Voluntary fasting beyond Ramadan
Allah says: every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting; it is for Me and I will reward for it. The fasts beyond the obligation, and what they unlock.
Outline
- 1
The fast that is for Allah alone
Eating and drinking happen in private. No one can verify you fasted. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah called it His own deed in the hadith qudsi. The reward Allah keeps with Himself is not a number; it is His.
- 2
Mondays and Thursdays
The Prophet ﷺ would fast both, saying deeds are presented on those days, and he wanted to be fasting when his were (Tirmidhi 747). Two days a week, a small habit, hidden completely.
- 3
Ashura and the day before
Fasting Ashura (10 Muharram) expiates the previous year (Muslim 1162). The Prophet ﷺ added the 9th to distinguish from the Jewish fast. Arafah (9 Dhul Hijjah) expiates two years for the non-pilgrim.
Closing line
Choose one day next week to fast voluntarily. Begin small, build steady. The reward is named where you cannot see it.
Ammar ibn Yasir (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ called a man's long prayer and short khutbah a sign of his understanding (Sahih Muslim 869). Aim for fifteen to twenty minutes. Two sections separated by a brief sitting is the Sunnah pattern.