Fatwa ID: 07576

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek 

 

Question:

 

I have a very simple query. I want to do the “fast every other day” thing by fasting on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

 

I feel like I can definitely handle this, I’ve done it before and I was fine.

 

However, in the past, I have had eating disorders (anorexia + binge eating), and have lost my period twice. The first time was when I wasn’t eating enough and was very underweight as a result. And the second time was more recently, about a year ago, when I was very very stressed about uni. So I was binge eating a lot and I dealt with it by fasting continuously. And then I lost my period.

 

My period has been consistent for the last 4 months after I lost it, and I’ve done sporadic days of fasting and it was fine.

 

My parents are happy for me to fast on Mondays and Thursdays but are not happy for me to fast on Saturdays. What should I do?

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

There are many ahadeeth that encourage fasting on Mondays or Thursdays. It is also a sunnah which Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم used to fast regularly on these days.

 

The hadith mentions: “The Messenger of Allah used to be keen to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.”

 

Apart from fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, it is sunnah to fast every month on the 13th, 14th and 15th. If you cannot fast for 2 days every week, then you can adopt this fast. 3 days every month and you will get the reward of the whole year. 

 

The hadith mentions: ‘Whoever fasts for three days of each month, he has fasted for a whole lifetime.’ Then he said: “Allah has spoken the truth in His book: Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit.”

 

As for your parents, if they stop you from fasting because it harms you. Then you should listen to them as this is compulsory and fasting is something which is optional.

 

However, you can gently talk to them and inform them about your situation that you will be able to manage fasting 2 days every week or 3 days every month.

 

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek 

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

Reference:

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ يَصُومُ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسَ ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ إِنَّ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ فِيهِمَا لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ إِلاَّ مُهْتَجِرَيْنِ يَقُولُ دَعْهُمَا حَتَّى يَصْطَلِحَا ‏”‏

 

Sunan Ibn Majah hadith 1740

 

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ تُعْرَضُ الأَعْمَالُ يَوْمَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ ‏”‏

 

Sunan Ibn Majah hadith 747

 

 

عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ مَنْ صَامَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ فَقَدْ صَامَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ ‏{‏ مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا ‏}‏ ‏”‏

 

Sunan Nasai hadith 2409

 

 

عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَحَرَّى صِيَامَ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ

 

Sunan Nasai hadith 2360