Types of Fasting in Islam: Rulings and Importance

Exploring the Different Types of Fasting and Their Rulings in Islam

Key terms:

1. Wājib /Farḍh: an obligatory act that you must carry out; if you do it you will be rewarded and if you don’t you will be sinful. 

2. Ḥarām: the opposite of Wājib; a prohibited act that you must stay away from; if you do it you will be sinful and if you refrain from it you will be rewarded. 

3. Sunnah /Mustaḥabb: a recommended act; if you do it you will be rewarded and if you don’t you won’t be sinful. 

4. Makrūh; the opposite of Sunnah; a disliked act; if you do it you won’t be sinful and if you refrain from it you will be rewarded. 

Note: A Muslim should accustom himself to implementing Sunnah and refraining from Makrūh

5. Mubāh: an allowable act that carries no sin or reward in and of itself, such as eating, walking, sleeping, etc. 

The four types of fasting

1. Fasting that is Harām (prohibited), eg. fasting the days of ‘Eid, a woman fasting while on her menses, etc.

2. Fasting that is Makrūh (disliked), eg. Singling out Friday with fasting, perpetual fasting (fasting everyday except the days in which its Ḥarām to fast), fasting the day of ’Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah) in the case of a pilgrim, etc.

3. Fasting is Wājib (obligatory). We will clarify this shortly in more detail inshaAllāh. 

4. Fasting is Mustaḥabb (recommended). Fasting is generally recommended, so this category includes all other types of legislated fasting aside from the previous three, due to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Anyone who fasts a day for the sake of Allāh, Allāh will distance his face from the Hellfire (a distance of) seventy years.” [Bukhāri & Muslim]

The three types of Wājib fasts:

1. Fasting the month of Ramaḍhān. This is the main focus of ‘Kitab Aṣ-Ṣiyām’ 

Note: this includes fasting Ramaḍhān within the month of Ramaḍhān as well as repaying back any missed fasts outside Ramaḍhān. 

2. Fasting in fulfillment of a vow (Nadhr): This is when a person obliges himself to do an act of worship (in this case, fasting) in hope for something in return. Example. a person says, “I vow to fast for three days if Allāh blesses me with a healthy baby”, or “If my son is released from prison I will fast the whole of next month.” If a person makes a vow, even though it’s highly disliked to do so, then he has to fulfil this vow – unless it involves sinning, eg. a woman vows to fast a particular day, but when that day arrives she sees her menses, in this case she is not allowed to fast.  

3. Expiatory fasting (Kaffārah). 

This is when a person fasts in order to compensate for committing certain sins. For example, if someone breaks his fast intentionally during Ramaḍhān by engaging in sexual intercourse, he has to compensate for this by freeing a slave, if this is not possible, he has to fast two consecutive months, if this is not possible, he has to feed sixty poor people. There are various sins which require one to offer expiratory fast as a form of compensation, such as breaking an oath, unintentional killing, etc. 

The Best Type of fast 

The Prophet ﷺ said in a ḥadīth Qudsi (a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ relays the speech of Allāh – other than Qur’ān): “The most beloved thing with which My slave draws nearer to Me, is what I have made obligatory upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing voluntary deeds till I love him.” [Bukhāri]

This ḥadīth indicates that the best type of fasting is that which Allāh Himself has made obligatory. Therefore, fasting the month of Ramaḍhān is the best type of fast. As for the other two obligatory fasts (kaffārah & Nadhr), they become obligatory only as a result of one’s own actions, in contrast to fasting the month of Ramaḍhān, which is a direct obligation from Allāh Himself.