A man who, three years ago, committed an error during Ramadan that required fasting two consecutive months
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The questioner : Three years ago, I committed an error during Ramadan that required me to fast two consecutive months. After fasting thirty days, a person informed me that this period is sufficient, meaning that the consecutiveness was achieved?
The Shaykh : In any case, we say to this brother: If a man has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan while he is in a state where fasting is obligatory, he must expiate by freeing a slave. If he cannot find one, he must fast two consecutive months. If he cannot do that, he must feed sixty poor people. If this man limited himself to fasting one month, that does not suffice for him, and he must start over from the beginning, because if he had completed it, the consecutiveness would have been broken, and consecutiveness is a condition, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man who came to seek a ruling from him after having intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan:Sahih al-Bukhari 6711.
This case shows us the great danger that arises when some people give rulings to others without knowledge. This mufti who gave him the ruling certainly has no knowledge, and giving a ruling without knowledge is forbidden in the Book of Allah, and it is speaking about Allah. Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):[Al-Haqqah 69:44-46] And Allah Mighty and Majestic said: [Al-A'raf 7:33].
So our brothers who rush to give rulings and issue them without knowledge should fear Allah the Exalted in themselves, and beware of the punishment of Allah, and know that they are accountable for this, as the Exalted said:[Al-Isra 17:36].
Furthermore, those who give rulings without knowledge may cause harm to others through their rulings, as happened in this case. This man, who was doing what was required of him in terms of fasting and intending to complete the two months, was deceived by the ruling of this man who told him to limit himself to one month. This is harm to others in giving rulings without knowledge.
It is also incumbent upon the general public, if someone gives them a ruling that they find objectionable and that contradicts what they are accustomed to, not to rush to accept his ruling until they ask someone who is more knowledgeable than him, because it is possible that the one who gave them the ruling misunderstood or did not study the issue thoroughly, and thus an error occurs.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : In any case, we say to this brother: If a man has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan while he is in a state where fasting is obligatory, he must expiate by freeing a slave. If he cannot find one, he must fast two consecutive months. If he cannot do that, he must feed sixty poor people. If this man limited himself to fasting one month, that does not suffice for him, and he must start over from the beginning, because if he had completed it, the consecutiveness would have been broken, and consecutiveness is a condition, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man who came to seek a ruling from him after having intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan:
Can you fast for two successive months?
هل تستطيع أن تصوم شهرين متتابعين؟This case shows us the great danger that arises when some people give rulings to others without knowledge. This mufti who gave him the ruling certainly has no knowledge, and giving a ruling without knowledge is forbidden in the Book of Allah, and it is speaking about Allah. Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
(44) And if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings, (45) We would have seized him by the right hand; (46) Then We would have cut from him the aorta.
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الأَقَاوِيلِ * لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ * ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَSo our brothers who rush to give rulings and issue them without knowledge should fear Allah the Exalted in themselves, and beware of the punishment of Allah, and know that they are accountable for this, as the Exalted said:
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًاFurthermore, those who give rulings without knowledge may cause harm to others through their rulings, as happened in this case. This man, who was doing what was required of him in terms of fasting and intending to complete the two months, was deceived by the ruling of this man who told him to limit himself to one month. This is harm to others in giving rulings without knowledge.
It is also incumbent upon the general public, if someone gives them a ruling that they find objectionable and that contradicts what they are accustomed to, not to rush to accept his ruling until they ask someone who is more knowledgeable than him, because it is possible that the one who gave them the ruling misunderstood or did not study the issue thoroughly, and thus an error occurs.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.