Sunnah fasting refers to voluntary fasting, which is one of the most beloved acts of worship to Allah SWT. Muslims find psychological comfort and a sense of closeness to the Creator through it, so Muslims are keen on observing voluntary fasts in order to draw closer to Allah SWT and increase their reward and blessings, due to its great merits in this world and the Hereafter.
In this article, we will learn about the merits of Sunnah fasting in Islam and the days when fasting is recommended during the year with mentioning the Sharia evidence from the Quran and Sunnah.
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Sunnah Fasting in Islam
Sunnah fasting in Islam is the voluntary fasting that a Muslim performs seeking the pleasure of Allah. It is a non-obligatory fast, but it is highly recommended and desirable, and it is a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. This means that it is permissible to fast it without obligation or imposition; rather, it is a voluntary act for which the one who performs it is rewarded, and their ranks are raised with Allah. It has a great impact on purifying and refining the soul.
Sunnah fasting in Islam does not require the intention to be made from the night before, as is the case with obligatory fasting. This means that a Muslim can make the intention to fast during the day before noon if they have not consumed anything that invalidates the fast. The evidence for this is what was narrated from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, PBUH, said:
((إن الله قال: من عادى لي وليًّا فقد آذنته بالحرب، وما تقرب إليَّ عبدي بشيء أحب إليَّ مما افترضت عليه، وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إليَّ بالنوافل حتى أحبه، فإذا أحببته، كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به، وبصره الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها، ورجله التي يمشي بها، وإن سألني لأعطينه، ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه، وما ترددت عن شيء أنا فاعله ترددي عن نفس المؤمن، يكره الموت وأنا أكره مساءته)).
(Allah said: “Whoever harms a friend of Mine, I will declare war against him. My servant does not draw nearer to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death, and I hate hurting him.”)
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What Are the Types of Voluntary Fasting?
Voluntary fasting is divided into two main types, as follows:
Fixed Voluntary Fasting
This means fasting that is restricted to a specific time or occasion defined in Sharia, such as fasting the Day of Arafah, which falls on the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, fasting Ashura, which falls on the tenth of Muharram, fasting the month of Sha’ban, which precedes the month of Ramadan, and the month of Muharram for its virtue, fasting the White Days, which are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of each Hijri month, and fasting Mondays and Thursdays for their special virtue.
Unrestricted Voluntary Fasting
This means fasting that is not restricted to a specific time or occasion. Rather, a Muslim is permitted to fast any day they wish from the days of the year, except for the days when fasting is prohibited, such as fasting one day and not fasting the next, which is the fasting of the Prophet David (peace be upon him) and is considered one of the best voluntary fasts because it involves struggling against the self and overcoming desires.
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Virtues and Benefits of Fasting in the Sunnah
Sunnah fasting in Islam has many virtues and benefits that are countless, which benefit the individual and society. Among the most prominent of these are:
- Fasting is one of the most important and closest acts of worship to Allah SWT, because it involves sincerity and detachment from the desires of the self. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH:
(كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ له إلَّا الصَّوْمَ، فإنَّه لي وأنا أجْزِي به).
“Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it.”
- Fasting is one of the most important reasons for raising the ranks of believers and expiating their sins. Allah erases sins and raises ranks in Paradise through it.
- Sunnah fasting helps accustom Muslims to patience when facing desires and pleasures, and to control the self and restrain its impulses. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said:
(الصومُ نِصفُ الصَّبرِ).
“Fasting is half of patience.”
- Fasting will be an intercessor for its companion on the Day of Judgment, interceding for them with Allah SWT to enter them into Paradise. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH:
(الصيامُ والقرآنُ يشفعانِ للعبدِ يومَ القيامةِ، يقولُ الصيامُ: أيْ ربِّ إنِّي منعتُه الطعامَ والشهواتِ بالنهارِ فشفعْنِي فيهِ).
“Fasting and the Quran will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgment. Fasting says, ‘O Lord, I prevented him from food and desires during the day, so accept my intercession for him.'”
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Conditions and Pillars of Valid Fasting
There are certain conditions that must be met for Sunnah fasting in Islam to be valid, without which the fast is not valid or counted. Among the most prominent of these conditions are:
- Islam: Fasting is not valid for non-Muslims, because fasting is an act of worship based on faith.
- Time: Fasting is not permissible on the days of Eid, because they are days of joy, happiness, and showing gratitude for Allah’s blessings.
- Purity: This condition is specific to women as fasting is not valid without purity from menstruation or postpartum bleeding, because purity is a condition for the validity of worship.
- Puberty: Fasting is not obligatory for a child until they reach the age of maturity, because they are not legally responsible.
- Sanity: Fasting is not obligatory for the insane or unconscious, because they are not responsible for their actions.
- Ability to fast: Those who are unable to fast are not obligated to do so, such as those who are sick with an incurable disease, the elderly, and pregnant or breastfeeding women if they fear for themselves or for the fetus or infant.
