Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Further ahadith related to this issue: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id radi Allahu anhu, who says: I prepared food for the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and some Companions. When the food was served, a man said: “I am fasting.” Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((ذَالِکُمْ اَخُوْکُمْ وَتَکَلَّفَ لَکُمْ۔)) Then he said to him: ((اَفْطِرْ، وَصُمْ مَکَانَہٗ یَوْمًا اِنْ شِئْتَ۔)) “This is your brother and he has gone to trouble for you.” Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to that man: “Now break your fast, and if you wish, fast a day in its place.” (Sunan al-Bayhaqi: 4/279)

It is narrated from Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha, who says: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would come to me while he was fasting and ask: ((اَصْبَحَ عِنْدَکُمْ شَیْئٌ تُطْعِمُوْنِیْہِ؟)) “Do you have anything with which you can feed me?” I would say: “No, we have nothing.” Upon hearing this, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would say: ((إِنِّی صَائِمٌ۔)) “Then I am fasting.” Then he came to her after that (and in another narration: then he came another day), and she said: “A gift was given to us, and we have saved it for you.” He asked: “What is it?” She said: “Hays.” (i.e., a sweet dish made of dates, ghee, and cheese). He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Today I was fasting.” Then he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ate it. (Muslim: 1154, Musnad Ahmad: 24724)

The wording in the narration of Sunan al-Nasa’i is as follows: When he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ate that food, Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha was greatly surprised and said: “O Messenger of Allah! You came to me while you were fasting, but you ate the hays?” He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((نَعَمْ، یَا عَائِشَۃُ! اِنَّمَا مَنْزِلَۃُ مَنْ صَامَ فِیْ غَیْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَوْ غَیْرِ قَضَائِ رَمَضَانَ اَوْ فِیْ التَّطَوُّعِ بِمَنْزِلَۃِ رَجُلٍ اَخْرَجَ صَدَقَۃَ مَالِہٖ فَجَادَمِنْھَابِمَاشَائَ فَاَمْضَاہُ وَبَخِلَ مِنْھَابِمَابَقِیَ فَاَمْسَکَہٗ۔)) “Yes, O A’ishah! The status of one who fasts other than in Ramadan, or other than making up Ramadan, or in voluntary fasting, is like the status of a man who takes out some of his wealth for charity, then gives away as much of it as he wishes and withholds as much as he wishes, so he spends what he wants and keeps what remains.”

In another narration of al-Nasa’i: فَاَکَلَ مِنْہُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: ((اِنَّمَا مِثْلُ صَوْمِ الْمُتَطَوِّعِ مِثْلُ الرَّجُلِ یُخْرِجُ مِنْ مَالِہٖ الصَّدَقَۃَ فَاِنْ شَائَ اَمْضَاھَا وَاِنْ شَائَ حَبَسَھَا۔)) So he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ate from it and then said: “The example of a person observing a voluntary fast is like a man who takes out charity from his wealth; if he wishes, he completes it, and if he wishes, he withholds it.”

The meaning of this hadith is that a person, with the intention of charity, separates some wealth from his property, but he still has the choice to give all of that specified wealth in charity, or to withhold all of it, or to give some and withhold some. In exactly the same way, the one observing a voluntary fast (sawm al-nafl) has the choice to break the fast or to complete it. From this hadith, it is understood that the intention for a voluntary fast can be made even after the break of dawn (fajr), but this is on the condition that the person has not eaten or drunk anything from suhur (pre-dawn meal) until that time. It is established from this chapter that a voluntary fast can be broken without excuse, and its make-up (qada) is not obligatory, but recommended (mustahabb). This is the opinion of Sayyiduna ‘Umar, Sayyiduna ‘Ali, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, Sayyiduna Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, Imam al-Shafi‘i, Imam Ahmad, Imam Ishaq, and the majority of the scholars. However, Imam Abu Hanifah says that it is necessary to complete a voluntary fast and that it cannot be broken without excuse, and if it is broken due to an excuse, then its make-up (qada) is obligatory. However, this position is weak (marjuh).