On authority of A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said" the
Messenger, 'Alaihi as salaatu was salaam: use to fast until we (the
companions) would say" he (sallallahu 'allehi wa salam) does not break
his fast" and he use to break his fast until we would say "verily he
does not fast" I have not seen the Messenger (sallallahu 'allehi wa
salam) fast a complete month other than Ramadan and never use to fast
more in a month than he did in the month of Sha'baan.
Reported by Al Bukaari :(1969) and Muslim: (1053)
Aisha also narrated, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger
(sallallahu alllehi wa salam) never use to fast more than he did in
the month of Sha'baan , for verily he use to fast the whole month.
In the narration of Muslim: he use to fast the whole month except a
small portion of it.
And he(sallallahu 'allehi wa salam) use too say " take from the
actions of worship that which you are capable of maintaining verily
Allah does not become uninterested until you become uninterested in
the acts of worship.
Reported by Al Bukaari:(1970) and Muslim: (782)
On authority of Ibn Abbaas, (may Allah be pleased with him), the
Messenger , 'Alaihi as salaatu was salaam did not fast a complete
month other than the month of Ramadaan and he use fast in other
occasions until someone would say" No by Allah he does not break his
fast" and other times he would refrain from fasting until one would
say "No by Allah he does not fast"
Reported by Muslim:(1971)
It is evident from previous narrations that the Messenger (sallallahu
alayhi wa salam) never use to fast a complete month other than the
month of Ramadan. However, in the narration of 'Aisha the scholars
differed as to what she meant by her statement "He(sallallahu aleyhi
wa sallam) used to fast the whole month of Sha'ban, and in the
narration of Imam Muslim , he use to fast the whole month except a
small portion of it.
Imam An Nawawi mentioned in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim (8-279) "
and her statement ,may Allah be pleased with her, – he use to fast the
whole month of Sha'ban, he use to fast the whole month except a small
portion of it.- The second half of her statement (i.e. he use to fast
the whole month except a small portion of it) is an explanation of the
first half (i.e. he use to fast the whole month of Sha'ban). He ( may
the mercy of Allah be upon him), then continued to say'' it has also
been said (about the meaning of the hadeeth) that he ( the Messenger
salahu 'alahi wa salam) use to fast most of the month on some
occasions while on others he use to fast the whole month.
It has also been said that he (the messenger salahu alaihi wa salam)
use to fast the beginning of the month in some years while in some
years he use to fast the middle of the month and yet in others he
would fast the end of the month of Sha'baan. He would not leave any
of the month except he would fast in it however throughout the course
several years.
Al Haafidh bin Rajb Al Hanabi stated in his book "Wadhaaif Ashuhuur"
after mentioning the previous ahaadeeth and others about the manner in
which the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam fasted during the month
of Sha'baan "a group from amongst the scholars from them being Ibn
Mubaarak have deemed that the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam did
not fast a complete month of Sha'baan, rather he use to fast the
majority of Sha'baan. This is confirmed by the statement of 'Aisha
-may Allah be pleased with her- which is found in Saheeh Muslim "I
have not known that the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam fasted a
complete month other than the month of Ramadhan and in another
narration also found in Saheeh Muslim she said " I have not seen him
(i.e.Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam) fasting a complete month
since he came to Madinah other than the month of Ramadhan. In another
narration found in Saheeh Muslim she said " I have not known of the
messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam that he read the Quraan in one
night or fasted a whole month other than Ramadhan. Ibn Rajb then
mentioned in a final narration on the authority of 'Aisha also found
in Saheeh Muslim that she said "I have not seen him ( the Messenger
salallahu 'alahi wa salam) standing the (whole) night in prayer until
dawn or fasting continuously except in the month of Ramadhan. In the
saheehain on the authority of Ibn Abbas ,may Allah be pleased with
them said " the Messenger salallahu alahi wa salam fasted a whole
month other than Ramadhan while he (Ibn Abbas) disliked to fast a
whole month other than Ramadhan. Abridged.
BENEFIT: Abu Dawood may Allah have mercy on him narrated in his book
"Sunan Abi Dawood #(2024)" as well as others on the authority of Umm
Salamah that she said " The Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam never
use to fast a complete month throughout the year except Sha'baan he
use to join it with Ramadhan. Al Haafidh bin Hajr said in his
explanation of the meaning of this hadeeth (Fath Albari 4\272) "he use
to fast the majority of the month and Imam At Tirmidhi reported that
Ibn Mubaarak said it is permissible in the Arabic language if he fasts
most of the month for him to say he fasted the whole month, and it is
said so and so stood throughout the whole night (i.e. in worship) and
it is possible that he had dinner and was also busy with some of his
affairs. Imam At Tirmidhi then said it is as if Ibn Mubaark united
between the two hadeeths (the hadeeth of 'Aisha where she said the
Messenger did not fast a whole month other than Ramadhan and the
previous hadeeth of Umm Salamah) by this. Then Ibn Hajr selected the
view of Imam An Nawawi that the first part of the statement of Aisha
was explained by the second part.
The summary of that which has come to pass is that the sunnah of the
Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam during the month Sha'baan is to
increase in fasting more than one usually fasts in any other month.
This fast is also not restricted to any specific sequence like fasting
one day and breaking the following which is known as the fast of the
Messenger of Allah Dawood -peace be upon him-. Rather one should fast
as much as possible in this month, with the condition that he avoids
fasting the final few days as the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam
has prohibited this and we will discuss it in the near future ,if
Allah wills.
What is the Wisdom of Increasing in Fast During this Month?
Shaykh Albaani may Allah have mercy on him in his book Irwa Algaleel
(4\103) mentioned a narration found in the Musnad on Imam Ahmed as
well as the Sunan of Imam An Nisaai that Usmah bin Zaid ,may Allah be
pleased with him, asked the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam "I
have not seen you fast in any month the way you fast in Sha'baan" He
,salallahu alahi wa salam, then replied by saying "That is a month
(i,e, Sha'baan) that the people are neglectful of between Ramadhan and
Sha'baan and it is also a month that the actions are raised to the
lord of the worlds and I like for my actions to be raised while I am
fasting. Shaykh Albaani mentioned this narration and stated that it
is an authentic hadeeth. Therefore, we benefit from this hadeeth the
wisdom in which the Messenger salallahu 'alahi wa salam use to
increase in his fast during this blessed month.
I ask Allah to except my efforts in this short translation and to
benefit by it Islam and the Muslims. I also ask Him to make us from
those who act upon our knowledge.
Translation: Mahmood bin Muhammad As Somali( a current Student in Damaaj)