Voluntary Fasting and the Days on Which Fasting Is Recommended
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Question:
He also asks and says: Tell us about voluntary fasting, with an explanation of the most important aspects of voluntary fasting. May Allah reward you with good?
Answer:
Voluntary fasting is a recommended practice, a great act of devotion. It is mentioned in some hadiths from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Dharr:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2220Sahih (Darussalam).
So fasting has a great status. The believer should fast frequently. In an authentic hadith, Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:Sahih al-Bukhari 5927 Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: Sunan Ibn Majah 1638Sahih (Darussalam) This includes both the obligatory and the voluntary.
So fasting has a status, and it is recommended to do much of it. The best of it is to fast one day and break the fast the next day; this is the best of it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided Abdullah ibn Amr to this, and he said: And if he wishes, he can fast on Mondays and Thursdays. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast on them and say: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2358Hasan (Darussalam) So it is recommended to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Likewise, fasting three days of every month is recommended. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to command this and advised some of his Companions to fast three days of every month. This is fasting for the whole year, because a good deed is rewarded ten times over, and the month is thirty days, or twenty-nine. If he fasts three days, he has fasted for the whole year, as a good deed is rewarded ten times over.
So the believer should seek to fast in one of these ways, voluntary fasting.
It is also recommended to fast six days of Shawwal, either consecutively or separately. Fasting on the Day of 'Arafah for one who is not performing Hajj, fasting on 'Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, and fasting a day before it, or a day after it, or both. All of these are recommended. On the Day of 'Arafah, Allah expiates the sins of the year before it and the year after it. Fasting on 'Ashura expiates the sins of the year before it. But the pilgrim does not fast on the Day of 'Arafah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj and did not fast on the Day of 'Arafah, but in other than Hajj, he fasts. These are the types of voluntary fasting. The best of them is to fast one day and break the fast the next day. This is the fasting of Dawud (peace be upon him), half the year. The rest of them contain great good. If he wishes, he can fast three days of every month, and that is sufficient. If he wishes, he can fast on Mondays and Thursdays. All of this is recommended.
And there are specific days for this: fasting on 'Arafah, fasting on 'Ashura, fasting a day before it, or after it, or fasting both before and after it, making a total of three days. Fasting six days of Shawwal is also a recommended practice. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
He also asks and says: Tell us about voluntary fasting, with an explanation of the most important aspects of voluntary fasting. May Allah reward you with good?
Answer:
Voluntary fasting is a recommended practice, a great act of devotion. It is mentioned in some hadiths from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Dharr:
Take to fasting, for there is nothing like it.
عليك بالصوم؛ فإنه لا مثل لهSo fasting has a great status. The believer should fast frequently. In an authentic hadith, Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
Every good deed of Adam's son is for him
كل عمل ابن آدم له، الحسنة بعشر أمثالهاExcept for fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it. He gives up his desire and his food for My sake.’ The fasting person has two joys, one when he breaks his fast and another when he meets his Lord. The smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is better before Allah than the fragrance of musk.
إلا الصيام فإنه لي، وأنا أجزي به، ترك شهوته وطعامه وشرابه من أجلي، للصائم فرحتان: فرحة عند فطره، وفرحة عند لقاء ربه، ولخلوف فم الصائم أطيب عند الله من ريح المسكSo fasting has a status, and it is recommended to do much of it. The best of it is to fast one day and break the fast the next day; this is the best of it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided Abdullah ibn Amr to this, and he said:
It is the fasting of Dawud, and it is the best of fasting, half the year: fasting one day and breaking the fast the next day.
إنه صوم داود، وإنه أفضل الصيام شطر الدهر، يصوم يومًا ويفطر يومًاThose are two days in which deeds are shown to the Lord of the worlds, and I like my deeds to be shown (to Him) when I am fasting.
إنهما يومان تعرض فيهما الأعمال على الله، فأحب أن يعرض عملي وأنا صائمSo the believer should seek to fast in one of these ways, voluntary fasting.
It is also recommended to fast six days of Shawwal, either consecutively or separately. Fasting on the Day of 'Arafah for one who is not performing Hajj, fasting on 'Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, and fasting a day before it, or a day after it, or both. All of these are recommended. On the Day of 'Arafah, Allah expiates the sins of the year before it and the year after it. Fasting on 'Ashura expiates the sins of the year before it. But the pilgrim does not fast on the Day of 'Arafah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj and did not fast on the Day of 'Arafah, but in other than Hajj, he fasts. These are the types of voluntary fasting. The best of them is to fast one day and break the fast the next day. This is the fasting of Dawud (peace be upon him), half the year. The rest of them contain great good. If he wishes, he can fast three days of every month, and that is sufficient. If he wishes, he can fast on Mondays and Thursdays. All of this is recommended.
And there are specific days for this: fasting on 'Arafah, fasting on 'Ashura, fasting a day before it, or after it, or fasting both before and after it, making a total of three days. Fasting six days of Shawwal is also a recommended practice. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.