Ibn
Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibbaan related from Aboo Umaamah al-Baahilee that he
narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) say: “Whilst
I was sleeping two men came to me and took my by the arm and brought me to a
cragged mountain. They said, ‘Climb up.’ I said, ‘I cannot.’ They said, ‘We
will make it easy for you.’ So I climbed up until I was at the top of the
mountain. Then I heard loud voices. I said, ‘What are these voices?’ They said,
‘This is the howling of the people of Hell.” Then I was taken until I saw
people hanging by their hamstrings, with the sides of their mouths torn and
blood pouring from their mouths.’ I said, ‘Who are these?’ He said, ‘These are
people who broke their fast before it was time.’” Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaanee in Saheeh Mawaarid az-Zam’aan, no. 1509.
Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on breaking
the fast during the day in Ramadan without any excuse.
He
replied: Breaking the fast during the day in Ramadan without any excuse is
one of the gravest of major sins, and the individual becomes a faasiq
(rebellious evildoer) thereby. He has to repent to Allaah and make up that day
on which he broke the fast. In other words, if he fasted and during the day he
broke the fast with no excuse, then he has sinned. He has to make up that day
on which he broke the fast, because when he started to fast, it became binding
upon him; so since he started it on the basis that it was obligatory, he has to
make it up, like a vow that must be fulfilled. But if he deliberately did not
fast at all with no excuse, then the more correct view is that he does not have
to make it up, because it will not benefit him at all, as it will never be
accepted from him.
The basic
principle with regard to the act of worship that are connected to a specific
time is that if it is delayed until that specific time has ended with no excuse,
it will not be accepted, because the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)
said: “Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours will have
it rejected.” And because he has transgressed the limits set by Allaah, and
transgressing the limits set by Allaah is wrongdoing, and good deeds are not
accepted from the wrongdoer. Allaah, may He be exalted, says: “And whoever
transgresses the limits ordained by Allaah, then such are the Zaalimoon
(wrong-doers, etc.)”[Soorah al-Baqarah 2:229].
And just as
if he did this act of worship before the time for it began, it would not be
accepted from him, and by the same token if he does it after the time for it
has ended it will not be accepted from him unless he had an excuse.
Source:
Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 19/89[1]
