258. What Should I Do If I Haven't Fasted When I Was Younger?

By Asma Bint Shameem

QUESTION

I did not fast when I was younger. 

Now that Allaah has guided me, what should I do?

ANSWER

Fasting in the month of Ramadhaan is an obligation upon all sane, adult Muslims.

It is one of the pillars of our Deen, and  it’s not allowed for us to just “not fast”, UNLESS we have a valid Shar’ee excuse. 

If someone misses Ramadhaan fasts without any shar’ee excuse, they’re guilty of major sin and they MUST repent to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. 

Should they make up the fasts?

There’s a difference of opinion among the scholars about that. 

The sin of missing the fasts of Ramadhaan for no reason is so severe that some of the scholars say that even if a person makes Taubah, there’s NO NEED to make up the fasts because “there’s no need to do it”. 

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“But if he does not fast at all, deliberately and with no excuse, then the more correct view is that he does not have to make it up, because it will never benefit him in the slightest, and it will not be accepted from him. The basic principle concerning every act of worship that is connected to a specific time is that if it is delayed beyond that specific time with no excuse, it will never be accepted.”

[Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (19/89)]

But the view of the majority of the scholars is that the person SHOULD make up the fasts and make sincere Taubah to Allaah for missing this great act of ibaadah. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“Whoever does not fast because he denies that it is obligatory is a disbeliever, according to scholarly consensus. Whoever does not do it because he is lazy and heedless is not a disbeliever, but he is in grave danger because he has omitted one of the pillars of Islam, on which there is scholarly consensus that it is obligatory, and he deserves to be punished and disciplined by the authorities in a manner that will deter him and others like him. 

He has to make up the days that he did not fast, and also repent to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.” [Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (10/143)]

And Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“Yes, he has to make up the missed fasts, and he has to repent to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, for his carelessness and breaking of the fast.” [Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (16/201)]

However, if someone fasted Ramadhaan but did not make up the fasts due on him or her that they missed for some valid Shar’ee excuse for many years, must make them up, even if it’s been many years. 

If someone missed their fasts due to any reason OTHER than pregnancy or lactation, then:

1. That person must repent to Allaah and ask for forgiveness

2. Calculate the total number of days they missed. 

Then start fasting them one by one. 

Fasting is a DEBT that we owe Allaah. 

And it must be repaid. 

As for making up the fasts that a woman missed due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, the ulama say that if she’s easily able to make them up by fasting, she should do so.

But if the fasts are too many, and it’s hard for her to make them up, then it allowed for her to pay the fidyah for each day of fasting that she missed. 

And Allaah knows best