond its time without an excuse.
And if it is assumed that he delayed it beyond its time without an excuse and then prayed it afterwards, it will not be accepted from him, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردAnd it is known that delaying the prayer until its time has passed is an action not in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger, so it is rejected and not accepted. Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
إن الصلاة كانت على المؤمنين كتابا موقوتاWhoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it, let him pray it when he remembers it.
من نام عن صلاة أو نسيها فليُصلها إذا ذكرهاThe questioner : May Allah bless you.