Q: There is a man who, for about ten years, regularly kept the fast of Ramadan but deliberately broke the Fast for some days without a legal excuse. However, a few years ago, he repented of this sin to Allah. What should he do now regarding the years in which he did not fast some days of Ramadan, keeping into consideration that he had not made up for these days or counted the days which he missed fasting? It is noteworthy that he regretted having done these sins.

A: It is incumbent upon this person to do his best to make up for the days when he deliberately and inexcusably broke the Fast. Thus, he should fast the number of days which he is most sure he had missed in fasting. There is no prohibition in fasting these days separately. Moreover, he needs to feed a needy person in lieu of every day he had missed fasting and did not make up for without an accepted legal excuse until the subsequent Ramadan started. He should give the amount of half of a Sa` (1 Sa`=3 kg. Approx.) of wheat, rice, or similar staple food in his town. On the other hand, if one had coincidently had sexual intercourse with his wife during the daytime of Ramadan within the days, on which he broke the fast without a valid legal excuse, then he has to give an expiation of sexual intercourse for each day he had sexual intercourse. The expiation in this case is as follows: First, he must emancipate a believing slave; if one cannot find a slave or cannot afford the emancipation of a slave, then he should fast for two consecutive months, i.e. Sixty days. If one cannot do that, then he has to feed sixty needy people by giving each one of them (Part No. 9; Page No. 41) half of a Sa' of wheat, rice, or similar staple food in his town. Furthermore, one should sincerely repent of this sin to Allah and should not go back to this evil act. This is because whoever does not fast during Ramadan while he has no valid legal excuse commits a grievous sin and a heinous misdeed and incurs the Wrath of Allah and His Punishment. It is known that the violation of the sanctity of Ramadan means the negligence of one of the pillars of Islam. The questioner here is advised to consistently make Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah), to perform optional acts of devotion, and to keenly implore Allah, so that He might pardon him, forgive his past sins, and replace his evil deeds with good ones.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.