What is the ruling regarding fasting on Fridays?

 

There are many methods of fasting on Fridays, not just one.

Mentioning these different methods, from the scholars in Madinah, our Sheikh Dr ‘Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadee حفظه الله has given a detailed explanation. Sheikh mentioned four instances:

“First instance:

Fasting an obligatory fast, a fast which is made as a Kaffaara (atonement), a Gada fast (to make up for a missed fast from Ramadān). All scholars agree that in these instances fasting on a Friday is permissible.

Second instance:

Fasting a Sunnah fast on Friday. For example, the fasting of 13th, 14th and 15th of the Lunar month or fasting on the day of Aashoora or the day of ‘Arafah and Friday coincides with one of these days. There is no problem in fasting on such a Friday. That is because the person is not fasting because it is a Friday.

Third instance:

Fasting one day before or one day after Friday. There is a Hadeeth describing fasting in this manner. The Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم went to his wife Juwairiyah رضي الله عنها on a Friday. As she was fasting he asked “were you fasting yesterday?” She replied “No”. He then asked, “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” She said “No” and he صل الله عليه وسلم told her “Break your fast”. Why was this?

The reason is that she was fasting as she wanted to fast on Friday. The Hadeeth gives evidence that the one who fasts on a Thursday or Saturday is permitted to fast on Friday. There is no problem in this.

Fourth instance:

Fasting because it is Friday. This is prohibited. The evidence is the Hadeeth narrated from Juweiriyah رضي الله عنها”.

(In the 4th instance above, the Sheikh mentioned the prohibition of fasting on Friday due to the fact that it is Friday. This is prohibited. When the day of Arafat coincides with a Friday and he fasts not because it is a Friday, there is no problem in that).

Therefore this matter is now clear.

If someone is fasting six days of Shawwal consecutively and a Friday coincides there is no problem in fasting on Friday.

Similarly, if he fasts Friday and then Saturday, there is no problem.

Because then he is outside of the ruling mentioned in the Hadeeth.

And some scholars has said (as Sheikh mentioned above) it is prohibited to fast on a Friday due to the fact that it is Friday.

Therefore, if someone fasted on Friday, not for the reason that it is Friday, there is no problem in fasting even a Sunnah fast on a Friday.