The ruling concerning whoever performed Hajj and he prays, then he abandons the Prayer after that

Question :

O noble Shaykh! Due to difficult circumstances and against my desire, I traveled to a foreign land during the middle of Ramadhan and I was fasting during the first half of it in my country. Then, when I traveled I stopped fasting and praying for a period of 15 days, which was the period of my stay in that land. During that time I was saying that these people have impurity with them and it is not permissible to use their items and utensils. Likewise, I did not know the direction of the Qiblah and I would not eat or drink their drinks. My question is does my abandoning the prayer and the fast have an effect on the obligatory Hajj which I performed several years ago? Is there a ruling or a ransom that I can give so that Allâh will forgive me for my sins? Please benefit me with an answer, and may Allâh bless you.

Answer:

Your abandoning the prayer and fasting for this period of time does not affect the obligatory Hajj that you performed before, because that which nullifies the previous righteous deeds is apostasy if the person dies upon it. This is due to Allâh's Saying:

"And whoever among you apostatizes from his religion (Islam) and he dies while being a disbeliever, then these people's deeds are lost in this life and in the Hereafter. These are the companions of the Fire and they will abide therein forever."

In reference to the acts of disobedience (i.e., sins), they do not nullify the previous righteous deeds. However, they have an effect on these deeds in other aspects if these sins are numerous, and when they are weighed against the good deeds, if the pan of evil deeds weighs more, the person will be punished for them. Based upon this, it is obligatory upon you to repent to Allâh now from abandoning the prayer and increase in your performance of righteous deeds. According to the correct view it is not obligatory upon you to make up for those prayers. In reference to the fasting, your leaving it off was permissible because you were a traveler and the traveler is not obligated to fast. This is due to Allâh's Statement:
"And whoever is ill or on a journey, then (he may make up for his fast) from a number of other days."

The only thing that is due upon such a person is to make up for the missed fasting. Concerning your statement regarding the reason for your abandoning the prayer being that you did not know the direction of the Qiblah and you were not eating their food and drink, this statement of yours is not correct. Meaning your claim that this was the reason that prevented you from offering the prayer is not correct. For verily, it is obligatory upon you to pray according to your ability and to do what is obligatory upon you in your prayer as much as you are able. This is due to Allâh's Statement:
"Allah does not burden a soul except with what it can bear." And His Saying:
"So fear Allah as much as you are able."

Also, the Prophet said:
"If I command you to do something, then do as much of it as you are able."

Therefore, if the person is in a place and he does not know the direction of the Qiblah, and he does not have someone with him who can inform him of its direction, whose information he trusts, then he prays after trying to determine the direction that seems most likely to him to be the Qiblah. He is not required to repeat the prayer after that.