A committed young man says that he missed days of Ramadan that he did not fast, and this was without an excuse. What must I do now to clear my conscience, given that I do not know the number of these days?
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The questioner : He mentions that he is a committed young man and praises Allah. He says, “I do not declare myself pure, but I missed days of Ramadan in past years that I did not fast, and without an excuse. Now, after Allah the Exalted has guided me, I want to clear my conscience regarding these days. May Allah reward you with good, knowing that I do not know the number of these days?”
The Shaykh : First, I congratulate our brother on the straightness that Allah has bestowed upon him after his deviation. I ask Allah the Exalted to keep him firm upon it and to increase him in His bounty. How fortunate he is with this! Let him remain firm upon it and avoid anything that detracts from it or diminishes it. It is well known that a young man like this has companions from before who call him to following his desires. Let him avoid these companions and stay away from them, and let him be patient with their harm, for they may harm him and say to him, “You are a hypocrite, you are extreme, you are rigid. What has turned you away from your former path?” and the like of what comes from the foolish. But let him avoid them and be patient with their harm, and let him replace them with better ones. As for the fasting and prayer that he left behind in the past, repentance demolishes what came before it, and he does not have to make up what he missed. He should rectify his state, do good deeds, hope for the reward of his Lord, and fear His punishment, and Allah has pardoned what has passed.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : First, I congratulate our brother on the straightness that Allah has bestowed upon him after his deviation. I ask Allah the Exalted to keep him firm upon it and to increase him in His bounty. How fortunate he is with this! Let him remain firm upon it and avoid anything that detracts from it or diminishes it. It is well known that a young man like this has companions from before who call him to following his desires. Let him avoid these companions and stay away from them, and let him be patient with their harm, for they may harm him and say to him, “You are a hypocrite, you are extreme, you are rigid. What has turned you away from your former path?” and the like of what comes from the foolish. But let him avoid them and be patient with their harm, and let him replace them with better ones. As for the fasting and prayer that he left behind in the past, repentance demolishes what came before it, and he does not have to make up what he missed. He should rectify his state, do good deeds, hope for the reward of his Lord, and fear His punishment, and Allah has pardoned what has passed.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.