Continuous Voluntary (Nafl) Fasting in Islam? Parental Permission For Children's Nafl Fasts?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following matters:

   1. If a person wishes to keep voluntary (nafl) fasts consecutively for 2 months, such as in RabīꜤ al-Awwal and RabīꜤ al-Thānī, what does Islamic law say about this? A person says fasting consecutively has been prohibited in a hadith, so please provide guidance in this regard.

   2. Is it necessary for children to seek permission from their parents to keep voluntary (nafl) fasts?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   1. Alongside obligatory (farḍ) and necessary (wājib) actions, performing an abundance of voluntary (nafl) worship is certainly a means of attaining blessings, and an excellent way of gaining closeness to Allah. Fasting is particularly distinguished in this regard, as Allah Himself shall grant its reward.

   It is also established that the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would keep abundant voluntary fasts, especially in the months of Rajab and ShaꜤbān. Other pious personalities were also reported to continuously fast voluntarily. 

   If a person today possesses strength to do so, there is no harm in him keeping consecutive voluntary fasts. Yet, this must not have a negative impact on him fulfilling his necessary and recommended rights (such as offering salah, earning lawful income, serving his parents, raising children, preserving his health, maintaining ties of kinship, etc.), and he must not fast during the days in which fasting is forbidden (such as the two ʿĒids and the days of Tashrīq).

   Fasting consecutively can sometimes lead to some people falling sick or becoming weak, and this illness or weakness becomes an obstacle in fulfilling other rights. Such people should instead fast in the manner of Prophet Dāwūd عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام (fasting one day, missing the next, then repeating). By doing this they can attain the virtue of performing voluntary worship, as well as maintaining their necessary and recommended rights.

   When the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم received news that his Companion, ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAmr b. al-ꜤĀṣ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was keeping many fasts, he drew the Companion’s attention to simultaneously observing his other rights. To stop him becoming physically weakened, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also encouraged him to adopt the fasting method of Prophet Dāwūd عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, instead of fasting continuously.

The virtues of fasting, along with how the Prophet ﷺ and pious elders fasted

   A hadith qudsī related in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī regarding voluntary fasts: Allah said, لا یزال عبدی یتقرب الی بالنوافل حتی احببتہ - “My bondsman continuously draws near to me through voluntary actions, until I make him My beloved.”[1]

   The final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared:

کل عمل ابن آدم یضاعف الحسنۃ عشر امثالھا الی سبعمائۃ ضعف، قال اللہ عزوجل: الا الصوم، فانہ لی وانا اجزی بہ، یدع شھوتہ وطعامہ من اجلی، للصائم فرحتان: فرحۃ عند فطرۃ، وفرحۃ عند لقاء ربہ

   The reward for every deed of Ādam’s offspring is given from ten to seven hundred times over. Allah said, “Except for the fast, as this is for Me and I shall grant its reward. A person leaves his desires and food for My sake.” The fasting person has two joys: one at the time of ifṭār and one when he meets his Lord.[2]

   The final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم announced:

ان في الجنة غرفا يرى ظاهرها من باطنها وباطنها من ظاهرها اعدها اللہ لمن الان الكلام واطعم الطعام وتابع الصيام وصلى بالليل والناس نيام

   Indeed, there are chambers in Paradise whose interior can be seen from outside, and whose exterior can be seen from inside. Allah has prepared them for those who speak gently, feed others, fast continuously, and offer salah at night whilst people sleep.[3]

   Relating the Prophet’s sacred actions regarding voluntary fasts, the Companion ꜤUthmān b. Ḥakīm رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ explains:

سالت سعیدبن جبیرعن صوم رجب ونحن یومئذ فی رجب فقال: سمعت ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنھما،یقول: کان رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم یصوم حتی نقول:لا یفطر،ویفطرحتی نقول: لا یصوم

   I asked SaꜤīd b. Jubayr about the fasts of Rajab, as we were in the month of Rajab at that time. He replied, “I heard Ibn ꜤAbbās saying that the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم kept fasts to the extent we said he would not perform ifṭār ˹again˺, and he would not fast to the extent we said he will never fast ˹again˺.”[4]

   Hazrat ꜤĀˈishah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا conveys:

لم يكن النبي صلى اللہ عليه وسلم يصوم شهرا اكثر من شعبان، فإنه كان يصوم شعبان كله

   The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not keep more fasts in any month than in ShaꜤbān; (it seemed as though) he fasted the entire month.[5]

   Fasting continuously is also established from Sahaba and TābiꜤīn (their successors).

يا رسول اللہ، اني رجل اسرد الصوم، افاصوم في السفر؟ قال: صم ان شئت، وافطر ان شئت

   The Companion Ḥamzah b. ꜤAmr al-Aslamī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ once asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! I am someone who continuously fasts. Can I also fast whilst travelling?” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied by saying, “Fast if you wish, or leave it if you wish.”[6]

   In Nuzhat al-Qārī :

   Some Companions would fast continuously, such as Abū Ṭalḥah al-Ansārī and Ḥamzah b. ꜤAmr al-Aslamī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not forbid them from this. Likewise, keeping consecutive fasts is also proven from many of the TābiꜤīn and saints.[7]

   The hadith of prohibition; its Arabic text and translation

   The Companion ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAmr b. al-ꜤĀṣ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates:

