وَالأَفضلُ صوُمُها في الأيامِ البِيضِ، وهِيَ: الثالِثَ عشَرَ، والرابعَ عَشَرَ، والخامِسَ عشَرَ. وقِيلَ: الثاني عشرَ، والثالِثَ عشَرَ، والرابعَ عَشَرَ والصحيحُ المَشهُورُ هوَ الأَوَّلُ.
It is preferred to fast the three bright days, namely the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th. They are also said to be the 12th, the 13th, and the 14th. The first opinion is the more correct and famous.
1/1258ــ وعن أبي هُريرةَ، رضي الله عنه قالَ: «أَوْصاني خَلِيلي صلى الله عليه وسلم بِثلاثٍ:صيَامِ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِن كلِّ شَهرٍ، وَرَكعَتَي الضُّحىٰ، وَأَن أُوتِرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أنامَ». مُتفقٌ عليهِ.
1258/1 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “My close friend (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to observe fast for three days in every month, to perform the two Rak‘ahs of the Duha prayer, and to perform the Witr prayer before going to bed.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
2/1259ــ وعن أبي الدّرداءِ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: أوصاني حبيبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بثلاثٍ لن أدَعَهُنَّ مَا عِشْتُ؛ بصيامِ ثلاثةِ أيامٍ مِن كلِّ شهرٍ، وصَلاةِ الضُّحىٰ ، وبأن لا أنامَ حَتَّىٰ أوترَ. رواه مسلم.
1259/2 - Abu al-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “My beloved (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to do three things which I would never abandon as long as I live: fasting three days every month, offering the Duha prayer, and not going to bed before performing the Witr prayer.” [Narrated by Muslim]
3/1260ــ وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص ، رضي الله عنهما قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «صومُ ثلاثةِ أيَّامٍ من كُلِّ شهرٍ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّه». متفق عليه.
1260/3 - ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Fasting three days every month is fasting the whole year.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
4/1261ــ وعن معاذةَ العدويّةِ أنَّها سألتْ عائشةَ رضي الله عنها: أكانَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصومُ من كلِّ شهرٍ ثلاثةَ أيَّامٍ؟ قالت: نعمْ، فقلتُ: من أيِّ الشَّهر كَانَ يصومُ؟ قالتْ: لَمْ يكُنْ يُبالي مِن أيِّ الشَّهرِ يَصُومُ. رواه مسلم.
1261/4 - Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah reported that she asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “Did the Messenger of Allah fast three days every month?” ‘Ā’ishah replied: “Yes.” Mu‘ādhah asked: “In which part of the month did he fast?” ‘Ā’ishah replied: “It did not matter to him in which part of the month he fasted.” [Narrated by Muslim]
5/1262ــ وعن أبي ذرٍّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «إذَا صُمْتَ من الشَّهْر ثلاثاً فَصُمْ ثلاثَ عشرةَ، وأربعَ عشرةَ ، وخمْسَ عشرةَ». رواه الترمذيُّ وقالَ: حديثٌ حسن.
1262/5 - Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If you fast three days in a month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
6/1263ــ وعنْ قتادَةَ بنِ مِلحَانَ رضي الله عنه قالَ: كانَ رَسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأْمُرُنَا بِصِيَامِ أَيَّامِ البيضِ: ثَلاثَ عَشْرَةَ، وَأَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ، وَخَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ. رواهُ أبو داودَ.
1263/6 - Qatādah ibn Milhān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to command us to fast the bright days: the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the fifteenth.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd]
7/1264ــ وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يفطرُ أيَّامَ البيضِ في حَضَرٍ ولا سَفَرٍ». رواه النسائي بإسناد حسن.
1264/7 - Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would not fail to fast the bright days whether he was residing or traveling.” [Narrated by Al-Nasā’i with a sound Isnād]
1) صيام ثلاثة أيام من كل شهر تعدل صيام الدهر كله، وذلك لأن الحسنة بعشر أمثالها.
1) Fasting three days every month is equivalent to fasting the whole year, for a good deed is rewarded by ten times as much.
2) صيام أوسط الشهر ــ ثلاث عشرة وأربع عشرة وخمس عشرة ــ أفضل مَا يكون في الصوم، لأنه هدي رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الغالب.
2) Fasting the three days in the middle of the month - 13, 14, and 15 - is the best form of fasting, for this was the more frequent practice of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
3) فضيلة صحابة رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في محافظتهم علىٰ وصايا رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مدة حياتهم.
3) They show the merit of the Companions, as they were keen to act upon the Prophet’s instructions throughout their lives.