With no valid excuse, I have repeatedly broken fast during past Ramadan and don`t know the exact number of days. What is the ruling of Sharia on this? And what is the due expiation? This is knowing that I`m an employee and unable to fast for two consecutive months because of the nature of my work and poor financial status.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.
Breaking one`s fast during Ramadan without a valid excuse is one of the major sins that require sincere repentance, asking Allah for forgiveness and performing good deeds repeatedly. In addition, the person who broke his fast during Ramadan-with or without a valid excuse-is obliged to make up for the missed fasts. In case he fails to remember their exact number, he has to resort to estimation. Moreover, he should make the intention to make up for the broken fasts as soon as possible and in line with the most correct estimation by giving priority to the higher number he remembers in order to be on the safe side as far as the teachings of Sharia are concerned. Furthermore, if he encountered hardship while doing so then he is permitted to make up those days over intermittent periods of time and he could choose short cold days. Making up of missed fasts should be given precedence over not fasting at all under the excuse of having work and experiencing hardship.
In conclusion, the expiation for the delay of making up broken fasts is due on you (Questioner), in addition to making up broken fasts. The reason for this is delaying making up broken fasts of past Ramadan until the next one came. Therefore, you are obliged to feed one poor Muslim person for each delay of broken fast in case next Ramadan came without having made up for it. Finally, if you can`t afford feeding one poor Muslim then you won’t be free from liability until becoming able to pay the due expiation. And Allah the Almighty knows best.