- Residency: Fasting is not obligatory for a traveler whose journey permits them to break the fast, as a concession from Allah and an easing for His servants.
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Recommended Days for Fasting in the Sunnah
There are many days on which fasting is recommended in the Sunnah, which are mentioned in the purified Sunnah. These days are:
- Fasting six days of Shawwal as the evidence for this is what was narrated from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, say:
من صام رمضان، ثم أتبعه ستاً من شوال، كان كصيام الدهر.
“Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the entire year,”
- Fasting the Day of Arafah as the Prophet Muhammad PBUH said:
(مَن صام يومَ عرفةَ غفر اللهُ له سَنَتَيْنِ: سنةً أمامَه، وسنةً خلفَه).
“Whoever fasts the Day of Arafah, Allah will forgive him for two years: a year ahead of him and a year behind him.”
This virtue is specific to those who are not performing Hajj. As for the pilgrim, it is not recommended for them to fast on the Day of Arafah.
- Fasting the Day of Ashura as the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was asked about fasting Ashura, and he said:
(أحتسب على الله أن يكفر السنة التي قبله).
“I anticipate that Allah will forgive the year before it.”
It is recommended to fast a day before or a day after it, in opposition to the Jews.
- Fasting Mondays and Thursdays, because these two days have a special virtue based on what was narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
(كان النبي – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – يتحرى صيام الإثنين والخميس)
“The Prophet, PBUH, was keen to fast Mondays and Thursdays,”.
- Fasting three days of each month, and these days are called the White Days.because the Prophet Muhammad PBUH said to Abdullah bin Amr:
صم من الشهر ثلاثة أيام، فإن الحسنة بعشر أمثالها، وذلك مثل صيام الدهر.
“Fast three days of the month, for every good deed will be multiplied tenfold, and that is like fasting the entire year.”
- Fasting one day and not fasting the next, because the Prophet Muhammad PBUH said:
(أَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إلى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ عليه السَّلَامُ، وأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إلى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، وكانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ ويقومُ ثُلُثَهُ، ويَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ، ويَصُومُ يَوْمًا، ويُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا).
“The most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, peace be upon him, and the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of David. He would sleep for half the night, stand in prayer for a third of it, sleep for a sixth of it, and fast one day and not fast the next.”
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Days When Fasting Is Prohibited
The Prophet Muhammad PBUH has prohibited us from fasting on certain days, because fasting on them is contrary to Sharia or because they have a certain specificity. These are:
- Fasting the two days of Eid as the evidence for this is what was narrated from Abu Ubaid, the freed slave of Ibn Azhar, who said:
هذانِ يومانِ نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن صيامهما؛ يوم فطركم من صيامكم، واليوم الآخَر تأكلون فيه من نسككم.
I witnessed Eid with Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, and he said: “These are two days on which the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, prohibited fasting; the day of your breaking the fast from your fasting, and the other day on which you eat from your sacrifices,”.
- Fasting the Days of Tashreeq, which are the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth days of Dhu al-Hijjah. The evidence for this is what was narrated from Abu Murrah, the freed slave of Umm Hani, who said:
أنه دخل مع عبدالله بن عمرٍو على أبيه عمرو بن العاص، فقرب إليهما طعامًا، فقال: كُلْ، فقال: إني صائمٌ، فقال عمرٌو: كُلْ فهذه الأيامُ التي كان رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأمرنا بإفطارها، وينهانا عن صيامها.
He entered with Abdullah bin Amr upon his father Amr bin al-Aas, and he offered them food. He said: “Eat.” He said: “I am fasting.” Amr said: “Eat, for these are the days on which the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, commanded us to break our fast and forbade us from fasting.”
- Fasting the Day of Doubt, which is the thirtieth day of Sha’ban if the sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadan is not confirmed. The evidence for this is what was narrated from Silah bin Zufar, who said:
كنا عند عمار بن ياسرٍ فأُتِيَ بشاةٍ مَصْليَّةٍ، فقال: كُلوا، فتنحَّى بعض القوم فقال: إني صائمٌ، فقال عمارٌ: مَن صام اليوم الذي يشُكُّ فيه الناسُ، فقد عصى أبا القاسمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
We were with Ammar bin Yasir and a roasted sheep was brought to him. He said: “Eat.” Some of the people moved away and said: “I am fasting.” Ammar said: “Whoever fasts the day on which people doubt has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim, PBUH,”.
- Fasting Friday alone as Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the Prophet Muhammad PBUH say:
(لا يصومَنَّ أحدُكم يوم الجمعة إلا يومًا قبله أو بعده).
“None of you should fast on Friday unless you fast a day before it or a day after it,”
Sunnah fasting in Islam is voluntary fasting that is permissible to perform without obligation or compulsion. Rather, it is a bounty from Allah and a blessing. It is one of the most beloved acts of worship to Allah SWT, and Muslims are rewarded for fasting it and are written down with reward and blessings, and they attain Allah’s pleasure and love through it.
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