I have missed fasts since puberty
Salam all
Please guide me. I am now 35 and have suffered from severe OCD between the ages of maybe 17 until now. So severe that I was spending up to 24 hours in the bathroom. I am slightly better now with medication and wish to enquire about this - as far back as I can remember I never used to make up the fasts missed during my periods every year. I may have done up until the age of 16 but dont remember and neither does my family. I know I havent from the age of 23 for sure - this is the week missed every year. I have now been informed of the seriousness of missing these. But that is so many years - can someone please tell me with hard proof what I need to do?
Please no harsh or stupid comments
jzk
aisha79
4 Responses »
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)
Wa 'alaykum assalaam warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh dear sister Aisha,
I hope from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, to increase you in good health, and to multiply your recovery, and to fill your heart and life with peace and tranquility. Ameen.
What seems certain in your issue is that, you haven't made up the missed fasts of Ramadan between the age of 23 and 35 (which may be approximately 12 weeks of missed fasts, if I am correct). In this case, all you need to do is to make up those missed fasts. This is based on the noble ayah, ''...and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days [are to be made up]...'' (Quran 2: 185)
Yes. Indeed those are many years, however, there are many ways that you may use to make them smoothly on yourself. For example, you may decide to fast 7, 5, 3 or 2 days in every month till Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes you successful in completing them all, in-shaa-Allah.
As for the years before 23 of your age, they are not counted because you are not certain as to whether you did not make them up, and the basic Islamic principle is that, they would be considered as if you made them up, until if you become certain of otherwise. This is because, 'presumption of innocence is an essential principle in Islamic law', and that, 'Certainty is not eliminated by doubt in Islamic law'.
Hope this helps in-shaa-Allah, and Allah Ta'ala knows best.
Dear Sister,
I suggest you seek advise from a knowledgeable person who has studied and dedicated his/her life for studying the rulings and conditions in Islam. Please ask a Sheikh or an Imaam.
Salaam
I agree, best to do as the brother has advised sister,
I hope since your in a better frame of mind and health
xxxx
Assalaamu Alaykum.
A shaykha advised our class on this issue when it came up (a lot of girls haven't unfortunately)
1) She said make an informed estimate of how many you missed. Do your best.
Decide to fast regularly for example Mondays and Thursdays. BUT whenever you do fast to make these fasts up you must make the intention that you are fasting to make up these missed fasts in order for it to be valid.
Sara
IslamicAnswers.com Editor