Is it permissible to fast voluntary fasts, such as Mondays and Thursdays, for a month and then leave it off for three months, for example, or is it necessary to maintain continuity always?
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The questioner : Is it permissible for me to fast voluntary fasts, such as Mondays and Thursdays, for a month and then leave that off for three months, for example, or is it necessary to maintain continuity always? Please advise us, may you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Voluntary fasting, whether it is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, or fasting on the white days, or fasting six days of Shawwal.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, or the Day of 'Arafah, or the Day of 'Ashura, or anything similar to that, you are at your option in all of it. If you wish, continue with it; if you wish, do not continue with it; and if you wish, fast only Monday or only Thursday. All of this is permissible and there is no blame on you. However, the best for a person, when he does a deed, is to make it consistent and to persist in it, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1368Sahih (Al-Albani) So you should strive, if you are accustomed to fasting the days of Monday and Thursday, to continue in that. If you are accustomed to fasting three days of every month, continue in that, and so on. But if you leave it off, there is no sin on you, because it is all voluntary.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This listener, whose name is 'Adnan, says: O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Voluntary fasting, whether it is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, or fasting on the white days, or fasting six days of Shawwal.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, or the Day of 'Arafah, or the Day of 'Ashura, or anything similar to that, you are at your option in all of it. If you wish, continue with it; if you wish, do not continue with it; and if you wish, fast only Monday or only Thursday. All of this is permissible and there is no blame on you. However, the best for a person, when he does a deed, is to make it consistent and to persist in it, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little.
أحب العمل إلى الله أدومه وإن قلThe questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This listener, whose name is 'Adnan, says: O honorable Shaykh.