Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
This chapter is dedicated to clarifying the recommended and obligatory fasting of the Prophet (peace be upon him) – that which he repeated every week such as the fast of Mondays and Thursdays, and that which he repeated every month such as the three days of each month, and that which he repeated every year such as the month of Ramadān and the day of ‘Ashūrā.
The lingual meaning of the Arabic word ‘sawm’ is abstaining and refraining. In its religious context it means refraining from food, drink and sexual activities during the day from the time of Fajr until sunset.
Fasting is of two types, the first of which is to refrain from food, drink and sexual activities and this must be observed during each day of the month of Ramadān, from Fajr until sunset. The other type of fasting is to refrain from sins and this must be observed all of the time. It is for this reason that each bodily limb must fast, the ears must refrain from listening to the forbidden, the tongue must refrain from uttering the forbidden and so forth.
298. ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq narrated: “I inquired from Aisha regarding the supererogatory fasting of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). She replied, ‘At times he would fast continuous days to the point that we thought he would not cease fasting. And at times he would not fast, until we began thinking he would continue to not fast. The Messenger of Allāh did not fast a whole month from the time he entered Madinah, except the month of Ramadan.’” [341]
Al-Nawawī said,
This hadith shows that it is recommended for a person to fast a day or more from each month, and that optional fasting does not have a specific time as it can be offered anytime during the year except the month of Ramadan, Eid days and the days of Tashrīq.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
The reason it was mentioned that this was his practice from the day he entered Madinah is because most of the rulings were revealed after immigration.
This is a proof that optional fasting during the month of Ramadān is invalid.
299. Anas ibn Mālik was asked about the fasting of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He replied: “It was his habit that in some months he fasted for so many days, that it was thought he would continue fasting the whole month. In other months, he did not fast to the point that it was thought he would not fast any day from the month. If anyone wanted to observe him praying at night, it was possible, and if one wanted to observe him sleeping at night, this too was possible.”[342]
Yahya ibn Yahya al-Amirī said,
You should know that fasting is from the best acts of worship and it is an act of striving. Its virtue has been reported in many hadīths, the loftiest of which is the hadīth mentioned in Sahīh al-Bukharī and Sahīh Muslim wherein Allāh said on the tongue of the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward him for it.”[343]
Abdul Rahman Al-Mubarakfūri said,
Al-Hafith ibn Hajar said that the meaning of this hadīth is that he (peace be upon him) did not follow a particular pattern in his worship. An example of this is that he used to pray night prayers at the beginning of the night, some other times in the middle of the night and some other times at the end of the night. Likewise, he used to fast the beginning of the month, and some other times in the middle of the month and some other times at the end of the month. Thus, if a person wanted to observe his worship, he would certainly be able to see him either fasting or praying.
300. ‘Abdullāh ibn Abbās narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) at times would fast continuously to such an extent that we began to think that he would not discontinue fasting. And, at times he would not fast to such an extent that we began thinking he would not restart fasting. The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) did not fast a whole month from the time he entered Madinah, except the month of Ramadan.” [344]
301. Umm Salamah narrated: “I did not see the Prophet (peace be upon him) fast two consecutive months except the months of Sha’bān and Ramadān.”
Ibn Abdul Barr said,
‘Abdullāh ibn al-Mubarak said, “In the Arabic language saying ‘fasted the whole month’ can refer to someone who fasted most of the month.”
Ibn Rajab said,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast during the month of Sha’bān more than any other months. The most correct view is that he (peace be upon him) fasted most of the month as evidenced in many other explicit hadīths. Ibn Abbās used to forbid people from fasting a whole month (except the month of Ramadān). The month of Sha’bān is the most virtuous month after the month of Ramadān due to the fact that it is the closest month to the month of Ramadan. Thus when one offers optional fasting in Sha’bān and then follows it with obligatory fasting in Ramadan, it is like the regular Sunnah prayers preceding and following the obligatory prayers.
302. Aisha narrated: “I did not see the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fast in a month [excluding Ramadān] more than he did in Sha’bān. He fasted the month except for a few days; rather he fasted the full month.” [345]
Ibn al-Qayyim said,
The statement of Aisha indicates that he nearly fasted the whole month of Sha’bān and the days he left out were insignificant in number. Al-Nawawī said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not fast a whole month except Ramadān so people would not make this act of his obligatory.
