Can We Perform Fasting After Mid Sha’ban?

In shaa Allah we will start Ramadan fasting on 28 June 2014, and today coincides with the middle (15th) of the month of Sha’ban and is included in Ayyamulbidh (13, 14, 15 Hijri month). There are different opinions among scholars about whether we can fast after passing through the middle of Sha’ban.

Narrated by Abu Dawood no. 3237, Tirmidhi no. 738, Ibn Majah no. 1651 from Abu Hurayrah, radhiallahu anhu, indeed Rasulullah, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:

“If you have entered the middle of Sha’ban, don’t you fast.” (Validated by Al-Albany in Saheeh Tirmidhi, 590).

This hadith prohibits fasting after mid-Sha’ban which starts from the day of the sixteenth. However, there is (evidence) which shows permission to perform fasting. Among them are, Bukhari no. 1914, Muslim no. 1082, from Abu Hurayrah, radhiallahu anhu, said, the Messenger, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:

“Don’t you precede Ramadan by fasting one or two days, except for the one that (used to) fast, so fast.”

Based on this hadith, fasting after mid-Sha’ban is allowed for people who have a habit of fasting, such as fasting on Monday and Thursday or who spend a day fasting and a day breaking (fasting the Prophet of Daud, alaihis salam) or similar to it.

Narrated by Bukhari no. 1970, Muslim no. 1156 from Aisha, radhiallahu anha, said:

“Usually the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, fasting in the month of Sha’ban. It means fasting in the month of Sha’ban except a few (a few days of not fasting).” Editors of Muslims.

The scholar of Shafi’i said it is not permissible to fast after the middle of Sha’ban except for those who used to fast or want to continue fasting before the middle (Sha’ban). And this is the strongest opinion according to most of them (the Shafi’i scholars) that the prohibition in the Hadith is for the ban (haram). Some hold the opinion-like Ar-Ruyani-that the ban is makruh, not to ban (haram). (See the book of Al-Majmu, 6/399-400, and Fathul Bari, 4/129).

Shaykh Ibn Baz, rahimahullah, was asked about hadith of fasting prohibition after mid Sha’ban, and he replied:

“It is a saheeh hadeeth as alleged Al-Allamah Sheikh Nasiruddin Al-Albany. The meaning of forbidden is to start to fast from the middle of (Sha’ban). As for those who often fast or have fasted a lot in the month of Sha’ban, then he has accordance to the Sunnah. “(Al-Majmu Fatawa Ibn Baaz, 15/385).

Wisdom of this prohibition is that continuing to fast can weaken himself/herself to fasting during Ramadan, while when he/she is used to performing sunnah fasting or has done fasting since the beginning of  Sha’ban, then the burden of fasting decreases (due to regular habit) so that he/she will remain healthy when Ramadan arrives.

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