بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
For Muslims, the blessed month of Ramadhan is the most wonderful time of the year. The benefits and beauties of this month are boundless. Ramadhan is over and obligatory fasting is over. We can eat, drink, and be merry again when the sun is shining. And that special feeling you have in your heart -- the one that keeps you going despite your hunger and thirst, gradually fades away.
There are numerous voluntary fasts we are encouraged to undertake throughout the year which will help us keep the spirit of Ramadhan alive for the rest of our lives.
For instance, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) encouraged Muslims to follow up Ramadhan fasting with six days of Shawwal fasting. The reward is equivalent to fasting the entire year. "Fasting Ramadhan is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days [of Shawwal] is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year." [Ahmad & Nasa’i] “Whoever fasts Ramadhan then fasts six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.” [Muslim]
In a few months, the season of Hajj will begin, and those Muslims who do not perform the Hajj are encouraged to fast the first 9 days of Dhul-Hijjah, including the day of Arafat (9th of Dhul-Hijjah), when all the pilgrims will be standing on that plain and begging Allah for forgiveness. We should plan to fast that day.
We should also plan to fast in these months:
In the month of Muharram: it is Sunnah to fast whatever one can of this month, because of the hadith: “The best of fasting after Ramadhan is the month of Allah Muharram, and the best of prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer at night (qiyaam al-layl).” [Muslim]
For Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, the day that commemorates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, we are encouraged to fast that day as well as the day before or the day after. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about fasting on the day of Ashura. He said, “I do not know of any day on the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) fasted that was better than this day and any month that was better than this month, meaning Ramadhan.” [Bukhari & Muslim]. It is Sunnah to fast the day before or the day after along with Ashura, in order to be different from the Jews.
In the month of Sha’ban, as it was narrated that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to fast until we thought that he would never break his fast, and he would not fast until we thought that he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) fast an entire month apart from Ramadhan, and the month in which I saw him fast the most was Sha’ban. He used to fast all of Sha’ban or all of it apart from a few days.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam also used to fast Mondays and Thursdays, and we should follow this Sunnah to the best of our ability. And there is also the fast during the 3 white days (13, 14, 15 of each lunar month) that we can try to do each month. In this Shawwal, the 3 white days will be this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in most places. For those who haven't performed the six days of Shawwal fasting, perhaps they can plan to fast on these white days and enjoy the benefits these fasts.
“The observance of three days' fast every month and that of Ramadhan every year is equivalent to fasting for the entire year. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.” [Muslim]
The very ambitious could even fast in the tradition of the Prophet Dawood alayhissalaam -- fasting every other day. If this is too much, perhaps you can fast one, two, or three days each month.
Whatever the number, we should try to fast outside of Ramadhan.
The Muslim who is keen to do good must realize the great virtue of performing voluntary fasts for the sake of Allah, as it says in the hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): “Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will keep his face seventy years’ distance from Hell,” [al-Nasaa’i]
Fasting will help increase our love for Allah's beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) by being aware that we are following him in our fasting; applying the sunnahs pertaining to fasting which he taught us; reading the supplications which he taught us and bestowing prayers and peace upon him throughout our fast; and being aware that this act of worship and the great reward that it entails came to us by means of him. Because of him, Allah concealed for us in this act of worship a reward which only He knows. Allah says in the hadith Qudsi that every action has a fixed reward – “except for fasting – it is for Me and I reward accordingly;”
May Allah accept our Ramadhan fasts and grant us the tawfiq to perform all other voluntary fasts throughout the year. May Allah increase our love for His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and resurrect us with him in the Day of Judgment and enter us into the highest Paradise with him without reckoning. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Related Archives
Fasting on the White Days
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