Al-Shawkānī said,
The first part of the statement of Aisha seems to contradict her last statement and scholars reconciled the meanings of the two statements by concluding that she meant that he nearly fasted the whole month. However, al-Taybī dismissed such reconciliation based on the meanings of the word “kul” (English: whole) mentioned in the hadith, and so he stated that she meant that he fasted the whole month of Sha’bān but not every year so that people would not think that it is obligatory to fast it.
303. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ūd narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fasted for three days at the beginning of every month, and rarely would he miss fasting on Fridays.” [346]
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalanī said,
Reconciling all the hadīths related to fasting on Friday, it is disliked to single out Friday for fasting and the wisdom behind that is because Friday is a day of celebration and such days are not fasted. However, the counterargument is that the Prophet allowed its fasting if Thursday or Saturday is fasted with it, and Ibn al-Qayyim and other scholars responded saying that fasting another day with it negates the intention of fasting Friday in particular.
Al-Shawkānī said,
This hadīth entails that he (peace be upon him) fasted Friday along with Thursday or Saturday.
304. Aisha narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was keen to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.” [347]
Muhammad Alī al-Shafi’ī said,
He (peace be upon him) used to fast these two days due to their great virtue.
Abdul Rahman al-Mubarakfūrī said,
This shows that he (peace be upon him) had great keenness towards the fasting of these two days.
305. Abū Hurairah narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Deeds are presented before Allāh on Mondays and Thursdays; therefore I like for my good deeds to be presented whilst I am fasting.’” [348]
Ibn al-Uthaymīn said,
The virtue of the day of Monday is established in other hadīths wherein he (peace be upon him) mentioned that it was the day on which he was born, the day he was sent to people and also the day on which he received the first revelation. Fasting the day of Thursday is a Sunnah but it is less virtuous than the day of Monday. However, the most virtuous kind of fasting is the fasting of Prophet Dawūd which is to fast alternate days.
306. Aisha narrated: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast in one month Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, and in the following month he would fast on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.” [349]
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
The purpose of dividing his fasting was so that he could be able to fast most of the days of the week.
Al-San’anī said,
The reason behind him (peace be upon him) fasting Saturdays and Sundays is explained in another hadīth wherein he mentioned that he fasted them because they are the Eid days of the disbelievers. Subsequently, he wanted to oppose them by fasting these days since on their days of Eid the disbelievers would be indulging in feasts, drinks and merriment.
Ibn al-Qayyim said,
It is disliked to single out Saturday for fasting and this hadīth can be reconciled with other hadīths as the ruling of “disliked” is removed when another day is fasted with it (i.e. Friday or Sunday). The reason it is disliked to single out Saturday is so that the day venerated by the Jews as a day of rest is not glorified [by the Muslims].
307. Aisha narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) did not fast in any month more than he did in the month of Sha’bān.”[350]
308. Mu’ādhah narrated: “I asked ‘Aisha whether the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) used to fast three days of each month and she confirmed that. Thus, I asked her, ‘On which days of the month did he fast?’ She replied, ‘He did not specify any particular days.’” [351]
Ibn Rajab said,
This hadīth shows that he (peace be upon him) did not have any specific days selected to fast the three days from each month.
309. Aisha narrated: “The day of ‘Ashūra was a day that the Quraysh used to fast before Islām and the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) observed this fast too. When he came to Madīnah he observed its fast and commanded others to fast it too. However, when the command to fast the month of Ramadān was revealed, it became the obligatory fasting and the fast of ‘Ashūra was left; whoever wished, observed its fast and whoever did not, left it.” [352]
Abdul Rahman al-Mubarakfūrī said,
This shows that the fast of ‘Ashūra[353] was made obligatory but the ruling was abrogated when it was revealed that the fast of Ramadan is obligatory.
‘Abdullāh al-Hadramī al-Makkī said,
Al-Qadī ‘Iyyād said it is possible that he (peace be upon him) fasted the day of ‘Ashūra to incline the hearts of the Jews to Islām just as he did when he prayed toward their qiblah (Jerusalem). However, when Makkah was conquered and Islām spread, he preferred to oppose them and so he said that he will fast another day with the day of ‘Ashūra.
According to some scholars the best manner of fasting the day of ‘Ashūra is by fasting it with the day that precedes it and the day that follows it. Then, to fast ‘Ashūra and the day before it, and the last in rank is to fast the day alone.
