The Book of Fasting

Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Lani reported in Kufah from Abd al-Rahim—he is Ibn Sulayman—from Asim al-Ahwal, from Abu Uthman, from Abu Dharr, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever fasts three days of each month has fasted for an entire lifetime. Then he said: Allah has spoken the truth in His Book: Whoever brings a good deed will have ten times its like.

Muhammad ibn Hatim reported: Hibban informed us: Abdullah informed us, from Asim, from Abu Uthman, from a man. Abu Dharr said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Whoever fasts three days of every month has completed the fast of the month—or will have the reward of fasting the month. Asim was uncertain.

Qutaybah reported: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Said ibn Abi Hind, that Mutarrif told him that Uthman ibn Abi al-As said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: A good fast is three days of each month.

Zakariyya ibn Yahya reported: Abu Musab informed us, from Mughira ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Abdullah ibn Said ibn Abi Hind, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Said ibn Abi Hind, who said: Uthman ibn Abi al-As said something similar, in mursal form.

Yusuf ibn Said reported: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Sharik, from al-Hurr ibn Sayyah, who said: I heard Ibn Umar say: The Prophet ﷺ used to fast three days each month.

Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Za farani reported: Said ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Sharik, from al-Hurr ibn Sayyah, from Ibn Umar, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast three days each month: Monday at the beginning of the month, the Thursday that followed it, and then the next Thursday.

Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali reported: Khalaf ibn Tamim narrated to us, from Zuhayr, from al-Hurr ibn al-Sayyah, who said: I heard Hunaidah al-Khuza i say: I entered upon the Mother of the Believers and heard her say: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast three days each month: the first Monday of the month, then Thursday, then the following Thursday.

Abu Bakr ibn Abi al-Nadr reported: Abu Ishaq al-Ashja i—a Kufan—narrated to us, from Amr ibn Qays al-Mula i, from al-Hurr ibn al-Sayyah, from Hunaidah ibn Khalid al-Khuza i, from Hafsah, who said: The Prophet ﷺ never left four practices: fasting on Ashura, the ten days, three days each month, and praying two rakahs before the morning prayer.

Ahmad ibn Yahya reported from Abu Nuaym, who said: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from al-Hurr ibn al-Sayyah, from Hunaidah ibn Khalid, from his wife, from one of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Ashura, and three days each month: the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays.

Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Abi Safwan al-Thaqafi reported: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from al-Hurr ibn al-Sayyah, from Hunaidah ibn Khalid, from his wife, from one of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, who said: The Prophet ﷺ used to fast the ten days and three days each month: Monday and Thursday.

Ibrahim ibn Said al-Jawhari reported: Muhammad ibn Fudayl narrated to us, from al-Hasan ibn Ubaydullah, from Hunaidah al-Khuza i, from his mother, from Umm Salamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to command fasting three days: the first Thursday, Monday, and Monday.

Makhlad ibn al-Hasan reported: Ubaydullah narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Abi Unaysah, from Abu Ishaq, from Jarir ibn Abdullah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: Fasting three days of each month is fasting for a lifetime, and the bright days are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

Muhammad ibn Mam ar reported: Habban narrated to us: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Abu Hurairah, who said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a rabbit he had roasted and placed it before him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ refrained from eating, but told the people to eat. The Bedouin also refrained. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: What is preventing you from eating? He said: I fast three days each month. He said: If you are fasting, then fast the bright days.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz reported: Al-Fadl ibn Musa informed us, from Fitr, from Yahya ibn Sam, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Abu Dharr, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to fast the three bright days of the month: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

Amr ibn Yazid reported: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Shubah narrated to us, from al-Amash, who said: I heard Yahya ibn Sam, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Abu Dharr, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to fast the three bright days of the month: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

Amr ibn Yazid reported: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Shubah narrated to us, from al-Amash, who said: I heard Yahya ibn Sam, from Musa ibn Talhah, who said: I heard Abu Dharr at al-Rabadha say: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: If you fast any days of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

Muhammad ibn Mansur reported from Sufyan, from Bayan ibn Bishr, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Ibn al-Hutakiyyah, from Abu Dharr, that the Prophet ﷺ said to a man: You should fast the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth. Abu Abd al-Rahman [al-Nasai] said: This is an error; it is not a narration from Bayan. Perhaps Sufyan said, Two people narrated to us, and the alif was omitted, making it Bayan.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna reported: Sufyan narrated to us: Two men—Muhammad and Hakim—narrated to us, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Ibn al-Hutakiyyah, from Abu Dharr, that the Prophet ﷺ commanded a man to fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

Ahmad ibn Uthman ibn Hakim reported from Bakr, from Isa, from Muhammad, from al-Hakam, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Ibn al-Hutakiyyah, who said: Ubayy said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a roasted rabbit and bread. He placed them before the Prophet ﷺ and said: I found it bleeding. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions: No harm; eat. He said to the Bedouin: Eat. The Bedouin said: I am fasting. He asked: What are you fasting? He said: Three days each month. He said: If you are fasting, then observe the bright white days: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth. Abu Abd al-Rahman [al-Nasai] said: The correct attribution is from Abu Dharr. It seems a copyist wrote Dharr, which was then read as Ubayy.

Amr ibn Yahya ibn al-Harith reported: Al-Muafa ibn Sulayman narrated to us: Al-Qasim ibn Ma n narrated to us, from Talhah ibn Yahya, from Musa ibn Talhah, that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ with a rabbit. The Prophet ﷺ reached toward it, but the man who brought it said: I saw blood on it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ withdrew his hand and told the people to eat. A man among the group was keeping apart, so the Prophet ﷺ said: What is the matter with you? He said: I am fasting. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: Why not fast the three bright days: the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth?