Is It Permissible to Fast Every Other Day Like the Fast of Prophet Dawud عليه السلام?
Question: Salam wa alakium! My question concerns the fasts of prophet Dawud and the sunnah of it, is it permissible to fast every other day ? JazakAllahu Khairun
Summary:
Yes, it is permissible for a Muslim to fast one day and not fast the next. This is the fasting of the Prophet of Allah Dawud عليه السلام, and it is the best voluntary fasting, due to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “The most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud: he would fast one day and not fast the next.” Agreed upon. It is stipulated that this should not lead to neglecting an obligation or causing harm to oneself, and one should not fast on the days which the Shariah has prohibited fasting.
Answer:
Firstly: The evidence from the Quran
From the Qur'an:
- [Surah Al-Baqarah: 183]
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa.”
The verse indicates that the worship of fasting was legislated for the previous nations. As for the manner of the fasting of Dawud عليه السلام, the Prophet ﷺ explained it clearly.
Secondly: The explicit evidence from the Sunnah
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih MuslimIt is narrated from Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud... He would fast one day and not fast the next.” Agreed upon.
- Sahih MuslimIn another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said to Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما:
“Fast the fasting that is most beloved to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: the fasting of Dawud. He would fast one day and not fast the next.” Agreed upon.
Thirdly: Does this mean that he should do this continuously? Yes, this is its manner: he fasts one day, then does not fast the following day, then fasts the day after that, and so on. For example: Monday fasting, Tuesday not fasting, Wednesday fasting, Thursday not fasting, Friday fasting... and so on. This does not mean that it is obligatory for him to continue doing so. It is a voluntary fast, so he may stop whenever he wishes. It is not a vow that becomes binding upon him merely because he began doing it. Fourthly: Why is it better than fasting every day? This is because the Prophet ﷺ prohibited Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما from going to extremes in fasting and directed him to the fasting of Dawud عليه السلام. It combines striving in worship with giving the body its due right. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ described it as the fasting most beloved to Allah. The scholars explained the hadith by mentioning that this manner is easier upon the body and further removed from weariness and eventually abandoning the deed. Therefore, it should not be said that the more a person increases his voluntary fasting, the better it necessarily is. Rather, the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ is that fasting one day and not fasting the next is the best form of regular voluntary fasting. Fifthly: What if one of his fasting days coincides with a day on which fasting is prohibited? He should not fast it. If the sequence of his fasting coincides with the day of Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha, then he must not fast, because the Shariah has prohibited fasting on the two Eids. Likewise, a person should not burden himself with the fasting of Dawud عليه السلام if fasting causes him to become too weak to fulfil an obligation, such as prayer, financial maintenance, obligatory work, or the rights of his family. A person does not draw closer to Allah through one act of worship at the expense of neglecting other obligations. Conclusion: Yes, it is permissible. In fact, fasting one day and not fasting the next is an established Sunnah, and it is the fasting of the Prophet of Allah Dawud عليه السلام. The Prophet ﷺ informed us that it is the fasting most beloved to Allah and the best voluntary fasting. Whoever is capable of doing it, and it does not result in neglecting an obligation or causing harm, may act upon this Sunnah by fasting one day and not fasting the next, while avoiding the days on which fasting is prohibited. The prohibition of fasting on the two days of Eid has been established through authentic hadiths. Among them is the narration of Abu Said al-Khudri رضي الله عنه, who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited fasting on two days: the day of al-Fitr and the day of al-Nahr.” Agreed upon. And Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه said: “These are two days on which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited fasting: the day on which you break your fast after your fasting, and the other day on which you eat from your sacrificial animals.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. It is prohibited to fast on the day of Eid al-Fitr and the day of Eid al-Adha, and fasting on either of them is not valid, whether the fast is voluntary, a vow, or a make-up fast.
And Allah knows best.
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