What is the ruling on observing voluntary fasts solely in the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban? We have long been accustomed to fasting on some days in the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban. However, an imam issued a fatwa stating that fasting in these months is impermissible on the grounds that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not fast on these days, i.e., it is not a Sunnah. He further claimed that it is impermissible for anyone who does not fast voluntarily throughout the year to fast in Rajab and Sha‘ban.

Linguistically, fasting means abstention. Allah Almighty says,
“And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man'" (Quran, 19:26). This
means abstaining from the things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until sunset, having made the intention to fast.

 

Types of fasting

Fasting is of two types:

1. Obligatory fasting.
2. Voluntary fasting.

Obligatory fasts include the fast of Ramadan, expiatory fasts, and votive fasts. Voluntary fasts (Sunnah) refer to fasts for which a person is rewarded if observed, and not punished if omitted.

 

Types of voluntary fasting

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged voluntary fasting; these include:

1. Fasting six days of Shawwal, based on the hadith of Abu Ayub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
   “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days in Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the entire year”
   (recorded by the major compilers of the Sunan except al-Bukhari and al-Nasa`i).
2. Fasting the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and the Day of ‘Arafa for those not performing Hajj.
3. Fasting on most of days of Sha‘ban, following the example of the  Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who used to fast most of that month. Lady ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said,
   “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fast for a full month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than he did in Sha‘ban”
   (recorded by Bukhari and Muslim).
4. Fasting in the sacred months; these are Dhul Qi‘dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. Fasting in Rajab has no special merit above the other months, except that it is one of the sacred months.
5. Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, based on the hadith of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast most often on Mondays and Thursdays” (recorded by Ahmad with a sound chain of transmission).
6. Fasting on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month. This is based on the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
   “Fast three days of every month, for that is tantamount to fasting for a lifetime” (recorded by Bukhari).
7. Fasting every other day, based on the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
   “The fasting most beloved to Allah is that of Dawud. He used to fast one day and break his fast the next” (recorded by Bukhari).

 

The ruling

Based on the above, voluntary fasting is permissible throughout the year, except on days when fasting is prohibited. These include the two ‘Eids, the days of Tashriq (the three days following ‘Eid al-Adha), Fridays and Saturdays when they do not coincide with a normally observed fast, the day of doubt, fasting every day of the year, a woman’s fast while her husband is present without his permission, and fasting continuously without breaking the fast (wisal).

The inquirer’s voluntary fasts solely in the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban, even if no voluntary fasts were observed before them, are permissible. He will be rewarded in proportion to what he fasts, and it is not a requirement that he have observed voluntary fasts during the rest of the year. Any claim to the contrary is erroneous.

And Allah Almighty knows best.