Question Summary
How do I rectifying my state after having missed many years of fasting Ramadan?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Take the following steps the rectify you situation:
(1) Repent
Firstly, one should repent to Allah Most High sincerely for abandoning their obligations.
The rules and limits of the Sacred law are for the Worldy and Next Worldy benefit and salvation of the creation, us. Allah Most High is not in need of our worship, rather it is we that benefit and we who are desperately in need of Allah’s mercy and aid.
True sincere repentance entails that one meet the following conditions:
(1) A state of sincere remorse for one’s sins
(2) Abandoning the sin
(3) Resolving never to repeat the sin
[Nawawi, Riyadh al-Salihin]
(2) Make-Up the Fasts
As part of one’s repentance one should strive to make up for what one has done.
In this case, the fasts which were omitted since one reached puberty till present day are obligatory to make up. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al -Falah]
To do this, one must first determine how many fasts one did not perform. This can be achieved by estimating a number that one is reasonably sure covers the amount of fasts. Thereafter one can add more to be cautious.
After determining the amount, one should make the intention to make up all the estimated fasts. Thereafter one will need to schedule an amount of fasts that one can do without putting one’s self in undue hardship.
By this method, one will consistently chip away at the amount of fasts they owe until they have all been made up.
Please see:
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/brief-overview-of-expiatory-payments-fidya/
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani