Not Fasting during the Month of Ramadhaan without a Valid Excuse

Q: What is the ruling regarding the person who does not fast during the month of Ramadhaan without a valid excuse and eats openly?

A: Fasting in the month of Ramadhaan is a great obligation and a salient feature of Islam. To openly eat and drink during the month of Ramadhaan is tantamount to showing disregard to the salient feature of Islam and a major sin. 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 regarded this salient feature of Islam as insignificant. Hence this will render him out of the fold of Islam.

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)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)