What is the meaning of the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Do not anticipate Ramadan by one or two days, except if a man fasts a day as charity, then let him fast that day"?
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The questioner : The questioner, Abu Bakr Humaid from the city of Jeddah, asks: What is the meaning of the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) "Do not anticipate Ramadan by one or two days, except if a man fasts a day as charity, then let him fast that day"? My question is: What is the meaning of this hadith?
The Shaykh : The wording mentioned by the questioner is not the exact wording of the hadith, but it conveys its meaning. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade a person from anticipating Ramadan by fasting one or two days, except for one who has a customary fast, in which case he may fast it. This is because anticipating Ramadan by fasting one or two days involves a degree of excessive strictness and rigor. If someone anticipates Ramadan by fasting one or two days as a precaution, as he claims, this constitutes excessive strictness in the religion of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) granted a dispensation to one who has a customary fast to fast it, even if it falls one or two days before Ramadan. For example, if it is a person's custom to fast on Mondays, and Monday is the twenty-ninth of Sha'ban, he should fast it, and there is no sin on him, because he did not fast that day as a precaution for Ramadan, but rather because it is part of his custom.
Likewise, if it is his custom to fast three days of every month, but he did not fast them in Sha'ban and it was not possible for him to fast them except at the end of Sha'ban, so he fasted on the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth, then he owes nothing, because that was a fast he used to perform.
Likewise, if he has a make-up fast from Ramadan remaining, and one or two days are left for him, and he fasts them on the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth of Sha'ban, then there is no harm in that.
The important point is that the wisdom behind the prohibition is to prevent someone from being excessively strict and saying, "I will fast one or two days before Ramadan as a precaution."
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : The wording mentioned by the questioner is not the exact wording of the hadith, but it conveys its meaning. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) forbade a person from anticipating Ramadan by fasting one or two days, except for one who has a customary fast, in which case he may fast it. This is because anticipating Ramadan by fasting one or two days involves a degree of excessive strictness and rigor. If someone anticipates Ramadan by fasting one or two days as a precaution, as he claims, this constitutes excessive strictness in the religion of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished, the excessive ones have perished.
هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعون هلك المتنطعونLikewise, if it is his custom to fast three days of every month, but he did not fast them in Sha'ban and it was not possible for him to fast them except at the end of Sha'ban, so he fasted on the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth, then he owes nothing, because that was a fast he used to perform.
Likewise, if he has a make-up fast from Ramadan remaining, and one or two days are left for him, and he fasts them on the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth of Sha'ban, then there is no harm in that.
The important point is that the wisdom behind the prohibition is to prevent someone from being excessively strict and saying, "I will fast one or two days before Ramadan as a precaution."
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.