310. ‘Alqamah narrated: “I asked Aisha, ‘Did the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) set aside particular days for worship?’ She replied, ‘The worship of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was of a continuous nature, and who amongst you would have the strength that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) possessed?’” [354]
Ibn Battāl said,
This means that he did not specify an act of worship to a particular day but it was narrated that his optional fasting was increased during the month of Sha’bān and that he encouraged fasting Mondays and Thursdays. We understand this by stating that he (peace be upon him) fasted according to his energy level and so it happened that the fasting often coincided with the days he preferred.
Ibn Rajab said,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) admonished discontinuing good deeds when they have become routine for the individual as noted in the hadīth wherein he addressed ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar, “Do not be like so and so, he used to offer night prayers and then he stopped.”[355]
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
The virtue of continuing to do a good deed after it becomes habitual is so the individual does not become a person who breaks contact with his beloved. A person like that deserves admonishment. A similar case is the one who memorises from the Qur’ān and forgets it; there are many hadīths admonishing this. In this hadīth lies an encouragement for people to spare no efforts in worship, striving to reach their maximum individual capacity, provided that the exertion does not reach to the degree that will cause the person to leave the worship due to reasons such as boredom.
Al-Ghazālī said,
It was narrated that if Allāh accustoms a person to an act of worship but later on he stops it out of boredom, Allāh will despise him. This is why it is reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) continuously prayed the two units after ‘Asr to make up the two units he missed after the prayer of Dhuhr due to his visitors.[356] However, he prayed them in his house and not outside so that the people would not imitate him in this matter.
311. Aisha narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) once came home while a woman was present at that time. He inquired, ‘Who is this woman?’ I told him the name of the woman and then said, ‘She does not sleep at night.’ The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘One should offer deeds that befit one’s capacity. By Allāh! Allāh will not get bored until you get bored [from the act of worship].’” [Aisha added], “The most beloved of deeds to the Messenger (peace be upon him) were those that were performed with consistency.” [357]
Ibn Abdul Barr said,
The scholars understand the part, “Allāh will not get bored until you get bored” to mean that Allāh will continue to reward the individual until he becomes bored of offering the good deed. Boredom in worship arises when one overburdens himself with that which he cannot bear.
Ibn al-Qayyim said,
Extremism in worship is of two types. The first type is that which negates the nature of the act of worship. Subsequently, the act is no longer considered to be an act of obedience. Examples of such cases are: a person who adds one unit to an obligatory prayer, fasts everyday or [during the days of tashrīq] instead of throwing pebbles, one throws big rocks. The second type is that which causes the person to cease his habitual acts of worship such as praying all night without sleeping, fasting every day except the forbidden days and overburdening oneself with anything similar.
Ibn Rajab said,
Performing a good deed that the body can bear throughout its anointed time, during one’s weakness and strength will uphold the right path, and whoever performs a deed he cannot bear during weakness and sickness may end up discontinuing it.
312. Abu Sālih narrated: “I enquired from Aisha and Umm Salamah about the act that was the most beloved to the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). Both answered, ‘That deed which was practiced continuously, regardless of its size.’” [358]
313. ‘Awf ibn Mālik related: “I spent a night with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). He brushed his teeth with the siwāk, performed ablution and then stood up to commence the prayer, and so I joined him in the prayer. He began reciting Sūrah al-Baqarah [after al-Fātihah] and whenever he came across an ayah about Allāh’s mercy, he paused and beseeched Allāh for His Mercy. Likewise, when he came across an ayah regarding His punishment, he paused and sought refuge in Allāh from His punishment. Then, he bowed and remained bowing for as long as he had spent in the standing posture. He recited whilst bowing, ‘Subhāna dhil Malakūti wal Jabarūti wal Kibriyā wal ‘Adhamah’ Dhul Malakūt.’ Then he prostrated for a similar length to the bowing and recited the same in the prostration. Then, he recited [in the second unit] Sūrah al-Imrān and repeated the same in each unit.” [359]
Al-Bajūrī said,
Dhul Malakūt means the One with Dominion and Pride. Dhul Jabarūti means the Subduer and Surmounter. Dhul Kibriyā means the One who transcends all defects and shortcomings whilst everything submits to Him. Dhul ‘Adhama means the One Whom nothing can encompass. It is said that Kibryā refers to the perfection of His essence while ‘Adhamah refers to the beauty of His Attributes.
Ibn Sayyid al-Nās said,
This is one of the hadīths that provide a vivid insight into his fear of his Lord and his worship.