Voluntary Fasts Outside Ramadan
This document analyzes the topic of voluntary fasts outside Ramadan as addressed by Muhammed Yazıcı in his lessons on Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn.
This document analyzes the topic of voluntary fasts outside Ramadan as addressed by Muhammed Yazıcı in his lessons on Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn. The central focus is making fasting not an act of worship confined to a single month, but a life philosophy regulating a person's relationship with food and the world. It is emphasized that food abundance and variety in the modern age make soul-discipline harder and more necessary than ever. The text details meritorious fasting days, measures of worship in accordance with the sunna, and the effects of eating and drinking habits on the heart.
1. The Food Trial and Soul-Discipline in the Modern Age
Starting from the finding that roughly 70% of foods consumed today did not exist 100–200 years ago, it is noted that the modern person's trial with food has increased. Because blessings once unreachable due to geographical limits are now accessible everywhere, the first place one must begin self-discipline is the "table."
- Philosophy of Fasting: Even on non-fasting days, one's relation to food should be conducted within a "philosophy of fasting." Luxurious tables and foods that satisfy passion kill the spirit while reviving the soul.
- Limit of Pleasure: The pleasure a person takes from food is limited to the duration of chewing. One who eats the most expensive food and one who eats the simplest become equal in pleasure the moment they rise from the table. Therefore passions such as changing cities in pursuit of food are an endless whirlpool.
2. Categories of Voluntary Fasting and Meritorious Days
There are special time periods designated for deriving the greatest benefit from the act of fasting. These times are categorized by year, month, and week:
| Period | Meritorious Fasting Days | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Yearly | ʿArafah and ʿĀshūrā | ʿArafah (before Eid al-Aḍḥā) is observed when there is no risk of "doubt day." | | Monthly | Inviolable Months (Dhū al-Qaʿda, Dhū al-Ḥijjah, Muḥarram, Rajab) | Muḥarram is the most meritorious month after Ramadan. | | Monthly | White Days (13th, 14th, 15th) | The full-moon days at mid-month. | | Weekly | Monday and Thursday | The days on which deeds are presented to Allah. | | Continuous | Fast of Dāwūd (one day fast, one day break) | The form of fasting hardest on the soul and most meritorious. |
Key concepts
- Center of Soul-Discipline
- The first place a person should begin to discipline himself is the table.
- Balance of Spirit and Soul
- Food (especially appetizing and delicious food) nourishes the soul while fasting nourishes the spirit and lightens a person, distancing him from corporeality.
- Fasting as a Life Philosophy
- Even on non-fasting days, one's relation to food should remain within a "philosophy of fasting." Luxurious tables and consumption focused only on pleasure kill the spirit.
- Ascetic Discipline (*Riyāḍa*)
- A state of eating little, drinking little, and withdrawing from people (*khalwa*) for the purpose of soul-discipline.
Study questions
According to the text, what percentage of the blessings we eat today did not exist 100–200 years ago?
Roughly 70%.
What are the two basic practices associated with "ascetic discipline"?
Withdrawal (khalwa / ʿuzla) and abstaining from food and drink.
In which hijrī month is fasting regarded as the most meritorious after Ramadan?
The month of Muḥarram.
Which weekly days are the days on which deeds are presented to Allah?
Monday and Thursday.
What is the "Fast of Dāwūd" and what is its distinctive feature?
Fasting one day and breaking fast the next. According to the text, it is the most meritorious voluntary fast.
In what situation is fasting on Friday alone not disliked?
If one's regular devotional practice (such as the White Days) falls on that day, or if it is observed together as Thursday–Friday.
To what act of worship is one day of fasting in the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah compared?
A year's fasting.
Why have some scholars not regarded favorably leaving more than four days without fasting?
Because it is thought this hardens the heart and opens the door to passions. ---