5 PROHIBITED FASTING in ISLAM

Fasting is a worship that has many virtues. According to Islamic law, there are 5 times when it is forbidden to fast. Provisions regarding the implementation of fasting have been regulated in the Shari'a. Both obligatory fasting, such as Ramadan fasting, and sunnah fasting, such as Monday-Thursday fasting. In fact, there are separate times when it is forbidden to fast.

Here are 5 times when it is forbidden to fast in Islam:

1. Fasting for Eid al-Fitr

Fasting on the 1st of Shawwal or Eid Al-Fitr was prohibited by the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wassallam (peace be upon him). In several hadiths it is explained, Eid al-Fitr is the day people eat after 1 month of fasting in Ramadan.

As explained in a hadith narrated by Muslim, Rasulullah shallahu alaihi wassallam (peace be upon him) forbade his people to fast on two holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. From Abu Sa'id Al Khudri ra, said:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- نَهَى عَنْ صِيَامِ يَوْمَيْنِ يَوْمِ الْفِطْرِ وَيَوْمِ النَّحْرِ.

"The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade fasting on two days, namely Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha." (HR. Muslim)

2. Fasting for Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha is included in the two holidays where fasting is prohibited. Referring to the hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) (peace be upon him) as in fasting Eid al-Fitr, on this day it is sunnah for Muslims to slaughter sacrificial animals.

In the history of Imam Bukhari, Prophet (ﷺ) has forbidden to fast on two holidays, namely Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

From Abi Ubaid Maula Ibn Azhar said, "I witnessed the Eid with Umar bin al Khattab, he said: these are the two days that the Prophet (ﷺ) has forbidden to fast, namely the day you break your fast, and other days you eat in it from your slaughtered animals." (Narrated by Bukhari)

3. Tasyrik Day Fasting

Tasyrik Day is three days after Eid al-Adha, namely the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dzulhijjah. In the opinion of several scholars, Prophet (ﷺ) forbade his people to fast in this month because it is still included in the Eid day.

As in the hadith narrated by Muslim, from Nubaisyah Al Hudzali said, the Prophet SAW said:

أَيَّامُ التَّشْرِيقِ أَيَّامُ أَكْلٍ وَشُرْبٍ

"The days of Tasyrik are the days of eating and drinking." (HR. Muslim)

4. Shak Day Fasting

Quoted from the book Fiqh of Fasting, Agus Arifin explained that the day of doubt (doubt) is the 30th day of the month of Sya'ban. It is unlawful to fast on this day unless the aim is to make up for (Qada) the previous Ramadan fasts.

One of the hadiths that form the basis for the prohibition of fasting on the day of Shak as narrated in Bukhari and al Hakim,

مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَ الشَّكِّ فَقَدْ عَصَى أَبَا القَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

"Whoever fasts on the day of shak then he has disobeyed Abul Qosim (Prophet (ﷺ))." (Narrated by Bukhari & al-Hakim).

5. Fasting during menstruation or childbirth

It is forbidden for women who are menstruating or giving birth to fast. As is well known, menstruation and childbirth are holy conditions for being able to fast. Quoted from the book Fiqh of Women by Shaykh Kamil Muhammad, women who are menstruating are prohibited from fasting. Likewise with the breath. Puerperal law is the same as menstruation.

The Prophet (ﷺ) once said as explained in the history of Bukhari which means:

"Isn't one of them (women) when going through menstruation does not pray and does not fast? The female companions answer: True." (Narrated by Bukhari).

Meanwhile, there are three fasts which are considered makruh, namely the special fast on Friday, the special fast on Saturday, and the special fast on Sunday (Sunday).

Fasting is done specifically on Friday then the law is makruh. Unless the fast is a continuation of the previous day's fast or sunnah fast that coincides on Friday. For example, the Arafat fast which falls on Friday or the ayyamul bidh fast and so on.

From Abu Hurairah ra, Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Let no one of you fast on Friday unless he fasts before or after." (HR. Muslim)

Meanwhile, fasting on Saturday and Sunday is also invalidated unless it is a continuation of the previous day or sunnah fasting which coincides with Saturday and Sunday. As the provisions on the special fast on Friday.

According to the hadith of Ahmad, An-Nasa'i in Al Kubra, Al Hakim in Al-Mustadrak, and Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih, it is said that Saturday and Sunday are the two holidays of the polytheists,

From Umm Salamah said that most of the days the Prophet SAW fasted were Saturdays and Sundays. He said: "Both are the two holidays of the polytheists. I want to be different from them (by fasting)". (Narrated by Ahmad, An-Nasa'i, Al Hakim, and Ibn Khuzaimah)

As for fasting at that time, it will be a sin because of doing His prohibition.

Wallahu ‘alam bissawab..