What is the ruling on voluntary fasting with the intention of expiating sins?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The questioner who sent this set of questions from Jazan, the questioner (F. A.), says in this question: Your Eminence, what is the ruling on fasting on Mondays and Thursdays with the intention of expiating the sins I committed in the days when I was heedless of Allah ? And will Allah forgive my sins even if they were major and I committed them intentionally, but now I have repented to Allah, and I regret what I did?
Please guide me, Your Eminence.
Answer:
Repentance erases sins; sincere, wholehearted repentance erases sins. If you have repented with regret, cessation, truthfulness, and sincerity, praise be to Allah. However, fasting is beneficial, for good deeds erase bad deeds, as the Exalted said: [Hud: 114] Sunan Ibn Majah 3823 As the Exalted said: [Al-An'am: 160].
So increase in fasting, in voluntary prayer, in charity, in tasbih, tahlil, tahmid, dhikr, and seeking forgiveness. All of this benefits the Muslim. Even if one is among the most righteous of people, it benefits him. How much more so if he has committed a bad deed? This is what Allah raises one's ranks with, and what He increases one's good with. So increase in good. Repentance annuls what came before it, praise be to Allah. But for a person to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, or to fast three days of every month, or to give much charity, or to do tasbih and takbir, all of this is what Allah raises one's ranks with, and what He multiplies one's reward with, and there is much good in it for him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner who sent this set of questions from Jazan, the questioner (F. A.), says in this question: Your Eminence, what is the ruling on fasting on Mondays and Thursdays with the intention of expiating the sins I committed in the days when I was heedless of Allah ? And will Allah forgive my sins even if they were major and I committed them intentionally, but now I have repented to Allah, and I regret what I did?
Please guide me, Your Eminence.
Answer:
Repentance erases sins; sincere, wholehearted repentance erases sins. If you have repented with regret, cessation, truthfulness, and sincerity, praise be to Allah. However, fasting is beneficial, for good deeds erase bad deeds, as the Exalted said:
Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِbetween ten and seven hundred times for each merit
والحسنة بعشر أمثالها إلى سبعمائة ضعفWhoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit]
مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَاSo increase in fasting, in voluntary prayer, in charity, in tasbih, tahlil, tahmid, dhikr, and seeking forgiveness. All of this benefits the Muslim. Even if one is among the most righteous of people, it benefits him. How much more so if he has committed a bad deed? This is what Allah raises one's ranks with, and what He increases one's good with. So increase in good. Repentance annuls what came before it, praise be to Allah. But for a person to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, or to fast three days of every month, or to give much charity, or to do tasbih and takbir, all of this is what Allah raises one's ranks with, and what He multiplies one's reward with, and there is much good in it for him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.