What is the ruling on fasting the fifteenth day of the month of Sha'ban, and is it permissible to fast the day of doubt?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on fasting the fifteenth day of the month of Sha'ban? And is it permissible to fast the day of doubt, which is the completion of the month? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. And I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to inspire us with correctness in speech and action.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Fasting the middle of the month of Sha'ban: there are hadiths regarding its virtue, and the virtue of standing in prayer on the night of the middle, and the virtue of the day of the middle as well. However, most scholars have graded these hadiths as weak. Weak hadiths do not establish a legal proof, especially in practical matters. Based on this, singling out the middle day of Sha'ban for fasting and singling out the middle night of Sha'ban for standing in prayer is not prescribed, because the hadiths narrated regarding this are not authentic according to most scholars. Nothing has been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions regarding their virtue.
As for if a person fasts the three white days of the month of Sha'ban, which are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days, then there is nothing wrong with it, because it is recommended for a person to fast three days of every month, and it is better to make them these three days: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth. It is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Riyad as-Salihin 1260. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : As for fasting the day of doubt, which is the thirtieth day of Sha'ban if the night of the thirtieth is cloudy or has something preventing the sighting of the moon, it is prohibited. This is based on the statement of 'Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him): "Whoever fasts the day in which there is doubt has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him)". And in "al-Sahihayn", it is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 1082a. Yes.
The questioner : The listener is also asking, O Shaykh... Muhammad, and he says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. And I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to inspire us with correctness in speech and action.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Fasting the middle of the month of Sha'ban: there are hadiths regarding its virtue, and the virtue of standing in prayer on the night of the middle, and the virtue of the day of the middle as well. However, most scholars have graded these hadiths as weak. Weak hadiths do not establish a legal proof, especially in practical matters. Based on this, singling out the middle day of Sha'ban for fasting and singling out the middle night of Sha'ban for standing in prayer is not prescribed, because the hadiths narrated regarding this are not authentic according to most scholars. Nothing has been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions regarding their virtue.
As for if a person fasts the three white days of the month of Sha'ban, which are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days, then there is nothing wrong with it, because it is recommended for a person to fast three days of every month, and it is better to make them these three days: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth. It is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Observing Saum (fasting) on three days of every month is equivalent to a full month's fasting.
صوم ثلاثة أيام من كل شهر صوم الدهر كلهThe questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : As for fasting the day of doubt, which is the thirtieth day of Sha'ban if the night of the thirtieth is cloudy or has something preventing the sighting of the moon, it is prohibited. This is based on the statement of 'Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him): "Whoever fasts the day in which there is doubt has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him)". And in "al-Sahihayn", it is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Do not observe fast for a day, or two days ahead of Ramadan except a person who is in the habit of observing a particular fast; he may fast on that day.
لا تقدّموا رمضان بصوم يوم ولا يومين إلا رجل كان يصوم صوماً فليصمهThe questioner : The listener is also asking, O Shaykh... Muhammad, and he says.