Ruling on one who left fasting for several Ramadans and then repented
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First, we begin with a letter from Saud 'Abd al-Rahman al-Faraj, and we have presented some of it in the previous session.
In his letter, Saud says: I am twenty-one years old and I have not fasted even one month of Ramadan, but I intended—I believe he is saying I repent—and I turned to the truth and the right path, and I want to start anew. Is that permissible or not?—meaning: I believe he is asking: what about the years I did not fast in the past.
Answer: You must fast Ramadan and repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and you must make up the months that have passed, according to the majority of the scholars. This is the correct position. You must fast them, even if you do so separately and not consecutively. You fast the first Ramadan after you reached puberty. The years after puberty are determined by completing fifteen years of age, or by the emission of semen due to desire, or by the growth of coarse hair around the private parts. These are the things by which a man reaches puberty. So you must make up the Ramadan that came after this. You fast these Ramadans along with repentance to Allah and turning to Him (Blessed and Exalted is He). If you also feed a poor person for each day, that is more complete, because some of the Companions issued a ruling to this effect (may Allah be pleased with them). So you feed a poor person for each day along with making up the fasts. This is if you were praying. But if you were not praying while leaving off fasting, then leaving off prayer is disbelief and misguidance. Repentance is sufficient, and you do not have to make up any fasting or prayer. If you were not praying, you must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), return to Him, turn to Him, and be sincere. You do not have to make up anything after that, neither prayer nor fasting, because leaving off prayer is disbelief. It is major disbelief, according to the correct view. And for the disbeliever, repentance is sufficient. If he repents to Allah and turns to Him, that is enough, and he does not have to make up what he left off during his state of disbelief. As Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: [Al-Anfal: 38], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . Yes.
This question is directed to us personally. The brother asks: Can Sulayman al-Shabana answer the questions?
Answer: We say: O brother Saud 'Abd al-Rahman, no, there are those who can answer the questions. May Allah guide us and you to what He loves and is pleased with.
In his letter, Saud says: I am twenty-one years old and I have not fasted even one month of Ramadan, but I intended—I believe he is saying I repent—and I turned to the truth and the right path, and I want to start anew. Is that permissible or not?—meaning: I believe he is asking: what about the years I did not fast in the past.
Answer: You must fast Ramadan and repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and you must make up the months that have passed, according to the majority of the scholars. This is the correct position. You must fast them, even if you do so separately and not consecutively. You fast the first Ramadan after you reached puberty. The years after puberty are determined by completing fifteen years of age, or by the emission of semen due to desire, or by the growth of coarse hair around the private parts. These are the things by which a man reaches puberty. So you must make up the Ramadan that came after this. You fast these Ramadans along with repentance to Allah and turning to Him (Blessed and Exalted is He). If you also feed a poor person for each day, that is more complete, because some of the Companions issued a ruling to this effect (may Allah be pleased with them). So you feed a poor person for each day along with making up the fasts. This is if you were praying. But if you were not praying while leaving off fasting, then leaving off prayer is disbelief and misguidance. Repentance is sufficient, and you do not have to make up any fasting or prayer. If you were not praying, you must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), return to Him, turn to Him, and be sincere. You do not have to make up anything after that, neither prayer nor fasting, because leaving off prayer is disbelief. It is major disbelief, according to the correct view. And for the disbeliever, repentance is sufficient. If he repents to Allah and turns to Him, that is enough, and he does not have to make up what he left off during his state of disbelief. As Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَRepentance wipes out what came before it, and Islam demolishes what came before it
التوبة تجب ما كان قبلها، والإسلام يهدم ما كان قبلهThis question is directed to us personally. The brother asks: Can Sulayman al-Shabana answer the questions?
Answer: We say: O brother Saud 'Abd al-Rahman, no, there are those who can answer the questions. May Allah guide us and you to what He loves and is pleased with.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.