Riyad al-Salihin
From the words of the Master of the Messengers
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
Chapter on issues regarding fasting
From Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him
From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"If one of you forgets and eats or drinks,
then let him complete his fast,
for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink."
Agreed upon
From the benefits of the hadith:
Allah the Exalted has lifted the sin of forgetfulness
from this Ummah.
The one who eats or drinks while fasting
completes his fast and is not liable for anything,
whether it is a voluntary or an obligatory fast.
This includes one who is overcome by something
without choice or the ability to prevent it.
From Laqit Ibn Saburah, may Allah be pleased with him,
who said:
"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah,
inform me about wudu.'"
He said:
"Perform wudu thoroughly,
interlace your fingers,
and be thorough in sniffing water into the nose,
unless you are fasting."
Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi
"Perform wudu thoroughly,"
meaning: complete the wudu.
From the benefits of the hadith:
An explanation of the Sunnah practices of wudu,
such as performing it thoroughly and interlacing the toes,
and being thorough in sniffing water into the nose.
Being thorough in sniffing water into the nose is a Sunnah,
except when fasting,
because there is a fear that water might enter his throat.
From 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
would be overtaken by dawn while in a state of janabah (ritual impurity) from his wife,
then he would perform ghusl and fast.
Agreed upon
From the benefits of the hadith:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
would have marital relations during Ramadan,
and delay the ghusl until after the break of dawn,
as an indication of its permissibility.
From 'A'ishah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
would wake up in a state of janabah without having had a wet dream,
then he would fast.
Agreed upon
Chapter on the excellence of fasting in Muharram, Sha'ban,
and the sacred months.
From Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The best fasting after Ramadan
is the month of Allah, Muharram,
and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer
is the night prayer."
Narrated by Muslim
From 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
did not fast in any month more than in Sha'ban,
for he used to fast all of Sha'ban.
In another narration:
He used to fast Sha'ban except for a little.
Agreed upon
From the benefits of the hadith:
Evidence for the excellence of fasting in Sha'ban.
As for the fasting of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
whoever has the strength to do what he was able to do should follow his example.
As for the one who fears weakness or that his fasting in Ramadan will be affected,
it is disliked for him to fast after the middle of Sha'ban,
as previously mentioned.
From Mujibah al-Bahiliyyah,
from her father or her uncle,
that he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
then he left,
and came to him a year later,
and his condition and appearance had changed.
He said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
do you not recognize me?"
He said:
"And who are you?"
He said:
"I am the Bahili
who came to you last year."
He said:
"What has changed you,
when you were in good condition?"
He said:
"I have not eaten any food since I left you except at night."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"You have tortured yourself."
Then he said:
"Fast the month of patience (Ramadan)
and one day from every month."
He said:
"Increase for me,
for I have strength."
He said:
"Fast two days."
He said:
"Increase for me."
He said:
"Fast three days."
He said:
"Increase for me."
He said:
"Fast from the sacred months and leave off,"
and he gestured with his three fingers,
closing them and then opening them.
Narrated by Abu Dawud
The month of patience is
Ramadan.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Voluntary fasting is encouraged,
because it is an act of obedience that Allah and His Messenger love,
especially in the sacred months.
The dislike of fasting every day of the year.
Chapter on the excellence of fasting and other deeds in the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.
From Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,"
meaning the ten days.
They said: "O Messenger of Allah,
not even jihad in the way of Allah?"
He said:
"Not even jihad in the way of Allah,
except for a man who went out with his self and his wealth,
and did not return with anything of that."
Narrated by al-Bukhari
From the benefits of the hadith:
The greatness of the status of jihad and the variation in its degrees.
The ultimate goal in it is the sacrifice of self and wealth for Allah the Exalted.
The superiority of certain times over others.
The excellence of the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah over other days of the year.
The recommendation of fasting the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.
There is no contradiction between the recommendation of fasting the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah
and the prohibition of fasting on the day of Eid al-Adha,
for that is an exception to the general rule.
Thus, nine days of Dhu al-Hijjah remain,
the last of which is the day of 'Arafah.
So reflect on this.
The term "ten" is used as a figure of speech for the majority.
Chapter on the excellence of fasting the day of 'Arafah, 'Ashura', and Tasu'a'.
From Abu Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was asked
about fasting the day of 'Arafah.
He said: "It expiates the past and the coming year."
Narrated by Muslim
From the benefits of the hadith:
The excellence of fasting the day of 'Arafah,
and that it expiates both major and minor sins.
From Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
fasted the day of 'Ashura'
and commanded that it be fasted.
Agreed upon
From the benefits of the hadith:
Fasting the day of 'Ashura'
was obligatory before Ramadan,
then its obligation was abrogated when Ramadan came.
What was abrogated was the obligation of fasting 'Ashura',
but its recommendation remains.
From 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 the day of 'Ashura',
and he said: "It expiates the past year."
Narrated by Muslim
From the benefits of the hadith:
The recommendation of fasting the day of 'Ashura',
and that it expiates the sins of the past year.
From Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"If I remain until next year,
I will surely fast the ninth."
Narrated by Muslim
"Next year,"
meaning the coming year.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The recommendation of fasting the ninth and tenth of Muharram
to differ from the Jews and the Christians.
Chapter on the recommendation of fasting six days of Shawwal.
From Abu Ayyub, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan,
then follows it with six days of Shawwal,
it is as if he fasted the entire year."
Narrated by Muslim
From the benefits of the hadith:
A good deed is rewarded tenfold.
Ramadan is thirty days,
and six days of Shawwal,
that is thirty-six days,
and their reward is three hundred and sixty good deeds,
That is a complete Sunnah.
This is equivalent to fasting for an entire lifetime.
For whoever remains consistent in doing so.
The recommendation of fasting six days of Shawwal.
It is permissible to fast those days.
Whether consecutively or separately.
Riyad al-Salihin.