There are some hadiths that explicitly prohibit fasting on certain days. These are:
- The days of two Eids.
All scholars agree that such a fast is prohibited. It does not matter if the fast is obligatory or voluntary. Umar testifies:” The Messenger of Allah has forbidden fasting on these two days. Concerning the Eid of breaking the fast (Eid al-Fitr), it is for you to break your fast. On the Eid of sacrifice (Eid al Adha), you should eat from what you sacrifice.” (Ahmad, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah)
- The days of tashreeq (that is the three days following the Eid al-Adha).
It is not permissible to fast during the three days following the Eid al-Adha. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Abdullah ibn Hudhaqah to announce at Mina:” You are not to fast these days. They are days of eating and drinking and remembering Allah.” (Ahmad)
- It is prohibited to single out Friday as a day of fasting.
The day of Friday is a kind of weekly Eid for Muslims and, therefore, it is prohibited to fast on that day. Most scholars say that this prohibition is one of dislike, not one of complete forbiddance. If one fasts on the day before or after, or if it is a day that one customarily fasts on (for example, the 13th, 14th, or 15th of the month), or if it is the day of Arafah or Ashura, then it is not disliked to fast on such a Friday.
Abdullah ibn Amar reported that the Messenger of Allah entered the room of Juwairiyyah bint Al-Harith while she was fasting on a Friday. He asked her:” Did you fast yesterday? She answered,”No.” He said:” Do you plan to fast tomorrow?” She answered:” No.” Therefore he said:” Then break your fast.” (Ahmad and Nasa’i)
- It is prohibited to single out Saturday as a day of fasting.
Busr As-Salmi related from his sister as-Sama’ that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:” Do not fast on Saturdays unless it is an obligatory fast. You should not fast even if you do not find anything to eat save some grape peelings or a branch of a tree to chew on.” (Ahmad, Nasa’i and Tirmidhi)
- It is forbidden to fast on the “day of doubt.”
This is when the people are in doubt whether it is the last day of Sha’ban or the first day of Ramadhan that is, they did not sight the moon, and they fast just to be on the safe side. Ammar ibn Yasir said:” Whoever fasts the ‘day of doubt’ has disobeyed Abu Al-Qasim (the Prophet).” (Nasa’i, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah)
- It is forbidden to fast every day of the year.
It is forbidden to do so because there are certain days of the year on which one is not allowed to fast. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:” There is no reward for the one who perpetually fasts.” (Ahmad, Bukhari, and Muslim)
- It is not allowed for a woman to fast while her husband is present except with his permission.
The Messenger of Allah forbade a woman to fast if her husband was present until he gave her his permission to do so. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said:” A woman is not to fast even for one day while her husband is present except with his permission, unless it is during Ramadhan.” (Ahmad, Bukhari, and Muslim).
The scholars have interpreted this prohibition as one of forbiddance, and they allow the husband to end his wife’s fasting if she fasted without his permission and he seeks his right (to sex) from her. This is also true, obviously, for days other than those of Ramadhan in which case she does not need her husband’s permission.
Similarly, if she fasted without his permission because he was not present, he has the right to end her fast when he returns. If the husband is sick or incapable of intercourse, it is permissible for the woman to fast without his permission – that is, it is similar to the case of where the husband is not present.
- It is prohibited to fast consecutive days without eating at all (al-wisal).
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:” Do not perform al-wisal.” He said that three times and the people said to him:” But you perform al-wisal, O Messenger of Allah!” He said:” You are not like me in that matter. I spend the night in such a state that Allah feeds me and gives me to drink. Devote yourselves to the deeds which you can perform.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
(Prepared by Abdul Muhaemin Karim)