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CATEGORIES OF FASTING IN ISLAM


Fasting (siyyam or sawm) is an act of worship which involves abstaining from all food, drink, sexual activity and anything which is bound to break the fast from dawn (the time of calling to the Fajr prayer) till sunset (the time of calling to the Maghrib prayer).

 

Table of Contents

 

1. Obligatory fasts

  1. The Ramazaan fast, Sahih al-Bukhari 1891, 1892
     
  2. Making up missed Ramazaan fasts, Ibn Majah 1670, Muwatta Malik Book 18, Hadith 678

  3. Expiatory fasts (expiation for accidental killing, expiation for zihaar (a form of jaahili divorce), expiation for having intercourse during the day in Ramazaan, and expiation for breaking an oath)
     
  4. Fasting for the pilgrim who does tamattu’ in Hajj if he does not have a sacrificial animal. “and whosoever performs the ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiraan), he must slaughter a Hady such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should observe Sawm (fasts) three days during the Hajj and seven days after his return (to his home)” Quran Surah al-Baqarah 2:196

  5. Fasting in fulfillment of a vow, Sahih al-Bukhari 1994

 

2.  Mustahabb (encouraged) Fasts 

  1. Fasting the day of ‘Ashoora’
     
  2. Fasting the day of ‘Arafah
     
  3. Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays each week
     
  4. Fasting three days of each month
     
  5. Fasting six days of Shawwaal
     
  6. Fasting most of the month of Sha’baan
     
  7. Fasting the month of Muharram
     
  8. Fasting alternate days – which is the best of fasting 

 

All of these are proven in hasan and saheeh ahaadeeth, and may be found on this site. 

 

3. Makrooh (disliked) Fasts 

  1. Singling out Friday for fasting – because the Prophetsaid: “Do not fast on a Friday unless you fast a day before or a day afterwards.”  Sahih al-Bukhari 1985 and Sahih Muslim 1144
     
  2. Singling out Saturday for fasting – because the Messengersaid: “Do not fast on Saturdays apart from days when you are obliged to fast, even if one of you cannot find anything other than grape stalks or the bark of a tree (to suck on, to make sure that he is not fasting).” at-Tirmidhi, 744, who classed it as hasan. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 2421; Ibn Maajah, 1726; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 960.

 

Al-Tirmidhi said: What is meant by its being makrooh is that a man should not single out Saturday for fasting because the Jews venerate Saturday. End quote. 

 

4. Forbidden Fasts 

  1. Fasting on Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and the days of Tashreeq, which are the three days after Eid al-Adha.
     
  2. Fasting on the “day of doubt” – which is the thirtieth of Sha’baan, if the sky was cloudy and the new moon could not be sighted. But if the sky was clear there can be no doubt.
     
  3. Fasts observed by women who are menstruating and bleeding following childbirth. 

 

5. Permissible Fasts

  • These are fasts that do not come under any of the four headings mentioned above. 

 

What is meant by permissible here is that there is no report enjoining or forbidding fasting on this day in particular, such as Tuesdays and Wednesdays, even though in principle, observing a voluntary fast is an act of worship that is encouraged.  al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 28/10-19; al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/457-483 

 

See also

Ramazaan;  Last ten nights of Ramazaan Voluntary Fasting; Laylatul Qadr; AllahIftarThings that invalidate the fast; Shuhoor;

 

References

http://islamqa.info/en/50388

 

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