[1485a] وعن [عائشةَ رضي الله عنها] قالت: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصوم حتى نقول: لا يُفطِر، ويفطر حتى نقول: لا يصوم. وما رأيتُ رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم استكمل صيامَ شهرٍ قطُّ إلا شهرَ رمضانَ، وما رأيتُه في شهرٍ أكثرَ صيامًا منه في شعبانَ.
[1485a] [‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)] said: There were times when Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) would fast to such an extent that we would say he does not go a day without fasting, and there were times when he would not fast to such an extent that we would say he does not fast at all. Furthermore, I never saw Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) fast all the days of any month in its entirety except Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast in any other month more than he did in Sha‘baan.”
[al-Munthiree added that another narration of the hadeeth mentions that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)] stated:
[1485b] ما رأيتُ النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم في شهرٍ أكثرَ صيامًا منه في شعبانَ، كان يصومه إلا قليلًا، بل كان يصومه كلَّه.
[1485b] I did not see the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) fast in any other month more than he did in Sha‘baan. He would fast all but a little of it. In fact, he would fast all of it.”{1}
Notes:
{1} After taking the various narrations of this hadeeth into consideration – some of which are coming up in this same section – scholars provided a few explanations for this phrase. One explanation is that there were some years when the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) would fast all of Sha‘baan and other years when he would fast all but a little of Sha‘baan, so that no one would mistakenly presume that fasting Sha‘baan was an obligation. A second explanation is that the phrase “he would fast all of it” means there were times when he fasted the beginning of Sha‘baan, others when he fasted its middle, and others when he fasted its conclusion; and there were no particular portions of the month that he specifically designated for fasting. A third explanation is that the phrase “he would fast all of it” was used to emphasize and intensify the phrase “all but a little of it” which came before it in the hadeeth. (See Fath al-Baaree, no. 1970; Tuhfah al-Ahwathee, no. 737; Thakheerah al-‘Uqbaa, 21/264).
\End of notes.
[al-Munthiree added that another narration of the hadeeth mentions that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)] stated:
[1485c] كان أَحَبَّ الشهورِ إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يصومه شعبانُ، ثم يَصِلُهُ برمضانَ.
[1485c] Out of all the months, the one which Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) loved to fast most was Sha‘baan, and he would then join that with Ramadaan.{1}
Notes:
{1} As preceded, when the various narrations of the hadeeth are given consideration altogether, this one is understood to mean that there were times when the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) fasted Sha‘baan in its entirety and then started fasting Ramadaan immediately afterwards, and there were also times when he fasted most of Sha‘baan and there would have been an intermission between the end of his fasting in Sha‘baan and the beginning of Ramadaan, and Allaah knows best. (See Thakheerah al-‘Uqbaa, 21/264; Murshid Thawil-Hijaa, 10/43).
\End of notes.
[al-Munthiree added that another narration of the hadeeth mentions that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)] stated:
[1485d] لم يكن رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لشهرٍ أكثرَ صيامًا منه لِشعبانَ. كان يصومه، أو عامَّتَهُ.
[1485d] Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) did not fast in any other month more than he did in Sha‘baan. He would fast all of it or most of it.
[al-Munthiree added that another narration of the hadeeth mentions that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)] stated:
[1485e] لم يَكُنِ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يصوم شهرًا أكثرَ من شعبانَ، فإنه كان يصوم شعبان كلَّه، وكان يقول: خُذوا من العمل ما تُطِيقُون، فإن الله لا يَمَلُّ حتى تَمَلُّوا. وكان أَحَبَّ الصلاةِ إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما دُووِمَ عليه وإن قلَّت. وكان إذا صلى صلاةً داوَمَ عليها.
[1485e] The Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) did not fast any month more than Sha‘baan. He would fast all of Sha‘baan{1} and he used to say, “You must perform the deeds which you are able to perform since Allaah certainly does not become fatigued whereas you are the ones who become fatigued.”{2} In addition, the most beloved of prayers to the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) were the ones that were performed consistently, even if relatively few; and if he performed any optional prayer, he would make that a consistent practice.{3}
Notes:
{1} As preceded, this can be understood to mean that is what the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) did in some years but not others, or that he fasted in all parts of the month over various years, or that the meaning intended is all but a little of the month.
{2} See al-Bahr al-Muheet ath-Thajjaaj, 16/177.
{3} Scholars have pointed out that the example of the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) in performing acts of worship such as the ones mentioned should be emulated by those who are actually able to do these things; and that if a person exhausts himself by any optional act of worship, it is feared that he would become fatigued and then forsake that act. However, remaining consistent in performing relatively few optional acts of worship is better than exhausting oneself with many of them for a short time and then stopping altogether. (See Fath al-Baaree, no. 1970).
Additionally (see Lataa’if al-Ma‘aarif, pg. 169-170), some scholars have pointed out that the best optional fasting is that in which an individual does not make his body too weak to perform duties that are more virtuous than such fasting. Those duties include [1] fulfilling the rights of Allaah which He has obligated us to fulfil, as well as [2] fulfilling the rights of Allaah’s servants which He has obligated us to fulfil. If optional fasting renders an individual too weak to fulfil those duties, it is more virtuous for him to refrain from optional fasts.
Regarding [1] Allaah’s rights, that concept applies if optional fasting makes the person too weak to properly perform obligatory prayers, remain obedient to Allaah in general, or attain knowledge of Islaam that he is required to have. In fact, the Four Imaams (i.e. four among the most prominent scholars of the laws prescribed by Islaam’s teachings) stated that acquiring knowledge of Islaam is more virtuous than optional prayers. Furthermore, prayers hold more virtues than optional fasting, and this implies that acquiring and imparting knowledge of Islaam hold more virtue than optional fasting. This can also be understood from the fact that knowledge of Islaam is the light that enables a person to see through the darkness of ignorance and disobedient inclinations, and if a person tries to proceed along his course to Allaah without the light he needs, he would not be able to avoid various pitfalls that would obstruct him from moving forward.
Regarding [2] the rights of Allaah’s servants, if optional fasting makes a person too weak to provide for his dependants or fulfil the rights of his spouse, it would be more virtuous for him to fulfil those duties rather than fast optional fasts.
\End of notes.
