Is making up fasts obligatory for one who used to break some days of Ramadan without an excuse, out of ignorance that the entire month is obligatory to fast, and likewise for one whose fasting was not an act of worship?
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The questioner : Is making up fasts obligatory for one who used to break some days of Ramadan without an excuse, out of ignorance that the entire month is obligatory to fast?
And likewise for one whose fasting was not an act of worship, but rather he sees the people fasting and fasts with them?
We ask for a detailed and clarified answer.
The Shaykh : What does the first paragraph of the question say?
The questioner : The first paragraph says: Is making up fasts obligatory for one who used to break some days of Ramadan without an excuse, out of ignorance that the entire month is obligatory to fast?
The Shaykh : This question contains two paragraphs, as you heard.
The first paragraph is that this man used to fast some days of the month and break others, believing that it is not obligatory to fast the entire month. Is he required to make up the fasts?
Answer: Yes, he is required to make up the fasts, because a person's lack of knowledge about the obligation does not remove the obligation, but rather it removes the sin.
So this man is not sinful for what he broke, because he was ignorant, but he must make up the fasts, meaning make up what he broke.
Moreover, for a man to be ignorant that fasting the entire month of Ramadan is obligatory, while living among Muslims, is very far-fetched. It appears that this is a hypothetical issue.
As for one who has recently embraced Islam, he might be ignorant of fasting the entire month.
The questioner : The second paragraph: One whose fasting was not an act of worship, but rather he sees the people fasting and fasts with them?
The Shaykh : As for the second paragraph, he says that this man fasts not as an act of worship to Allah, but rather he fasts because he sees the people fasting, so he fasts with them.
It appears that his fast is valid, because he abstains with the intention that he is doing what the Muslims do.
And the Muslims do that as an act of worship to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but it must be made clear to him that fasting is worship, and that a person's abstention from food, drink, and desire must be sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said in the Holy Hadith:Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 3:27.
And likewise for one whose fasting was not an act of worship, but rather he sees the people fasting and fasts with them?
We ask for a detailed and clarified answer.
The Shaykh : What does the first paragraph of the question say?
The questioner : The first paragraph says: Is making up fasts obligatory for one who used to break some days of Ramadan without an excuse, out of ignorance that the entire month is obligatory to fast?
The Shaykh : This question contains two paragraphs, as you heard.
The first paragraph is that this man used to fast some days of the month and break others, believing that it is not obligatory to fast the entire month. Is he required to make up the fasts?
Answer: Yes, he is required to make up the fasts, because a person's lack of knowledge about the obligation does not remove the obligation, but rather it removes the sin.
So this man is not sinful for what he broke, because he was ignorant, but he must make up the fasts, meaning make up what he broke.
Moreover, for a man to be ignorant that fasting the entire month of Ramadan is obligatory, while living among Muslims, is very far-fetched. It appears that this is a hypothetical issue.
As for one who has recently embraced Islam, he might be ignorant of fasting the entire month.
The questioner : The second paragraph: One whose fasting was not an act of worship, but rather he sees the people fasting and fasts with them?
The Shaykh : As for the second paragraph, he says that this man fasts not as an act of worship to Allah, but rather he fasts because he sees the people fasting, so he fasts with them.
It appears that his fast is valid, because he abstains with the intention that he is doing what the Muslims do.
And the Muslims do that as an act of worship to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but it must be made clear to him that fasting is worship, and that a person's abstention from food, drink, and desire must be sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said in the Holy Hadith: