Ḥadīth: “Fast and you will become healthy” — Its Authenticity
Source: Fatāwā Amun Pūrī by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Pūrī
The Question
What is the authenticity of the ḥadīth:
“Fast and you will become healthy” (Ṣūmū taṣiḥḥū)?
The Answer
This narration is reported in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ of al-Ṭabarānī (ḥadīth no. 8312) and elsewhere. Its chain is severely weak.
Reasons for Weakness:
① Suhail ibn Abī Ṣāliḥ became confused (mukhtaṭil), and it has not been established that Zuhayr narrated from him before his confusion.
② Zuhayr ibn Muḥammad’s narrations from the people of Shām are considered weak. In this chain, Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān is a Shāmī narrator, which makes the narration unreliable.
Verdict of Scholars
Due to these defects, the scholars of ḥadīth have ruled this narration as ḍaʿīf (weak) and thus not authentic.
Conclusion
The narration “Fast and you will become healthy” is weak and cannot be cited as a proof in Islamic rulings, though its meaning may coincide with observed medical benefits of fasting.
