Category: Abi Dawud

Narrated AbuQatadah: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: How do you fast, Messenger of Allah? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became angry at what he said. When Umar observed this (his anger), he said: We are satisfied with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as Prophet. We seek refuge in Allah from the anger of Allah, and from the anger of His Apostle. Umar continued to repeat these words till his anger cooled down. He then asked: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who observes a perpetual fast? He replied: May he not fast or break his fast. Musaddad said in his version: He has neither fasted nor broken his fast. The narrator, Ghaylan, doubted the actual wordings. He asked: What is the position of one who fasts two days and does not fast one day? He said: Is anyone able to do that? He asked: What is the position of one who fasts every second day (i.e. fasts one day and does not fasts the next day)? He (the Prophet) said: This is the fast that David observed. He asked: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who fasts one day and breaks it for two days? He replied: I wish I were given the power to observe that. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The observance of three days’ fast every month and of one Ramadan to the other (i.e. the fast of Ramadan every year) is (equivalent to) a perpetual fast. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming year, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura’ may atone for the sins of the preceding year.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. This version add: He said: Messenger of Allah, tell me about keeping fast on Monday and Thursday. He said: On it I was born, and on it the Qur’an was first revealed to me.

Narrated ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) met me and said: Have I not been informed that you told: I shall stand at prayer all the night, and I shall fast during the day ? He said: I think so. Yes, Messenger of Allah, I have said this. He said: Get up and pray at night and sleep ; fast and break your fast ; fast three days every month: that is equivalent to keeping perpetual fast. I said: Messenger of Allah, I have more power than that. He said: Then fast one day and break your fast one day. That is the most moderate fast ; that is the fast of Dawud (David). He said: I have more power than that. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There is no fast more excellent that it.

Narrated Abdullah ibn al-Harith ; or Uncle of Mujibah al-Bahiliyyah: The father or Uncle of Mujibah al-Bahiliyyah visited the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He then went away and came to him (again) after one year when his condition and appearance had changed. He said: Messenger of Allah, do you not recognize me? He asked: Who are you? He replied: I am al-Bahili who came to you last year. He said: What has changed you? You were looking well, then you were good in appearance? He said: I have only food at night since I departed from you. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Why did you torment yourself? Fast during Ramadan (the month of patience) and fast for one day every month. He said: Increase it for me, for I have (more) strength. He said: Fast two days. He again said: Increase it for me. He said: Fast three days. He again said: Increase it for me. He said: Fast during the inviolable months and then stop; fast during the inviolable months and then stop; fast during the inviolable months and then stop. He indicated by his three fingers, and joined them and then opened them.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah’s month al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after the prescribed prayer is the prayer during night.

Narrated ‘Uthman b. Hakim: I asked Sa’id b. Jubair about fasting during Rajab. He said: Ibn ‘Abbas told me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to fast to such an extent that we thought that he would never break his fast; and he would go without fasting to such an extent that we thought he would never fast.

Narrated AbuBakrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: One of you should not say: I fasted the whole of Ramadan, and I prayed during the night in the whole of Ramadan. I do not know whether he disliked the purification; or he (the narrator) said: He must have slept a little and taken rest.

Narrated ‘Aishah: The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone dies when some fast is due from him (i.e. which he could not keep) his heir must fast on his behalf. Abu Dawud said: This applies to the fast which a man vows ; and this is the opinion of Ahmad b. Hanbal.

Narrated Abu ‘Ubaid: I attended the ‘Id (prayer) along with ‘Umar. He offered prayer before the sermon. He then said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited fasting on these two days. As regards Id al-Adha, you eat the meat of your sacrificial animals. As for ‘Id al-Fitr, you break (i.e. end) your fast.

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: If a man falls ill during Ramadan and he dies, while he could not keep the fast, food will be provided (for the poor men) on his behalf ; there is no atonement (for his fasts) due from him. If there is some vow which he could not fulfill, his heir must atone on his behalf.