The number of times the Prophet (pe...

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The number of times the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed fasting in Ramadan

  • 06 March 2024
  • English Mufti

Question

How many months of Ramadan did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fast?

Answer

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is an obligation upon every sane, adult, capable, and the resident Muslim. The obligation of fasting is firmly established by Quranic texts, the Prophetic Sunnah, and the unanimous consensus of the Muslim Ummah from the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until present.

 

Imam al-Nafarawi stated in al-Fawakih al-Dawani (1/303),
"[Fasting the month of Ramadan is obligatory] for every sane, adult, capable person who is not traveling a distance that allows for shortening the prayer. The obligation is supported by the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah. The Quranic evidence is found in the verse, ‘So whoever among you witnesses the month, let him fast it’ (Quran, 2:185). As for the Sunnah, it includes, ‘Islam is built upon five…’ up to the words, ‘and fasting Ramadan.’ The consensus has unanimously reaffirmed its obligation."

Allah Almighty made fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan obligatory for Muslims in the second year of the Hijrah, specifically in the month of Sha’ban. Imam al-Qastalani, in his work Irshad al-Sari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, dedicated a chapter titled, “The Obligation of Fasting Ramadan,” stating, "The obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan was established in Sha’ban of the second year after the Hijrah" (3/344).

 

The consensus among hadith scholars and jurists is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed fasting for a total of nine months of Ramadan. Imam Badr al-Din al-‘Ayni noted in Al-Binaya (4/3),
"The obligation of fasting Ramadan was established in the second year following the Hijrah, before the Battle of Badr, and it was said it was in Sha’ban of that year. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) observed fasting during nine months of Ramadan."

Imam al-Nawawi, a leading Shafi‘i scholar, confirmed in al-Majmu‘ (6/250), "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted Ramadan nine times because fasting was made obligatory in Sha’ban of the second year after the Hijrah and he passed away in Rabi‘ al-Awwal of the eleventh year after the Hijrah."

The ruling

Based on the above, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed a total of nine months of Ramadan during his lifetime.

And Allah Almighty knows best

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