Should We All Avoid Voluntary Fasts for the Fast of Dawud (Peace Be upon Him)?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
The fast of Dawud (peace be upon him) is better than all of the voluntary fasts. Should we then avoid all the other voluntary fasts and practice only Ramadan fasting and the fast of Dawood (peace be upon him)? It is impossible to mix all the other fasts with the fast of Dawud (peace be upon him).
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
The fast of Dawud (the Prophet David, peace be upon him) is to fast one day and skip the other day. This is the most virtuous and beloved of fasts. [Al-Hadi’yya al-Ala’iyyah]
Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Verily, the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of David, and the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, upon him be peace. He would sleep half of the night, stand in prayer for a third of it, and then sleep for a sixth of it. He would fast every other day.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
One’s aim should not be to avoid all other fasts for the fast of Dawud (Allah be pleased with him). Gradualness is the key to following all the aspects of Islam. Start with the White Days, then Mondays and Thursdays, then see how you get along. Ensure you are constantly physically and emotionally healthy, and consult reliable local scholars for further guidance.
I hope this helps.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