بلغ النبي صلى اللہ عليه وسلم، اني اسرد الصوم، واصلي الليل، فاما ارسل الي واما لقيته، فقال: الم اخبر انك تصوم ولا تفطر وتصلي؟ فصم وافطر، وقم ونم، فان لعينك عليك حظا، وان لنفسك واهلك عليك حظا، قال: اني لاقوى لذلك، قال: فصم صيام داود عليه السلام، قال: وكيف؟ قال: كان يصوم يوما ويفطر يوما

   News reached the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم that I fast continuously and stand at night ˹in worship˺. He either sent me a message or I happened to meet him; he said, “O ꜤAbdullāh! Was I not informed that you fast without break and then offer salah? Fast and take a break. Offer salah and sleep. Indeed, your eyes have right over you, and your soul and family have right over you.” I said, “I find myself having greater ability than this.” “Then keep the fasts of Dāwūd”, he ordained. When I asked how, he explained, “Fast one day and leave the next.”[8]

 Application of  this hadith

   Jurists and hadith experts mention two causes for the prohibition of fasting continuously.

Fasting continuously is forbidden when this entails fasting on the prohibited days (ʿĒid al-Fiṭr, ʿĒid al-Aḍḥā, and the days of Tashrīq; the latter is the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah).

   There is risk of developing physical weakness, which leads to falling short in fulfilling other necessary and recommended rights. The Companion ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAmr b. al-ꜤĀṣ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was prohibited from fasting continuously, due to the possibility of bodily loss of strength.

   These principles are explained in order below:

1. The forbiddance of fasting on specific days

   Imam Abū ꜤIsā al-Tirmidhī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes regarding this hadith:

وقد كره قوم من اهل العلم صيام الدهر وقالوا: انما يكون صيام الدهر اذا لم يفطر يوم الفطر ويوم الاضحى وايام التشريق، فمن افطر هذه الايام، فقد خرج من حد الكراهية ولا يكون قد صام الدهر كله

   Some people of knowledge deem continuous fasting to be disliked. Scholars say this is disliked only when one fasts on ʿĒid al-Fiṭr, ʿĒid al-Aḍḥā and the days of Tashrīq. Fasting continuously is not disliked for someone who does not fast these aforementioned days, as he is then not considered someone who fasts indefinitely.[9]

   The scholar Badr al-Dīn al-ꜤAynī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه eludicates, اما صوم الدهر فقد اختلف العلماء فیہ، ۔۔۔ذهب جماهير العلماء الى جوازه اذا لم يصم الايام المنهي عنها، كالعيدين والتشريق – “Scholars differ upon continuous fasts, but the majority opine it is permissible if one does not fast on the prohibited days, such as the two ʿĒids and the days of Tashrīq.”[10]

2. Forbiddance stems from danger of one becoming weak, which would adversely affect one’s fulfilling of both the rights of Allah and people.

   The renowned hadith expert, ꜤAlī al-Qārī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says, ان العلة في نهي صوم الدهر هو الضعف فيكون المعنى انه ان اطاقه احد فلا باس، فهو افضل – “The reason for the prohibition of continuous fasting is weakness. This implies whoever has strength for it may fast without break. There is no harm in this; in fact, it is preferred to do so.”[11]

   He also writes:

ان صوم الدهر من شانه ان يفتر الهمة عن القيام بحقوق اللہ وحقوق عباده، فلذا كره واما من لم يؤثر فيه، فانه لا يكره له صومه، بل يستحب له ذلك

   The matter concerning fasting continually is how it may decrease a person’s strength in fulfilling the rights of Allah and people, which is why it is disliked. Yet, if a person is not affected in these matters, then it is not disliked, but recommended for him.[12]

   The exegete of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Mawlana Sharīf al-Ḥaqq Amjadī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said:

   Continuous fasting is disliked or non-optimal for those who have predominant assumption this will cause them to become weak, to the extent they are unable to fulfil the rights that are necessary upon them, be they religious or worldly, such as salah, religious struggle, or earning in order to raise children.

   The same applies if they have predominant assumption that they will be able to fulfil the necessary rights, but unable to maintain the rights that are not necessary.

   As for those who have predominant assumption that despite fasting continuously, they will still be able to properly fulfil rights that are necessary, sunnah and recommended for them; it is not disliked for them at all.[13]

   In Fatḥ al-Qadīr and Imdād al-Fattāḥ, ويكره صوم الدهر لانه يضعفه – “Fasting continuously is disliked, as this weakens a person.”[14]

   The Companion ʿAbdullah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ being specifically prohibited from fasting continuously due to potential bodily fatigue

   After relaying a hadith discussing the permissibility of continuous fasting, the scholar Badr al-Dīn al-ꜤAynī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه adds:

فان قلت: يعارضه نهيه صلى اللہ عليه وسلم عبداللہ بن عمرو بن العاص، قلت: يحمل نهيه على ضعف عبد اللہ عن ذلك

   If you say that this opposes the Prophet’s prohibiting of ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAmr b. al-ꜤĀṣ, then I say the Companion being forbidden was due to  his physical fatigue.[15]

   Answering the second question asked at the beginning of this article,  Islamic law does not require one to seek permission from their parents to keep voluntary (nafl) fasts. If said parents prevent their children from keeping voluntary fasts out of fear that they will fall ill, the latter should obey the former.

   In Bahār-i-SharīꜤat:

   There is no need for a girl to seek permission from her father, or a mother from her son, or a sister from her brother. If parents stop their son from keeping a voluntary fast because there is chance of him falling sick, he should obey them.[16]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari

Ref No: PIN-7052

Date: 3 RabīꜤ al-Awwal 1444 AH – 30th September 2022