Riyad al-Salihin: The Sayings of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: The Desirability of Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.
Narrated by Abu Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him:
That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was asked about fasting on Monday.
He replied, "That is the day I was born, and the day I was commissioned [as a Prophet], or the day revelation descended upon me."
Narrated by Muslim.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of fasting on Monday.
For it was on this day that the Messenger of Allah was born.
And on it, revelation came to him.
There is no evidence in this hadith for those who permit the innovation of the Prophet’s birthday celebration.
For the celebration of his birthday,
Was only introduced after the preferred generations.
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:
From the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"Deeds are presented [to Allah] on Monday and Thursday.
So I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of fasting on Monday and Thursday.
Because they are two days in which deeds are presented.
Narrated by ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to be diligent in fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is desirable to seek out times of response and acceptance.
And to fill them with obedience, worship, and drawing near to Allah.
Chapter: The Desirability of Fasting Three Days of Every Month.
It is best to fast them during the "bright days" (al-ayyam al-bid).
These are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.
It has been said the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth.
The correct and well-known view is the first.
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
My beloved, peace be upon him, advised me with three things:
To fast three days of every month,
To pray two rak'ahs of Duha,
And to pray Witr before I sleep.
Agreed upon.
Narrated by Abu al-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
My beloved, peace be upon him, advised me with three things,
Which I will never abandon as long as I live:
Fasting three days of every month,
Praying Duha,
And not sleeping until I have prayed Witr.
Narrated by Muslim.
Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Fasting three days of every month,
Is like fasting the entire year."
Agreed upon.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Fasting the entire year is forbidden.
The desirability of fasting three days of every month.
Fasting three days of every month,
Is like fasting the entire year.
This is due to the multiplication [of rewards].
Because a good deed is worth ten times its like, as previously mentioned.
Narrated by Mu‘adhah al-‘Adawiyyah, that she asked ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
"Did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Fast three days of every month?"
She replied, "Yes."
I asked, "From which part of the month did he fast?"
She replied, "He did not mind from which part of the month he fasted."
Narrated by Muslim.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is permissible to fast three days of every month without specific designation.
Because the intent is to attain the reward equivalent to fasting the whole month.
Considering the multiplication of a good deed by ten.
And this is achieved by any three days.
Narrated by Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"If you fast three days of the month,
Then fast the thirteenth,
The fourteenth,
And the fifteenth."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
Narrated by Qatadah ibn Milhan, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Used to command us to fast the bright days:
The thirteenth,
The fourteenth,
And the fifteenth.
Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Would not break his fast during the bright days,
Neither at home nor while traveling.
Narrated by al-Nasa’i.
From the benefits of the hadiths:
The permissibility of fasting three days,
Of every month without specific designation, has been clarified.
These hadiths clarify that the bright days,
Are the best days of the month.
Thus, it is desirable to fast them.
The bright days,
Are the days of the bright nights,
Due to the presence of the moon throughout the night.
The bright days,
Are the thirteenth,
The fourteenth,
And the fifteenth.
A manifestation of the Prophet’s kindness, peace be upon him,
Toward his Ummah and his compassion for them.
And his guidance to them toward what benefits them.
And his encouragement for them to do what they can sustain.
Chapter: The Virtue of Providing Food for a Fasting Person to Break Their Fast,
The virtue of the fasting person who eats at someone’s home,
And the supplication of the guest for the host.
Narrated by Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, may Allah be pleased with him:
From the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
"Whoever provides food for a fasting person to break their fast,
Will have a reward like theirs,
Without anything being diminished from the fasting person’s reward."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Encouragement to provide food for a fasting person.
The reward of one who provides food for a fasting person is like the reward of the fasting person.
Nothing is diminished from their rewards.
Narrated by Umm ‘Umarah al-Ansariyyah, may Allah be pleased with her:
That the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Entered upon her,
And she offered him food.
He said,
"Eat."
She replied,
"I am fasting."
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"The angels invoke blessings upon the fasting person,
When food is eaten in their presence,
Until they finish."
And perhaps he said,
"Until they are satisfied."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
"The angels invoke blessings upon them,"
Meaning they seek forgiveness for them.
"They finish,"
Meaning they finish eating.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Clarification of the virtue of the one who eats in the presence of a fasting person.
Narrated by Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:
That the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Came to Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah,
May Allah be pleased with him,
Who brought bread and oil.
He ate,
Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"May the fasting break their fast with you,
May the righteous eat your food,
And may the angels invoke blessings upon you."
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of supplicating for those with whom one breaks their fast.
And what one should say to them.
Wishing goodness for those who provide it.
And that this [generosity] should not cease for them.
The angels of Allah seek forgiveness for the people of faith,
Because of their righteous deeds.
Book of I‘tikaf (Seclusion in the Mosque).
Chapter: The Virtue of I‘tikaf.
Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Used to observe I‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan.
Agreed upon.
I‘tikaf is to remain [in a place] for a purpose.
So it is said of one who stays in the mosque,
And performs worship therein,
That they are a "mu‘takif" (one in seclusion).
From the benefits of the hadith:
I‘tikaf is permissible during all days of the year.
For in the agreed-upon hadith,
It is stated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Observed I‘tikaf during the last ten days of Shawwal.
The best I‘tikaf is that which is in Ramadan,
Due to the Messenger of Allah’s consistency in it.
Narrated by ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
That the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Used to observe I‘tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan,
Until Allah, the Exalted, took his soul.
Then his wives observed I‘tikaf after him.
Agreed upon.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of being consistent in what a Muslim is accustomed to,
Of deeds of goodness and righteousness.
The permissibility of a woman observing I‘tikaf with her husband or alone.
But it is restricted by the permission of her guardians.
And provided that there is safety from temptation and seclusion with men.
The eagerness of the Mothers of the Believers to revive the Sunnah,
Of the Master of the Messengers, peace be upon him.
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him,
Used to observe I‘tikaf for ten days every Ramadan.
But in the year he passed away,
He observed I‘tikaf for twenty days.
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is as if the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
Knew that his time was approaching,
So he wanted to increase his righteous deeds,
To show his Ummah the importance of striving in deeds,
When they reach the final stages of their lives,
they may meet Allah in the best of states.
The permissibility of observing i'tikaf for more than ten days,
and before the final ten days [of Ramadan].
Riyad al-Salihin.