Deenelio Quiz — Obligatory and Voluntary Fasts

Key concepts

Regular voluntary fasts

Fasting Ramadan followed by six days of Shawwal is linked to the reward of a year’s fasting. Three days each month carry a similar annual comparison; the white days are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the lunar month. Dawud’s pattern alternates fasting and non-fasting days. The Prophet connected Monday with his birth and revelation, and praised Muharram fasting after Ramadan.
Special days and calendar limits

Arafah fasting is linked to expiation for the preceding and following years, and Ashura fasting for the preceding year. This concerns minor sins; major sins require repentance. The Friday instruction pairs a voluntary fast with the day before or after. Fasting is prohibited on the two Eids, while Tashriq days are described as days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah.
Purification and the pre-dawn meal

Entering dawn in janabah after marital relations during the night does not invalidate the fast; ritual bathing remains necessary for prayer. The Prophet encouraged suhur, the meal before dawn, because it contains blessing. These teachings distinguish fasting from the separate requirements of purification.
Travel, illness and making up days

The Quran directs those who miss fasts through illness or travel to make up an equal number on other days. A report describes fasting and non-fasting travellers without either group censuring the other. Aishah mentions making up Ramadan days in Shaban. The missed obligation is thus preserved through replacement, alongside the concession.
Specific instructions and responsibilities

The instruction not to anticipate Ramadan by a day or two includes an exception for an established fasting habit. A wife’s voluntary fast when her husband is present requires his permission. When a man who had intercourse during a Ramadan fast said he could neither free an enslaved person nor fast two consecutive months, the Prophet asked whether he could feed sixty poor people.

Obligatory and Voluntary Fasts

Key concepts

Further reading and resources