I Did Not Fast For Many Years, What Should I Do?

Assalamu alaykum

Fasting is obligatory upon adults who are free from menstruation and circumstances that allow one to not fast, such as traveling and sickness. If somebody upon whom fasting is obligatory eats food whilst fasting an obligatory fast of Ramadan without a valid excuse, then they must make up the fast and fast for sixty consecutive days to atone for the sin.

If this does apply to one then one must fast the sixty consecutive day atonement and may not make recourse to feeding the poor unless one is genuinely unable to fast.

This is not very easy but at the same time is not difficult. It is merely like fasting two Ramadans back to back. It is a sign of one’s determination to repent and is expected to result in much spiritual benefit. It will also teach one of the gravity of disobeying Allah and will fuel one’s resolve to obey and turn to Allah for the rest of one’s life. Allah is very kind with us and does not ask us to do that which we cannot do and whatever He asks us to do is always in our best interest.

May Allah bless us with submission to His commands and accept our repentance,

Sohail Hanif

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