Following are the optional fasts which the Prophet (sws) himself kept or urged others to do so:

The Fast of Ashura (10th of Muharram)

Ahadith mention the blessings of this fast.[1] The Prophet (sws) generally kept this fast[2] and before the fasts of Ramadan were made incumbent, he would necessarily keep it and would urge and direct people to keep it and would show vigilance on them in this regard.[3] According to history, one of the reasons for which this fast was kept was that the Quraysh used to keep it[4] and another reason recorded is that the Jews would keep it. When the Prophet (sws) asked the Jews, they replied: ‘This day has great significance for them; the Almighty liberated Moses (sws) and his people on this day and drowned the Pharaoh and his people in the sea; it is to express gratitude to the Almighty that Moses (sws) fasted on that day’. At this, the Prophet (sws) said: ‘We have deeper relations with Moses (sws) than you’. Consequently, he fasted on this day and also asked people to fast.[5]

The Fast of Arafah (9th of Dhu’l-Hajj)

Every Muslim is aware of the blessings of this day. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said that if a person fasts on this day then hopefully the Almighty will forgive his previous and next year’s sins.[6] However, while offering the Hajj, the Prophet (sws) did not keep this fast.[7] A probable reason for this is that he did not prefer to add it to the hardship of the Hajj.

The Fasts of Shawwal

The blessings of these fasts are also mentioned in the Ahadith. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said that whoever kept the fasts of Ramadan and then followed them up with six fasts in Shawwal is like a person who kept fasts all his life.[8]

The three Fasts of each Month

The Prophet (sws) has urged Muslims to keep these fasts and has expressed the same words he said regarding the fasts of Shawwal referred to above[9]. Aishah (rta) narrates that the Prophet (sws) himself used to keep these fasts. However, days were not fixed for them. He would fast any three days of the month he wanted to.[10] He, however, directed certain companions (rta) to keep these fasts on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of each month.[11]

The Fasts of Monday and Thursday

The Prophet (sws) kept fasts on these two days as well. When people asked the reason, he replied: ‘the accounts of people are presented [to the Almighty] on these days’.[12] He also said: ‘Monday is the day of my birth and on this very day began the revelation of the Qur’ān to me’.[13]

The Fasts of Shaban

Besides Ramadan, it is this month during which the Prophet (sws) would fast the most. ‘Aishah (rta) says that she did not see the Prophet (sws) fast in any month to the extent he did in Shaban.[14]

Apart from the above mentioned optional fasts, people can keep optional fasts whenever they want to. The Prophet (sws) directed the people who wished to fast more to follow the way of the Prophet David (sws) who would fast on alternate days.[15] The Prophet (sws) did not like people to only fast on Fridays[16] nor fast all the year round[17]. He also did not like people to fast during Eid[18] days.[19]

(Excerpt from Meezan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1] Bukhārī; No: 1902 / Muslim, No: 1162

[2] Bukhārī; No: 1899 / Muslim, No: 1129

[3] Bukhārī; No: 4234 / Muslim, No: 1128

[4] Bukhārī; No: 1894 / Muslim, Nos: 1125-6

[5] Bukhārī; No: 1900 / Muslim, No: 1130

[6] Bukhārī; No: 1902 / Muslim, No: 1162

[7] Bukhārī; No: 1578 / Muslim, No: 1123

[8] Muslim, No: 1164

[9] Bukhārī; Nos: 1875, 1880 / Muslim, No: 1162

[10] Muslim, No: 1160

[11] Abū Dā’ūd, No: 2449

[12] Abū Dā’ūd, No: 2436

[13] Muslim, No: 1162

[14] Bukhārī; Nos: 1868-9, 1880 / Muslim, No: 1156

[15] Bukhārī; No: 1875 / Muslim, No: 1159

[16] Bukhārī; Nos: 1883-4 / Muslim, Nos: 1143-4

[17] Bukhārī; Nos: 1874 / Muslim, No: 1162

[18] Bukhārī; Nos: 1889-90 / Muslim, No: 1137-8

[19] The reason for the first of these is that after sometime it would have become a Bidat (innovation), for the second is that it would have spoiled the balance in life and for the third is that it would have been totally out of place in such a poised religion.

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