In preparation for Ramadaan, it is good habit to begin fasting. Firstly, you begin piling up the rewards, and building your iman ahead of time. Furthermore, one’s body becomes accustomed to a day without food or drink.

This is especially useful for those who experience stomach cramps, and ‘unbearable’ pangs of hunger on the first of Ramadaan.

Ai’shah narrated, “The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’ban; he used to fast Sha’ban except a few days.” (Muslim)

This hadith explains that is Sunnah to fast in the month of Sha’ban. Not only do you get the opportunity to prepare for Ramadaan, but also that of reviving and performing a Sunnah.

However, it is preferable to fast in the first half of the month of Sha’ban. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “when Sha’ban is half over, do not fast,” (collected by Tirmidhi, Sahih by Albani) This indicates that one should refrain from fasting the sixteenth day onwards of Sha’ban. To fast after the middle of Sha’baan is considered disliked (makrooh) by scholars.

Nonetheless, there are other narrations, which give exception to this ‘rule.’ Muslim and Bukhari both report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not anticipate Ramadaan by fasting one or two days before it begins, but if a person habitually fasts, then let him fast.”

This makes it clear that if a person is in habit of fasting Mondays and Thursdays, or the white days, they may continue to do so, even in the second half of Sha’ban. What a person is prohibited from doing is fasting the days before Ramadaan, in anticipation of its arrival. This prohibition is even more applicable today or two prior to the beginning of Ramadaan. We should not fast on the thirtieth day of Sha’baan also known as the day of doubt because it may fall as the last day of Sha’baan or the first day of Ramadaan. Ammar ibn Yasir is reported to have said, “whoever fasts on the day of doubt has disobeyed Abul-Qasim,” meaning has disobeyed the Prophet peace be upon him, (this tradition is authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban). In another narration, Ibn Abbas said that Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “don’t meet the month fasting,” in a similar narration, do not meet Ramadaan with a day from Sha’baan.” (Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah). From these narrations we learn that it is impermissible to fast on the day of doubt, the day before Ramadaan begins. We should not converge Sha’baan and Ramadaan together, by fasting continuously through them.

May Allah, helps us to practice the Sunnah correctly and in its totality.

For more information on this matter please visit:

http://islamqa.info/en/13726