Question:

When I first fasted in Ramadan I did not know much about religion and now I have a doubt that I ate in Ramadan though I am not sure so what should I do?

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, may Allah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

We hope that you are not required to make up or expiate for the days which you doubted that you broke the fast. In principle when a Muslim fasts, he does not eat or drink and this principle cannot be overruled with doubt. Moreover, if one drinks or eats during the day in Ramadan while he does not know that this is forbidden due to being brought up in the desert where there are no scholars, or that he is a new Muslim, then he is excused for breaking the fast and he is not obliged to make up the days he broke the fast according to the view of many scholars this is also the opinion of the Shaafi'ee School of jurisprudence.

Zakariyyaa Al-Ansaari from the Shaafi'ee School of jurisprudence, said: "If a person who breaks the fast by eating out of forgetfulness or out of ignorance, this does not invalidate his fast even if he ate a lot. For instance, this applies to one who is a new Muslim or he was brought up in the desert where there are no scholars."

Finally, it should be noted that a person who reaches the age of puberty is obliged to acquire the religious knowledge by which his belief and his individual obligations are accepted and performed correctly.

Allah knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb