The best fasting is that of [Prophet] Dâwood (AS); he used to fast every other day. 570
أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عليه السلام، كَانَ يَصُوْمُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا.
The Book of Prayer
Voluntary Fasing and I'tikaf
صِيَامُ التَّطَوُّعِ
Voluntary Fasting
The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the month of Allah they call Muḥarram. 571 There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than the first ten days of Dhul-Ḥijjah. 572
وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ، شَهْرُ اللهِ الَّذِيْ يَدْعُوْنَهُ الْمُحَرَّمَ. وَمَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيْهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ مِنْ عَشْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ.
Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and follows it by fasting six days of [the Islamic month of] Shawwâl, it is [counted] as if he fasted his entire life. 573
وَمَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ وَأَتْبَعَهُ بِسِتٍّ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ، فَكَأَنَّمَا صَامَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ.
Fasting on the day of ‘Âshoorâ’ [the tenth day of Muḥarram] is an expiation [of the sins] of one year; and fasting on the day of ‘Arafah is an expiation [of the sins] of two years. 574
وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُوْرَاءَ كَفَّارَةُ سَنَةٍ، وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ كَفَّارَةُ سَنَتَيْنِ،
570. This is the wording of the Prophet (SA). (Ag – from Ibn ‘Amr)
571. This is the wording of the Prophet (SA). (M – from Abu Hurayrah)
572. This is the wording of the Prophet (SA). (B – from Ibn ‘Abbâs)
573. This is the wording of the Prophet (SA). (M – from Abu Ayyoob) If you do this in one year, it is as if you fasted the entire year, because the reward of each day fasted is multiplied ten times. If you do it every year, it is as if you fasted your entire life.
574. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:
For the one who is at ‘Arafah (on Hajj), it is not recommended to fast this day.
وَلاَ يُسْتَحَبُّ لِمَنْ كَانَ بِعَرَفَةَ أَنْ يَصُوْمَهُ.
The person performing a voluntary fast is in charge of himself. If he wants, he may fast; if he wants, he may break the fast, in which case he is not required to make it up. 577
وَالصَّائِمُ الْمُتَطَوِّعُ أَمِيْرُ نَفْسِهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ صَامَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَ، وَلاَ قَضَاءَ عَلَيْهِ.
“Fasting the day of ‘Arafah, I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year before it and the year after it, and fasting the day of ‘Âshoorâ’, I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year before it.” (M – from Abu Qatâdah)
صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ
575. The 13th, 14th and 15th of every Islamic month, so called because the nights are well-lit by the full moon.
“The Messenger of Allah (SA) commanded us to fast three days of every (lunar) month: the 13th, 14th, and 15th.” (T – from Abu Dharr. T:R)
أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ أَنْ نَصُومَ مِنْ اَلشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ: ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ وَأَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ وَخَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ.
576. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:
“The deeds of people are presented (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays, so I like for my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” (T – from Abu Hurayrah. T:R)
>>تُعْرَضُ الْأَعْمَالُ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ<<
577. This is the position of (A) + (+S).
Likewise are all voluntary acts except for Hajj and ‘umrah. These two must be completed, and when invalidated, it is mandatory to make them up.
وكذلِكَ سائرٌ التَّطَوُّعِ إِلاَّ الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ، فَإِنَّهُ يَجِبُ إِتْمَامُهُمُا، وَقَضَاءُ مَا أَفْسَدَ مِنْهُمَا.
The Messenger of Allah (SA) forbade fasting on two days: the day of Eid al-Fiṭr and the day of Eid al-Aḍḥâ. In addition, he forbade fasting on the days of tashreeq, except for the person who is doing tamattu‘ 578 and cannot afford a sacrificial animal. 579
وَنَهَى النَّبِيُّ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمَيْنِ: يَوْمِ الْفِطْرِ، وَيَوْمِ الأضْحَى، وَنَهىَ عَنْ صَوْمِ أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيْقِ، إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ أَرْخَصَ فِيْ صَوْمِهَا لِلْمُتَمَتِّعِ، إِذَا لَمْ يَجِدِ الْهَدْيَ.
The night of decree (Laylat ul-Qadr) is one of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan. 580
وليلة القدر في الوتر من العشر الأواخر من رمضان.
(-H, -M): They are required to finish the voluntary act that they started.
578. Tamattu‘ is ‘umrah-before-Hajj, with an interruption of the state of iḥrâm between them. The same applies to the one making qirân, which is ‘umrah-with-Hajj, with no interruption of the state of iḥrâm between them.
579.
“Fasting was not permitted on the days of tashreeq except for the person who did not find a sacrificial offering (hady).” (B – from ‘Â’ishah and Ibn ‘Umar)
لَمْ يُرَخَّصْ فِي أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيقِ أَنْ يُصَمْنَ إِلا لِمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ الْهَدْيَ.
When a Companion says that something was made lawful or unlawful, the assumption is that he must be reporting from the Prophet (SA).
580. (A/SM): Most likely on the 27th night of Ramadan.
Devotional Retreat ( I‘tikâf)
الاِعْتَكَافِ
This means abiding (staying) in the masjid for the worship of Allah Most High. 581
وهُو لُزُوْمُ الْمَسْجِدِ، لِطَاعَةِ اللهِ تَعَالَى فِيْهِ.
It is a sunnah unless it is vowed; in that case, the vow must be fulfilled. 582
وَهُوَ سُنَّةٌ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ نَذْرًا، فَيَلْزَمُ الْوَفَاءُ بِهِ.
For a woman, it is valid in every masjid aside from the masjid of her own home. 583 For a man, it is only valid in a masjid where the congregational prayer is performed, 584 and it is better to make
وَيَصِحُّ مِنَ الْمَرْأَةِ فِيْ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ، غَيِّرِ مَسْجِدِ بَيتِها. ولا يَصِحُّ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ إلا في مَسجِدٍ تُقامُ فيهِ الجَمَاعَةُ، واعتِكافُهُ في مَسجِدٍ تُقامُ فيهِ الجُمعَةُ
581. (A) + (+H): The shortest duration is one hour.
(M): The shortest duration is one day.
(S): The shortest duration is one moment.
582. This is the position of (A) + (+H, +M, +S) throughout the year, and it becomes more stressed in the last ten days of Ramadan. According to (H), a community that deserts it in the last ten days of Ramadan is liable.
583. (A) + (+M, +S): I‘tikâf is prescribed for women in any masjid except their prayer quarters at home (which were allegorically called ‘home masjids’). This is assuming that the place is secure, that fitnah is avoided, and that married women have the permission of their husbands. They cited the i‘tikâf of the Mothers of the Believers in the Prophet’s masjid.
(H): It is disliked in any masjid except the masjid of her home.
584. This is because, in the madh-hab, the congregational prayers are mandatory.
(A): I‘tikâf is allowed only in a masjid where the five daily prayers are established (at least during the period of i‘tikâf).
i‘tikâf in a masjid where the Jumu‘ah prayer is also offered. 585
أفضَلُ.
He who vows to make i‘tikâf or prayer in a particular masjid may do so in a different masjid unless he vows to do it in one of the three masjids [mentioned below]. If he vows to do this in al-Masjid al-Ḥarâm, then he must do it there. However, if he vows to make i‘tikâf in the Prophet’s Mosque, he may do so in al-Masjid al-Ḥarâm; and if he vows to make i‘tikâf in al-Masjid al-Aqṣâ (the ‘Farthest Mosque’ in Jerusalem), he may do so in whichever one of the two 586 he pleases. 587
وَمَنْ نَذَرَ الاِعْتِكاَفَ، أَوِ الصَّلاَةَ فِيْ مَسْجِدٍ، فَلَهُ فِعْلُ ذٰلِكَ فِيْ غَيْرِهِ، إِلاَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ الثَّلاَثَةَ. فَإِذَا نَذَرَ ذٰلِكَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، لَزِمَهُ، وَإِنْ نَذَرَ الاِعْتِكَافَ فِيْ مَسْجِدِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ، جَازَ لَهُ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَإِنْ نَذَرَهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى، فَلَهُ فِعْلُهُ فِيْ أَيِّهِمَا أَحَبَّ.
(H): The establishment of the five prayers is not demanded, but the masjid must have an imam and a mu’adh-dhin. (-M, -S): I‘tikâf is allowed in any masjid.
585. This means that it is allowed to make i‘tikâf in a masjid that has no Jumu‘ah prayer; in this case, a man must go out to pray Jumu‘ah and then return to his i‘tikâf.
586. Meaning al-Masjid al-Ḥarâm or the Prophet’s Mosque; he certainly may also do it in al-Masjid al-Aqṣâ, as he vowed.
587. Changing the Masjid
This is because all masjids are equal except for those three. The best of them is al-Masjid al-Ḥarâm, then the Prophet’s Mosque, and then al-Masjid al-Aqṣâ. As for making a vow to pray or to make i‘tikâf in one of the three masjids, and then replacing it with a better one, there is the following report:
It is preferable for the person doing i‘tikâf to keep himself busy with acts that bring him closer to Allah and to avoid words and actions that are none of his concern. I‘tikâf is not invalidated with any of this [though]. 588
وَيُسْتَحَبُّ لِلْمُعْتَكِفِ الاِشْتِغَالُ بِالقُرَبِ، وَاجْتِنَابُ مَا لاَ يَعْنِيْهِ مِنْ قَوْلٍ وَفِعْلٍ، وَلاَ يَبْطُلُ الاِعْتِكاَفُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذٰلِكَ.
“A man stood up on the day of the conquest of Makkah and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have vowed to Allah to pray two rak‘ahs in Jerusalem (al-Masjid al-Aqṣâ) if He gives you victory over Makkah.’ The Prophet (SA) said, ‘Pray here.’ He repeated what he said, and the Prophet (SA) said, ‘Pray here.’ He repeated what he said again, whereupon the Prophet (SA) said, ‘Then it is up to you.’” (D – from Jâbir. Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed, al-Albâni:S)
عن جَابِرِ بن عبد اللَّهِ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قام يوم الْفَتْحِ فقال: "يا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إني نَذَرْتُ لِلَّهِ إن فَتَحَ الله عَلَيْكَ مَكَّةَ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ في بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ." قال: صَلِّ ها هنا ثُمَّ أَعَادَ عليه فقال: "صَلِّ ها هنا" ثُمَّ أَعَادَ عليه فقال: شَأْنُكَ إِذَنْ.
588. (A): One in i‘tikâf is not allowed to do any work (such as scribing or tailoring) in the masjid. (S): It is allowed as long as it does not occupy much of their time.
589.This includes getting food if food cannot be brought to them. It also includes using the lavatory and making wuḍoo’ or mandatory ghusl. Note: Even the lavatories attached to the masjids are considered outside them.
590. For Allah the Almighty says:
{…And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) during i‘tikâf at masjids.} (al-Baqarah 2: 187)
وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ
If he asks on his way about a patient or someone else, without changing his route to visit him, it is permissible. 591
وَإِنْ سَأَلَ عَنِ الْمَرِيْضِ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ فِيْ طَرِيْقِهِ، وَلَمْ يُعَرِّجْ إِلَيْهِ، جَازَ.
591. This is in case he needs to go out for a need such as buying food. On the way, he may ask about someone sick, without changing his route.