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 وتمامه 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 الأكل جهارا يقتل لأنه مستهزئ بالدين أو منكر (رد المحتار 2/413)

احسن الفتاوى 1/37

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)