What are the benefits of fasting outside of Ramadan?
The Prophet ﷺ fasted every Monday and Thursday, the middle three days of each lunar month, and the 9th of Dhul-Ḥijjah. Each had a specific reason. The classical scholars kept the reasons alive.
3 passages from 3 books in the library
Beyond Ramadan, the recommended voluntary fasts include the three white days — the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of each lunar month — which al-Ghazali identifies in the Book of Fasting and which Ibn Battuta records being observed in his travels. The passages are limited but affirm these middle days as an established practice. Al-Ghazali also cautions in his etiquette of eating that voluntary fasting should yield if it would trouble a host or brother's heart, showing that supererogatory fasting is kept within the bounds of courtesy and good character.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 3 books by Ibn Battuta and Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"palace, observing fasting on the white days, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of each"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The middle are the white days, which are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"In the case of voluntary fasting, if there is no certainty that his brother's heart"
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