When fasting is mentioned, the limitless reward God grants for it is highlighted. We often mentioned the Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) quotes God as saying: “Every action a human being does belongs to him except fasting: it belongs to Me and I give reward for it accordingly.” Mentioned in this way, the reward is much greater than we can imagine. It is promised by the One whose generosity knows no limit, the One who assigns a reward for even the slightest and most trivial of good actions, giving for each action at least ten times its value and multiplying that sometimes to seven hundred times and even more. The reward for fasting is, however, measured by a different yardstick. It is an action, which admits no hypocrisy. Hence, its reward is measured only by God’s generosity.
Recognizing this, every good Muslim may try to win some additional reward by voluntary fasting. We previously mentioned the case of some people who tried to fast voluntarily day after day. The Prophet’s advice to them was to take matters easily and fast only a small number of days, perhaps three or five each month. The upper limit the Prophet has placed on voluntary fasting is to fast on alternate days. Voluntary fasting, however, may present some difficulties because when a person fasts, he imposes on himself a system which is at variance with that of those who are around him. He may find himself in the middle of a social function where he will be the odd one out, or he may have to entertain an unexpected guest, or he may have to attend to an emergency, and in all these situations his continued fasting may present some sort of embarrassment.
Is it possible for him to break his fast before the day is over? If he does, is it necessary to compensate for that day by fasting a day instead?
To answer these questions and other related ones we may quote a Hadith related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, or authentic anthology under the chapter entitled: “A person who insists that his brother ends his voluntary fasting without having to compensate for it if that is more suitable to him.” The text of the Hadith is as follows: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Al-Dardaa. One day Salman visited Abu Al-Dardaa to find his wife wearing humble clothes. He asked her: ‘What is the matter?’ She said: ‘Your brother, Abu Al-Dardaa, has no interest whatsoever in anything of this world. When Abu Al-Dardaa arrived, he prepared food for Salman who, in turn, invited him to eat. Abu Al-Dardaa ate with him. At night, Abu Al-Dardaa prepared himself for night worship. Salman said to him: ‘Go to sleep.’ He slept a while then got up for night worship, but Salman again told him to go to sleep. At a later hour in the night, Salman said to him: ‘Get up now.’ They both prayed (their night worship) then Salman said to him: ‘Your Lord has a claim against you, and your body has a claim against you, and your family have a claim against you. Give to each one with a claim their rightful dues.’ He went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told him what happened. The Prophet said: ‘Salman is right.’”
It is perhaps important to mention here that both Abu Al-Dardaa and Salman ranked among the Prophet’s companions who were known for their insight into the faith of Islam. We note that Abu Al-Dardaa complied with every request made to him by Salman. This is an example of the sort of attitude a Muslim takes toward his brothers. Perhaps Salman determined his approach when he realized the magnitude of the problem in which Abu Al-Dardaa’s wife found herself. In a fuller version of this Hadith she is quoted as saying that her husband fasts most days and stands up most of the night in worship.
Apparently Salman’s attitude was very emphatic when he was brought food. He wanted to make sure that Abu Al-Dardaa discontinued his fasting for that day. The fact that Abu Al-Dardaa, a learned companion of the Prophet, accepted Salman’s request and ended his fasting means that this is legitimate. In fact, his action was later endorsed by the Prophet. This means that it is permissible for a person who has started a day fasting voluntarily to end his fast if circumstances require him to do so, or if it is more suitable for him.
Some scholars suggest that if one does so, he has to fast a day instead. This view is not supported by strong evidence. In fact, he is at liberty to fast a day instead or not to do so, unless he was fasting in compensation for a day in Ramadan which he did not fast. We understand this from a Hadith related by Ahmad, Al-Nassaie and Al-Tirmidhi which mentions that Umm Hani’, the Prophet’s cousin, went one day to visit the Prophet when she was fasting. “The Prophet asked for a drink, and after drinking he offered her a drink and she drank it. She then asked the Prophet about this, and he asked her: ‘Were you fasting a day in compensation for one you did not fast in Ramadan?’ She answered in the negative. He said: ‘This is all right, then.’” Another version of this Hadith quotes the Prophet as saying: “If it is a day you have been fasting in compensation for obligatory fasting which you did not do, then you have to fast a day instead. If it is a voluntary fasting, you are at liberty to compensate for it or not.”
Having answered the main question with regard to ending voluntary fasting before the day is over, we may find it useful to look at the Hadith as a whole. It is a clear and easily understood Hadith. Indeed it is self-explanatory. Yet, taking this Hadith as an example, we may shed some light on how Muslim scholars studied Hadith over the centuries. Imam Ibn Hajar wrote a commentary, running into 14 large volumes, on the Hadiths Al-Bukhari entered in his authentic anthology known as the Sahih. Ibn Hajar lists a number of points, which may be answered by the Hadith mentioned earlier concerning Salman and Abu Al-Dardaa. These include the permissibility of establishing a bond of brotherhood between any two Muslims, the desirability of visiting one’s brothers and spending a night with them. It is also permissible to have a conversation with a woman who is not one’s relative, to enquire about something which may serve some interest although it may not be relevant to the one who puts the questions. They also include the desirability of giving advice to a Muslim and alerting him to something which he may have overlooked, the high value placed on offering night worship in the later part of the night, the desirability of a woman putting her fine clothes and wearing make up before her husband and her rightful claim to be well treated by him. It may also be understood from this Hadith that she has a rightful claim to sexual fulfilment, which is indicated in the statement: “And your family has a claim against you.”
If you examine the Hadith very carefully, you will find that every point of these is mentioned clearly or hinted at in one way or another.
Finally, it should perhaps be clarified that the brotherhood which was established by the Prophet between Salman and Abu Al-Dardaa was not part of the bond of brotherhood which he established between the Muhajireen and the Ansar in the early days after his settlement in Madinah. That was a common bond of brotherhood, although it specified one man from the Ansar to be the brother of one man from the Muhajireen. It was a total brotherhood, which entitled each brother to a share of the inheritance of the other. This particular aspect was subsequently cancelled. The Prophet, however, continued to establish a bond of brotherhood between each two of his companions, when more people declared their acceptance of Islam. We know that Salman accepted Islam after the Battle of Uhud, which took place in the third year after the Prophet’s migration to Madinah. So, it was a special bond of brotherhood the Prophet established between him and Abu Al-Dardaa.