The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited Wisāl (continuous fasting for two days). So they said to him: But you practice Wisāl! He said: I am not like you. I am provided with food and drink (by my Lord)

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited Wisāl (continuous fasting for two days). So they said to him: But you practice Wisāl! He said: I am not like you. I am provided with food and drink (by my Lord)

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited Wisāl (continuous fasting for two days). So they said to him: "But you practice Wisāl!" He said: "I am not like you. I am provided with food and drink (by my Lord)." The narration reported by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reads: "... so whoever of you wishes to practice Wisāl, let him do so until the pre-dawn time.”

[Authentic hadith] [Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim]

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) forbade his Companions from Wisāl out of mercy and compassion for them. However, the Companions, out of their love for virtuous deeds and their eagerness to perform deeds that would bring them closer to Allah, wished to practice the Wisāl fast, following the example of the Prophet. They said to him: But you practice Wisāl! So he informed them that he was given (by Allah) what compensates his need for food and drink. He added that whoever wants to continuously fast, then he may do so until the time before dawn. The Islamic Shariah is tolerant and easy and is free of whatever causes hardship and distress, and is also free of extremism and excess, because that would entail torture and exhaustion of the self, and Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity. This is also because ease and facilitation encourage the continuity of deeds and ward off boredom. Moreover, they emphasize the justice that Allah has placed on earth, which is giving Allah what He demands of worship while giving the self its essential needs.

Categories

What is Disliked for the Fasting Person, Prophet's Guidance on Fasting