# Episode 5: Fasting the First 9 Days

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Virtues of Dhul Hijjah
**Published:** 2019-08-05
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqvJmoeIlEw
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-5-fasting-the-first-9-days-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia

## Description
The Prophet ﷺ used to fast numerous days throughout the year. In episode 5 of the Virtues of Dhul Hijjah, Dr. Omar Suleiman walks us through Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ sunnah of fasting the first 9 days of Dhul-Hijjah in addition to other notable days such as ‘Ashura and 3 days in the middle of each...

## Transcript
**[0:01]** The Virtues of Dhul Hijjah Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh everyone. Welcome back to the Virtues of Dhul Hijjah. So, there's an interesting narration in which it's narrated from Hunayda bin Khalid from his wife

**[0:17]** that one of the wives of the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said that the Messenger, alayhi salatu wa salam, used to fast the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah and the day of Ashura and three days each month, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays.

**[0:32]** So, I'll say that again. It says that the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah and the day of Ashura and three days of the month and the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays. So, let's break this down a little bit.

**[0:47]** So, typically speaking, we think of fasting Arafah, right? We don't really think about fasting the first eight days of Dhul Hijjah. We think about the day of Arafah and I'm going to get back to that in a moment. The day of Ashura is in Muharram. It obviously comes in the very next month, right?

**[1:03]** That the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to also fast that day of Ashura, once again commemorating the victory of Musa, alayhi salam, over Fir'aun, over the Pharaoh. The Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast three days of each month. The three days are the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each month and these are called Ayyam al-Bil, the white days.

**[1:21]** Why? Because the moon is fuller on those months, right? So, in accordance with the very middle of the month, the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, would fast them. And then this narration, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays. The Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast Mondays and Thursdays because he said that the deeds are presented to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, on those days during the week

**[1:40]** and he hoped that his deeds would be presented to Allah when he is in a state of fasting. And he also marked Monday because he was born on the day of Monday and the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said that was an expression of gratitude for him being born on that day,

**[1:55]** his birth, that he would fast in obedience or in worship to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. So, in this narration, the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, fasted all of these days. Then there is another narration from Aisha, radiyaAllahu ta'ala anha, that the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did not fast all of the first nine days of the Hijjah.

**[2:12]** And the way that the scholars reconcile these two is that the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did not fast all of them, but certainly he fasted a lot of them, right? So, it was a habit of the Messenger, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to fast not just the ninth of the Hijjah,

**[2:27]** not just the day of Arafah, but again, if good deeds are beloved to Allah in these ten days, then a person should take advantage of the first eight as well, and especially when it comes to fasting. And I'd also like to point out here that one of the blessings of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala,

**[2:43]** is that Allah allows us to combine the intentions, or that we find the reward in combining intentions for multiple voluntary good deeds. What does that refer to? So, within a voluntary good deed, you can have multiple intentions that make the reward more blessed.

**[2:59]** So, the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, mentioned two reasons for fasting, Mondays for example. One of them, again, that the deeds are presented to Allah on that day. The other one, that the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, was born on that day. So, it was two intentions, or two good things combined within the same voluntary good deed.

**[3:17]** We also find that we are able to mix intentions for multiple voluntary good deeds that fall upon a day that combines two blessings. So, for example, let's use an example of prayer first. When you walk into the masjid, you can combine the intention for Tahiyyat al-Masjid,

**[3:36]** for the entrance upon the masjid, the two rak'ahs of entering the masjid, as well as, for example, the two rak'ahs of Fajr, sunnahs of Fajr. You could combine them with, you know, two before Dhuhr. So, the point is that you can combine intentions for voluntary good deeds,

**[3:52]** hence you have the reward for the two entering upon the masjid, as well as the two before Fajr. Likewise, when it comes to fasting, a person can combine the intention, if, for example, within the first nine days, you have a Monday or a Thursday,

**[4:09]** then you could fast one of those days with the intention of it being the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, as well as a Monday or a Thursday. And as a result of that, you would amplify your own reward, and the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, said, إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَاةِ that actions are but by intention.

**[4:25]** So, you have the opportunity not just to get the benefit of following the sunnah of the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, in fasting, Musa, as we said, was fasting these days, but the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, used to fast a lot of these eight days, so you have the intention of not just fasting one of the first ten of Dhul Hijjah,

**[4:41]** but you also could have the intention of fasting a Monday or a Thursday, also in accordance with the sunnah of the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, also in hopes that Allah sees your deeds and He's pleased with you within those days. So, if you're looking for a few days to fast within these nine,

**[4:56]** and you're not going to be able to fast all of them, and there is not a complete precedence that the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, or a solid proof that the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, fasted all nine of them, but he certainly fasted some of them, then it could be a good way for us that we choose, for example, a Monday or a Thursday, and we make those two days, and add another three or four days, inshaAllah ta'ala,

**[5:15]** before the ultimate day of Arafah, in which all of us should be fasting, bidna lahi ta'ala. We ask Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, to accept all of our good deeds, our fasting in these ten days. Allahumma ameen. JazakumAllahu khayran. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

## Other Episodes in "Virtues of Dhul Hijjah"
- [Episode 10: "And in That Let Them Rejoice"](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-10-and-in-that-let-them-rejoice-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 9: The Wonders of 'Arafah](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-9-the-wonders-of-arafah-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 8: 3 Years of Fasting](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-8-3-years-of-fasting-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 7: The Sacrifice](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-7-the-sacrifice-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 6: The Preferred Forms of Remembrance](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-6-the-preferred-forms-of-remembrance-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 4: The 10 Days of Moses](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-4-the-10-days-of-moses-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 3: The Days Allah Swears By](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-3-the-days-allah-swears-by-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 2: The Best Good Deeds](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-2-the-best-good-deeds-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)
- [Episode 1: The Sacred Months](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/virtues-of-dhul-hijjah/episode-1-the-sacred-months-virtues-of-dhul-hijjah.md)