Is
it better to fast on Mondays and Thursdays or on three days of each month?
________________________________________
Which
is better in fasting – fasting three days of each month or fasting on Mondays
and Thursdays? What are the ahaadeeth which have been narrated concerning these
fasts? When are the three days of each month – is it the 13th, 14th and 15th of
each month? What is the hadeeth?.
Praise
be to Allaah.
If
we want to discover which is better, fasting on Mondays and Thursdays or
fasting three days of each month, we find that fasting on Mondays and Thursdays
is better than fasting on three days of each month, because if a person fasts
on Mondays and Thursdays each week, that means that he is fasting eight days
each month, so he will have done both: fasted on Mondays and Thursdays and
fasted three days of the month.
The
three days of each month may be fasted at the beginning of the month, in the
middle or at the end, and may be done separately or consecutively, but it is
better to fast on the ayaam al-beed, which are the days on which the moon is
full, namely the 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month.
There follow a number
of ahaadeeth which encourage fasting on Mondays and Thursdays:
1
– It was narrated from Abu Qataadah al-Ansaari that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about fasting on Mondays.
He said: “On that day I was born, and on it the Revelation came to me.”
Narrated by Muslim, 1162.
2
– It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen to fast on Mondays
and Thursdays. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 745; al-Nasaa’i, 2361; Ibn Maajah,
1739; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1044.
3
– It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Deeds
are shown (to Allaah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown
when I am fasting.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 747; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1041.
The following ahaadeeth
encourage fasting on three days of each month:
1
– It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “My
close friend [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] advised
me to do three things which I will not give up until I die: fasting three days
of each month, praying Duha, and sleeping after Witr. Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
1124; Muslim, 721.
2
– It was narrated from Mu’aadhah al-‘Adawiyyah that she asked ‘Aa’ishah, the
wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Did the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fast three days
of every month?” She said, “Yes.” She said to her: “Which days of the month did
he fast?” She said, “He did not mind which days of the month he would fast.”
Narrated by Muslim, 1160.
3
– It was narrated from Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fasting
three days of each month is fasting for a lifetime, and ayaam al-beed are the
thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2420; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1040.
4
– It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “If
you fast any part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
761; al-Nasaa’i, 2424; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb,
1038.
There
is broad scope in the command to fast three days, as it says in the hadeeth of
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), but the best days of the month for
fasting are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth, as it says in the other
saheeh ahaadeeth.
Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
When fasting three days of every month, is it essential that it be only on the
ayyaam al-beed? Or is it permissible to fast any three days of the month?
He
replied:
It
is permissible to fast at the beginning of the month, in the middle or at the
end, on consecutive days or separately. But it is better if it is done on the
three ayyaam al-beed, which are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on three days of every month, and
he did not mind whether he fasted at the beginning or at the end of the month.
End quote.
Majmoo’
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 20/question no. 376
And
Allaah knows best.
AND
ALLAAH KNOWS BEST.
ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR ALLAHU AKBAR
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