Virtue of Fasting
Virtues of fasting `Ashura
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:
“I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of `Ashura, and this month, meaning Ramadaan.”
The meaning of his being keen was that he intended to fast on that day in the hope of earning the reward for doing so.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“For fasting the day of `Ashura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.”
This is from the bounty of Allah towards us: for fasting one day He gives us expiation for the sins of a whole year. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.
What if it falls on Friday or Saturday?
Fasting on `Ashura even if it is a Saturday or a Friday
Al-Tahhaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) allowed us to fast on `Ashura and urged us to do so. He did not say that if it falls on a Saturday we should not fast. This is evidence that all days of the week are included in this. In our view – and Allah knows best – it could be the case that even if this is true (that it is not allowed to fast on Saturdays), it is so that we do not venerate this day and refrain from food, drink and intercourse, as the Jews do. As for the one who fasts on a Saturday without intending to venerate it, and does not do so because the Jews regard it as blessed, then this is not makrooh…”
The author of al-Minhaaj said:
“ ‘It is disliked (makrooh) to fast on a Friday alone…’ But it is no longer makrooh if you add another day to it, as mentioned in the saheeh report to that effect. A person may fast on a Friday if it coincides with his habitual fast, or he is fasting in fulfilment of a vow, or he is making up an obligatory fast that he has missed, as was stated in a saheeh report.”
Al-Shaarih said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj:
“ ‘If it coincides with his habitual fast’ – i.e., such as if he fasts alternate days, and a day that he fasts happens to be a Friday.
‘ if he is fasting in fulfilment of a vow, etc.” – this also applies to fasting on days prescribed in sharee’ah, such as `Ashura or ‘Arafaah.
Al-Bahooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is makrooh to deliberately single out a Saturday for fasting, because of the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allah ibn Bishr, who reported from his sister: ‘Do not fast on Saturdays except in the case of obligatory fasts’ (reported by Ahmad with a good isnad and by al-Haakim, who said: according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari), and because it is a day that is venerated by the Jews, so singling it out for fasting means being like them… except when a Friday or Saturday coincides with a day when Muslims habitually fast, such as when it coincides with the day of ‘Arafaah or the day of `Ashura, and a person has the habit of fasting on these days, in which case it is not makrooh, because a person’s habit carries some weight.”
Reward for fasting `Ashura
Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Fasting `Ashura expiates for all minor sins, i.e., it brings forgiveness of all sins except major sins.”
Then he said (may Allah have mercy on him):
“Fasting the day of ‘Arafah expiates for two years, and the day of `Ashura expiates for one year. If when a person says ‘Aameen’ it coincides with the ‘Aameen’ of the angels, he will be forgiven all his previous sins… Each one of the things that we have mentioned will bring expiation. If there are minor sins for which expiation is needed, expiation for them will be accepted; if there are no minor sins or major sins, good deeds will be added to his account and he will be raised in status… If he had committed major sins but no minor sins, we hope that his major sins will be reduced.”
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Tahaarah, salaah, and fasting in Ramadan, on the day of ‘Arafah and on `Ashura expiate for minor sins only.”
Not relying too much on the reward for fasting
Some people who are deceived rely too much on things like fasting on `Ashura or the day of ‘Arafaah, to the extent that some of them say, “Fasting on `Ashura will expiate for the sins of the whole year, and fasting on the day of ‘Arafah will bring extra rewards.”
Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and `Ashura, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadan and the next, or between one Friday and the next, so long as one avoids major sins. But they cannot expiate for minor sins unless one also avoids major sins; when the two things are put together, they have the strength to expiate for minor sins. Among those deceived people may be one who thinks that his good deeds are more than his sins, because he does not pay attention to his bad deeds or check on his sins, but if he does a good deed he remembers it and relies on it. This is like the one who seeks Allah’s forgiveness with his tongue (i.e., by words only), and glorifies Allah by saying “Subhaan Allah” one hundred times a day, then he backbites about the Muslims and slanders their honour, and speaks all day long about things that are not pleasing to Allah. This person is always thinking about the virtues of his tasbeehaat (saying “Subhaan Allah”) and tahleelaat (saying “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah”) but he pays no attention to what has been reported concerning those who backbite, tell lies and slander others, or commit other sins of the tongue. They are completely deceived.”
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