Written by: Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Da'wah Center, Northern Taif – Misrah, Saudi Arabia✦ Fasting: A Manifestation of Spiritual Power
Fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline. Allah ﷻ has described it in the Qur'an as a means of attaining taqwā (piety). In today’s age of trials and tribulations, where evil is widespread, one finds it difficult to preserve their purity for even a moment. The eyes remain closed only during sleep, and the moment they open, one is bombarded with sinful temptations from all directions.
A person may remain awake for 17 to 18 hours in a day, during which sins may emanate from the eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, and even the heart and mind—knowingly or unknowingly. The sins committed in solitude are even more disgraceful. May Allah have mercy on our condition.
✦ Fasting Strengthens Iman and Purifies the Soul
Fasting strengthens one's faith (īmān), purifies the heart, mind, and body, and orients all limbs toward pleasing the Creator. By committing to regular fasting, especially in these corrupt times, one can shield oneself from satanic attacks and the evils of society.
While the obligatory fasts of Ramadan are observed once a year, a believer should also strive to fast voluntary fasts (nafl) throughout the year according to personal ability. The Prophet ﷺ practiced many forms of nafl fasting, among which are the White Days (Ayyām al-Bīḍ) fasts, which carry great virtue.
✦ The Virtue of White Days Fasts
Beyond the general merits of fasting, Ayyām al-Bīḍ (13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month) have special significance. The Prophet ﷺ observed these fasts regularly and instructed his ummah to do the same.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
صومُ ثلاثةِ أيامٍ صومُ الدهرِ كلِّه
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1979]
Translation: “Fasting three days each month is like fasting for the entire year.”
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
أوصاني خليلي بثلاثٍ، لا أدعُهنَّ حتى أموتَ : صومُ ثلاثةِ أيامٍ من كلِّ شهرٍ، وصلاةُ الضحى، ونومٌ على وِترٍ
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1178]
Translation: “My close companion (the Prophet ﷺ) advised me to do three things which I will never leave until I die: fasting three days every month, praying Ḍuḥā prayer, and sleeping after performing Witr.”
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
وإن بحَسْبِك أن تصومَ كلَّ شهرٍ ثلاثةَ أيامٍ... فإن ذلك صيامُ الدهرِ كلِّه
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1975]
Translation: “It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, for each good deed is rewarded tenfold, and that would be like fasting the whole year.”
✦ White Days Fasts and Inner Purity
These fasts are extremely effective in purifying the heart and removing spiritual ailments. The Prophet ﷺ said:
أَلا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا يُذْهِبُ وَحَرَ الصَّدْرِ؟ صَوْمُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Nasā’ī: 2384]
Translation: “Shall I not tell you of something that removes ill-feelings from the heart? Fasting three days every month.”
Here, waḥar aṣ-ṣadr refers to destructive inner states like malice, envy, hatred, hostility, or rage.
SubḥānAllāh! What a powerful prescription this is for those who desire clean and pure hearts. Whoever regularly fasts these three days will, by Allah's grace, remain safe from arguments, jealousy, malice, gossip, and backbiting.
✦ The Prophet ﷺ Observed These Fasts While Traveling Too
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
كان لا يُفْطِرُ أيامَ البيضِ في حَضَرٍ و لا سفرٍ
[As-Silsilah aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah: 580]
Translation: “The Prophet ﷺ would not abandon fasting the White Days whether at home or on a journey.”
✦ Specific Days of Fasting and Flexibility
The White Days correspond to the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each lunar month.
The Prophet ﷺ said to Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه:
يا أبا ذرٍّ إذا صُمتَ منَ الشَّهرِ ثلاثةَ أيَّامٍ، فصُم ثلاثَ عشرةَ، وأربعَ عشرةَ، وخمسَ عشرةَ
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī: 761]
Translation: “O Abū Dharr! If you fast three days in a month, then fast the 13th, 14th, and 15th.”
However, if someone cannot fast on these exact days, they may fast any three days—beginning, middle, or end of the month.
Maʿādhah al-ʿAdawiyyah asked ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
أكان رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ يصوم من كلِّ شهرٍ ثلاثةَ أيامٍ؟ قالت : نعم ... لم يكن يُبالي من أيِّ أيامِ الشهرِ يصومُ
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1160]
Translation: “Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fast three days every month?” She replied, “Yes.” I asked, “Which days?” She said, “He did not mind which days of the month he fasted.”
◈ Key Rulings and Guidelines on White Days Fasting:
① It is recommended (mustaḥabb), not obligatory. One earns great reward but incurs no sin if missed.
② Fasting three days equals the reward of fasting the entire year.
③ The Islamic lunar calendar must be followed—not the Gregorian. The preferred days are 13th, 14th, and 15th.
④ If unable to fast on these specific dates, any three days in the month will suffice—together or separated.
⑤ If one vows to fast monthly but finds it difficult, one may offer kaffārah (expiation for an oath).
⑥ If one intends to make up missed Ramadan fasts during the White Days, the fast will count only as qaḍāʾ, not as White Days fasts. Make up Ramadan fasts first, then resume voluntary ones.
⑦ Multiple intentions are allowed: e.g., fasting for ʿĀshūrāʾ, ʿArafah, Shawwāl six, or White Days—all combined with a single fast.
⑧ If one regularly observes them but misses due to hardship or forgetfulness, there is no sin.
✦ Muslim Women and White Days Fasts
Allah has commanded women to remain within their homes. A wife’s responsibilities include raising children, managing the household, and safeguarding her husband’s trust. Many women complete housework early but then engage in gossip, idle talk, or spread stories between homes—breaking their own families and others'.
Men are generally protected from this due to their busy work schedules.
A Muslim woman who performs the five daily prayers with humility will avoid destructive speech and heart-related sins. Fasting the White Days is particularly beneficial for purifying the heart and calming the mind, as mentioned in the earlier hadith.
Therefore, women should make extra effort to observe these fasts. They usually have time, are home-based, and need spiritual tranquility. Fasting is the best weapon to restrain the tongue, conscience, ears, hands, and feet.
Alḥamdulillāh, many women do fast during the White Days and protect themselves from spiritual, physical, and social harms. If a woman experiences her monthly cycle during mid-month, she may fast in the beginning or end of the month instead. The reward remains intact.
While these fasts are not exclusive to women, they are especially beneficial given their routines and challenges.
May Allah grant us all the ability to act upon this. Āmīn.
