All praises are due to Allah, we ask Him for His Peace and blessings upon our prophet Muhammad. Here comes a question from our brother which says that “Is my fasting valid without observing Solah?”. Although the questioner wrote the reason behind his question which goes thus:
Question: “I have a friend who is a good practicing Mulsim i.e. he observes Solah and he observes some other Islamic principles too. Unlike me, I am just a Mulsim by name, I don’t observe Solah and just once in a while like once in a month whenever my friend and I walk together on Friday, we observe this together.
Since we are about to start Ramadan, I told him that I am interested in observing it but he said that I need to start observing Solah sincerely for Allah before I can start observing Ramadan for validity’s sake based on some lectures he has heard before from the Islamic lecturers.
I don’t know maybe this is really correct and I would need more clarification and evidence, please. I am really curious. Is my fasting valid without observing Solah, please?”
Answer to: Is My Fasting Valid Without Observing Solah?
The bitter truth is that your fasting is not valid if you don’t observe Solah. For you to have a valid fasting, you need to be someone who will be observing Solah too, the five obligatory daily prayers. I know that you might be curious that the two are different worship now, how could one affect the other? We are going to clarify it with evidence for you in shaa Allah.
You see your question which says “Is my fasting valid without observing Solah” is a common question we receive from a lot of people, especially during Ramadan either from negligent Muslims about their Solah or from the disbelievers who wish to observe the Ramadan Fasting. For non-Muslims, we already know that the First condition of Ramadan is that one should be a Muslim therefore non-Muslim’s Fasting is totally invalid.
But for negligent Muslims about their Prayer (Solah), this is a question that weighs heavily on their minds: Is My Fasting Valid Without Observing Solah? With the arrival of Ramadan, they observe it very well by refraining from food, drink, and desire, yet not maintaining their five daily prayers. But does their fasting remain valid without Salah? Will the reward of their fasting still be accepted by Allah?
The right answer is that your fasting is invalid too and won’t be accepted by Allah. The reason behind this is very clear and it goes thus:
Salah is the cornerstone of Islam. Although it is the second pillar of our faith after testifying in the oneness of Allah. What will affirm one’s declaration on the oneness of Allah is this Solah(Prayer). Someone who testified that he has become a believer and was told that prayer is enjoined on him and then neglected it has not really believed.
Allah says:
But if they repent, establish prayer, and give Zakah, then they are your brothers in religion; and We detail the verses for a people who know.
Al-Quran 9:11
This verse is clearly telling us that for you to be a Muslim after saying you have testified to the oneness of Allah, you have to start praying, (observing Solah) and observe Zakah, although the Zakah isn’t obligatory on someone whose wealth hasn’t reached its stage unlike Solah that has nothing to do with financial aspect. It is after you start observing this Solah that we are going to accept you as our brother in faith.
You are now a believer after you start observing this Solah, this is when observing Ramadan is now upon you as a believer as Allah says:
“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:183)
I hope you can see the steps I am using in clarifying this to you. Yes. Let me now buttress the point of not being a believer without observing the Solah (prayer) from the explanation of our Prophet ﷺ. He said:
“The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr (Bislief). Sunan Ibn Majah, 1079
He also said:
It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that he heard the Messenger (ﷺ) saying. Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of prayer. (Sahih Muslim, 82 b)
Can you now see that our Prophet explained clearly about the severity of abandoning Salah. It places the neglect of Salah in the same category as shirk (polytheism) and kufr (disbelief), which are among the greatest sins in Islam. This is where the scholars also deduced the conclusion from, that whoever doesn’t observe Solah is not yet a believer until he starts observing it.
Even if someone asks you now that, is my fasting valid without observing Solah? What will be your answer based on what you have learned? It will definitely be NO.
Furthermore, this solah is the first act of worship that we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment. Whoever passes in this aspect is likely to pass in other acts of worship too and whoever fails is likely to fail in others too. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said,
“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad.” (Narrated by Tirmidhi, 413).
This Hadith indicated the importance of Salah in a Muslim’s life. Without it, the foundation of our deeds becomes shaky and likely to be worthless. This is telling us more that Salah is the foundation upon which all other deeds are built. If Salah is neglected, the validity and acceptance of other acts of worship, including fasting, come into question.
Some scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah, have opined that if a person completely abandons Salah, their fasting holds no weight in the sight of Allah. This opinion is based on the idea that abandoning prayer constitutes disbelief, making all acts of worship, including fasting, null and void. This is also the view of most of the companions, if not the consensus.
Regardless of the scholarly differences, the safest and most correct approach is to observe both fasting and Salah for Allah’s sake. Fasting without Salah is akin to performing an incomplete act of worship. It is essential to establish Salah to ensure that one’s fasting is not just a physical act but a means of attaining closeness to Allah.
Fasting is an act of worship that requires both physical and spiritual discipline. Neglecting Salah while fasting is a contradiction in worship. Fasting is an act of submission to Allah, but how can one claim to submit to Allah while neglecting the very act that defines submission?
I think this clarification with pieces of evidence will suffice for our brother who asked that: Is my fasting valid without observing Solah (prayer)?
Let this be a turning point in your life. Start by performing the obligatory Salah on time, even if it feels difficult at first. Gradually incorporate Sunnah and Nafl prayers into your routine. Seek Allah’s help through Du’a and remember His words in Surah Ta-Ha (20:132):
“And enjoin prayer upon your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness.”
Don’t forget to read the comprehensive guide on how to avoid missing your prayers here.
