Sahih Muslim — hadith #2626–#2650
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'Abdullah b. Amr (Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said to him: Observe fast for a day and there would be reward for you for the rest (of the days). He said: I am capable of doing more than this. He then said: Observe fast for two days, and there would be reward for you for the rest (of the days). He said: I am capable of doing more than this. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe fast for three days and there would be reward for you for the rest of the days. He said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Observe fast for four days and there would be reward for you for the rest of the days. He said: I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon he said: Then observe fast (which is the) best in the eye of Allah, the fast of David (peace be upon him) ; he used to observe fast one day and break on the other day.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me! 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, it has been conveyed to me that you observe fast during the day and stand in prayer during the whole night. Don't do that, for your body has a share of its own in you, your eye has a share of its own in you, your wife has a share of her own in you. Observe fast and break it too. Fast for three days in every month and that is a prepetual fasting. I said! Messenger of Allah, I have got strength enough (to do more than this), whereupon he said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). Observe fast one day and break it (on the other) day. And he ('Abdullah b. 'Amr) used to say: Would that I had availed myself of this concession.
Mu'adha al-'Adawiyya reported that she asked 'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed fasts for three days during every month. She said: Yes I said to her: Which were (the particular) days of the month on which he observed fast? She said: He was not particular about the days of the month on which to observe fast.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him (or he said to another person and he was listening to it): O, so and so, did you observe fast in the middle of the month? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: When you break it, then observe fast for two days.
Abu Qatada reported that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: How do you fast? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt annoyed. When 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) noticed his annoyance, he said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life, and with Muhammad as our Prophet. We seek refuge with Allah from the anger of Allah and that of His Messenger. 'Umar kept on repeating these words till his (the Prophet's) anger calmed down. Then Umar said: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who fasts perpetually? He (ﷺ) said: He neither fasted nor broke it, or he said: He did not fast and he did not break it. 'Umar said: What about him who fasts for two days and does not fast one day? He (ﷺ) said: Is anyone capable of doing that? He ('Umar) said: What is the position of him who fasts for a day and doesn't fast on the other day? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: That is the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Umar) said: What about him who fasts one day and doesn't fast for two days. Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: I wish I were given the strength to do that. Thereafter he (ﷺ) said: Fasting three days every month and that of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fasting. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of 'Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.
Abu Qatada al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about his fasting. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt annoyed. Thereupon 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said: We are pleased with Allah as the Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life, with Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment. He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (the Holy Prophet) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the fasting of my brother David (peace be upon him). He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon be said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year. (Imam Muslim said that in this hadith there is a) narration of Imam Shu'ba that he was asked about fasting on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imam Muslim) did not mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in reporting).
This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.
This hadith has been narrated by Ghailan b. Jarir with the same chain of transmitters, but with one variation, that there has been made mention of Monday and not of Thursday.
Abu Qatada Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Massenger (ﷺ) was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) having said to him or to someone else: Did you fast in the middle of Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: If you did not observe fast, then you should observe fast for two days.
Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said to a person: Did you observe any fast in the middle of this month (Sha'ban)? He said: No. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fast for two days instead of (one fast) when you have completed (fasts of) Ramadan.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to a person: Did you observe fast in the middle of this month. i. e. Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he said to him: When it is the end of Ramadan, then observe fast for one day or two (Shu'ba had some doubt about it) but he said: I think that he has said: two days.
This hadith is narrated by 'Abdullah b. Hani b. Akhi Mutarrif with the same chain of transmitters.
Abu Haraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that he (the Messenger of Allah) was asked as to which prayer was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which fast was most excellent after the month of Ramadan. He said: Prayer offered in the middle of the night and the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in God's month al-Muharram.
A hadith like this has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) by 'Abd al-Malik with the same chain of transmitters in connection with fast.
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually.
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari reported (through another chain of transmitters): I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying like this.
Abu Ayyub reported a hadith like this (through another chain of transmitters).
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that some persons among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) were shown Lailat- ul-Qadr while sleeping in the last week (of Ramadan). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I see that your dreams agree regarding the last week; so he who wants to seek it should seek it in the last week (during the night).
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last week (of Ramadan).
Salim reported on the authority of his father that a person saw Lailat-ul- Qadr on the 27th (of Ramadan). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: I see that your dreams agree regarding the last ten (nights of Ramadan). So seek it on an odd number (of these ten nights).
Salim b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that his father said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: So far as Lailat-ul-Qadr is concerned. some persons among you have seen it (in a dream) in the first week and some persons among you have been shown that it is in the last week; so seek it in the last ten (nights).
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) in the last (ten nights). If one among you shows slackness and weakness (in the earlier part of Ramadan), it should not be allowed to prevail upon him in the last week.
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who is anxious to seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) should seek it in the last ten (nights of Ramadan).