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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Sunan An-Nabi Chapter 17: The Adab of Sawm (Fasting) In al-Faqih: Narrated from Muhammad ibn Marwan who said: I heard Aba ‘Abdillah (as) saying: The Prophet (S) would fast so much that it would be said he does not break his fast and he would stop fasting for so long that it would be said he does not fast. Then he fasted on alternative days. Then he fasted on Mondays and Thursdays.

In the end he turned to fasting three days a month: the Thursday in the beginning of the month, the Wednesday in the middle of the month and the Thursday at the end of the month; and he (S) would say: “This is the fasting of the lifetime.” He (as) also said: My father (as) used to say: None is more disliked by Allah (SwT) than a person who is told: “The Noble Prophet would do this and that” and replies: “Allah (SwT) would not punish me for my effort in (performing more) prayer and fasting” – as if he thinks that the Holy Prophet (S) left out something that was excellent because he was unable to perform it.[^1] In al-Kafi: Narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim from Abi ‘Abdillah (as): In the beginning of his prophetic mission, the Holy Prophet (S) used to fast so much that it would be said he never breaks his fast, and he would stop fasting for so long that it would be said he doesn’t fast.

Then he left this (practice) and started fasting on alternative days - and this was the fasting of Prophet Dawud (as). Then he stopped this and fasted on the three days of al-Ghurr (the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every month).

He then left this (practice) also and separated the fasts by ten days, (fasting) on two Thursdays with one Wednesday in-between, and he (S) continued this until he passed away.[^2] In Hadith al-Arba’mi’ah: He (S) said: Fasting on three days every month, (on) two Thursdays with a Wednesday in-between, and fasting in the month of Sha’ban, removes devilish insinuations and anxieties from the heart ...