Voluntary Fasting in Islam: Sunnah Fasts

A voluntary fast follows the same basic rules as the fast of Ramadan. You make the intention, and you avoid food, drink and marital relations from dawn until sunset. For a voluntary fast, the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools allow you to make the intention in the morning, as long as you have not eaten or drunk since dawn, because the Prophet ﷺ once asked for food, found none, and said, "Then I am fasting." The Maliki school requires the intention before dawn for every fast.

These fasts are recommended, not required. They bring extra reward and help you build self-control. If you owe missed days from Ramadan, it is better to make them up first. Scholars differ on whether a voluntary fast kept before the make-up days is valid: most allow it, while some Hanbali scholars do not.

The Prophet ﷺ used to choose Mondays and Thursdays for fasting. He said that deeds are presented to Allah on these days, and he liked his deeds to be presented while he was fasting. He also said that Monday is the day on which he was born.

He also encouraged fasting three days in every month, and said that a good deed is rewarded tenfold, so this is like fasting a lifetime. These days may be any days of the month. The best known choice is the white days, which are the 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month, as he advised Abu Dharr. They are called white because the nights are bright with the moon. A Hijri calendar helps you know these dates.

Three of the most loved yearly fasts are these.

• Six days of Shawwal: The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he had fasted a lifetime. Most scholars, including the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, recommend it. Some early Maliki scholars disliked it, fearing that people would think the six days were obligatory. You may keep them together or spread them across the month.
• The Day of Arafah: This is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. It is strongly recommended for people who are not on Hajj. The Prophet ﷺ said that it expiates the sins of the year before it and the year after it. Scholars understand this to mean minor sins. Pilgrims who are standing at Arafah are not advised to fast, so that they keep their strength for worship. The Prophet ﷺ was seen drinking milk there.
• The 9th and 10th of Muharram: The 10th is called Ashura. The Prophet ﷺ fasted it, and he said that it expiates the sins of the previous year. In his last year he said that if he lived to the next year he would also fast the 9th. So many Muslims fast both days.

The fast most loved by Allah is the fast of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). He fasted one day and did not fast the next. The Prophet ﷺ told Abdullah ibn Amr that there is nothing better than this.

This level is hard for many people. Choose a level that you can keep without harming your health, your family or your work. The Prophet ﷺ warned against fasting every day without a break and said that your body, your eyes and your family have a right over you. A small deed kept regularly is better than a large one that you must stop.

Fasting is forbidden on the two Eids, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. These are days for eating, joy and thanks to Allah. Most scholars also say that the three days after Eid al-Adha, the days of Tashriq, are not for voluntary fasting, because the Prophet ﷺ called them days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah.

Do not single out Friday alone for fasting. The Prophet ﷺ forbade this, and most scholars treat it as disliked. You may fast on Friday if you also fast the day before or the day after it, or if it falls on a day that you usually fast.

A married woman should not keep a voluntary fast while her husband is present without his permission. If you are ill, travelling or have duties that make fasting hard, a qualified scholar can help you decide.