Q: Is there any punishment for a person who deliberately misses fasts continuously without any reason and has it in mind to make up for those days after Ramadhaan?
A: Fasting is among the faraa’idh (obligatory acts of worship) and is a salient feature of Islam. The Fuqahaa have stated that it is impermissible for one to openly eat and drink in the month of Ramadhaan. If one openly eats and drinks during the month of Ramadhaan without a valid excuse, he will not be showing respect to the salient feature of Islam and will be committing a major sin for which he will be punished in the hereafter.
If the one who does not fast and openly eats and drinks regards it as a sin but does so due to weakness of Imaan, he will be guilty of committing a major sin but will not come out of the fold of Islam. If he believes that there is no sin in what he is doing then such a person has shown disregard to the salient feature of Islam and regarded it as insignificant. Hence this act will render him out of the fold of Islam.
If one had missed out fasting during the month of Ramadhaan, one should sincerely repent to Allah Ta’ala for leaving out this great obligation and make a firm resolve that he will never repeat this major sin in the future. Similarly, he should make qadha for the missed fasts.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
ولو أكل عمدا شهرة بلا عذر يقتل و تمامه في شرح الوهبانية قال في الوهبانية : ولو أكل الإنسان عمدا و شهرة ولا عذر فيه قيل بالقتل يؤمر قال الشرنبلالي صورتها: تعمد من لا عذر له الإكل جهارا يقتل لأنه مستهزئ بالدين أو منكر (ردالمحتار على در المختار ج2 ص413)
Ahsanul Fataawa vol.1 pg.37
Answered by:
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & Approved:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)