Seven Days You Cannot Fast: Islamic Rules Explained
Prohibited Days of Fasting and Women Fasting Without Husband's Permission - Al-Wajeez Study
Summary
This lecture continues the study of Al-Wajeez, specifically concluding the book of fasting by discussing the seven days when fasting is prohibited. The instructor covers days of Eid, Tashriq, specific days of the week (Friday and Saturday alone), fasting the entire year, the second half of Sha'ban, and Yawm ash-Shakk (the day of doubt). The lecture explains the reasoning behind these prohibitions, particularly focusing on Yawm ash-Shakk when the moon sighting is unclear due to overcast conditions. The instructor emphasizes that Islamic months can only begin through clear moon sighting or completion of 30 days, not through assumption.
The final and most detailed section addresses the controversial ruling that a woman cannot fast (optional fasting) without her husband's permission if he is present. The instructor explains this is because obedience to one's husband is obligatory while fasting is preferred, and to maintain household harmony. The lecture includes etymological analysis of the Arabic term 'ba'al' (husband), explaining it denotes not inferiority/superiority but rather subordination/superordination in the marital relationship, and notes this hadith is narrated by Abu Hurayrah and recorded in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Continuing in al-wajeez in the book of fasting at the very tail end of the book of fasting. We had just concluded the chapter regarding the days which are prohibited which a person is prohibited from fasting. And the author mentions them from most strong in prohibition. And he mentioned seven of them. Can we name those seven? What do you think? What's the first one? The days of Eid. The days of Tashreeq. Friday alone. Saturday alone. Fasting every day, so the entire year. Okay, even if a person avoids those previously mentioned days. Okay, that's five. What's that? Yeah, the second half of Sha'ban and one more. No, he mentioned that. It has to do with Ramadan. Yawm ash-shakk. Not necessarily the day before. Remember, got to be precise. The day of doubt. Why is it the day of doubt? We have not seen a clear sign that Ramadan has commenced. But we haven't really seen a clear sign that it hasn't commenced. It's overcast. The moon could have been there, could not have been there. If it's overcast, the prophet tells us salallahu alayhi wasallam, if it's overcast, continue in Sha'ban. Right? Because the month of Ramadan, or any month for that matter, can only commence or can only be you know, believed to have commenced in one of two ways. Either clear sighting of the crescent or 30 days of of the previous month. Those are the only two ways. And so, if it's overcast, we could have seen the moon, we could not have seen the moon. Who knows what's up there? And so, this is the day of ash-shakk. Person says, "Well, you know what? Let me just go ahead and cover my bases, right? Just make sure." This here is prohibited. It's prohibited for a number of reasons. but one of the most important of those reasons is that it either is Ramadan or it is not. There's no such thing as it might be Ramadan, it might be Sha'ban, and Allah will hold me accountable if I don't somehow cover both of those. This is not how the months in Islam work. The final thing that the author mentions with regards to fasting, and then after that he will mention a very short chapter regarding I'tikaf, which traditionally the scholars of fiqh will place the chapters or the book of I'tikaf right after the book of fasting, or sometimes right before the book of fasting. but it is usually associated with fasting. And that is because many scholars, first of all, view that there is no I'tikaf without fasting. That is an opinion. And secondly, they are very closely related due to the fact that al-I'tikaf usually takes place in Ramadan. So, the last thing that the author mentions in this book of fasting, he says, This one is going to make some make some people upset, right? This is going to ruffle what do they say? This is going to ruffle some feathers, right? And that is the prohibition of a woman fasting without the permission of her husband if he is present. Meaning, if he's not traveling, if he is around. Why is that? Why is it prohibited for a woman to fast without her husband's permission? of course, this is optional fasting, right? Because obedience to her husband is obligatory, and fasting is preferred. And a husband may desire that of his wife, which would entail her breaking her fast. Person may say, "Well, what's the problem? You know, if if that, you know, if it comes to that, she could break her fast." However, this would place the husband in a position of you know, discomfort that he is now interrupting his wife from the worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And so, when a woman has general or specific permission from her husband to fast, general permission meaning they have an agreement. She always fasts Mondays and Thursdays. She always fasts the three days of the month. She has some kind of, you know, schedule that she fasts on. This is a generalized agreement or a specific agreement. I would to fast today. I'd to fast next week. I'd to fast tomorrow. Whatever it is. This is critical so as to maintain the balance of harmony in the household, right?
[Silence]
He says on the authority of Abu Hurayrah who narrates that the messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, "No woman is to fast whilst her ba'l Her ba'l is another word used in Arabic for husband. But the word ba'l in the Arabic language, when referring to a husband, doesn't just articulate that he is a husband or a spouse. It articulates husband, and it articulates superior. Someone who she is required her subordination is of requirement to. This is referred to as a ba'l. And this is the wording that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala uses in the Quran. Sometimes he uses the word zawj, which is just husband. Sometimes he uses the word ba'l. Sometimes he uses the word sayyid, which is a master, right? al-ba'l originates in the Arabic language as the male of the camels. And camel husbandry, the male camel that is used to impregnate the she-camels and is often viewed as a superior camel, a camel that is more expensive, a camel that is capable of breeding, right? So, the Arabs would refer to this camel as a ba'l. So, that is superimposed from that onto a husband in the language of the Arabs. And this is one of the terms that Allah uses in the Quran to refer to the husband. He says,.
[Arabic recitation]
Fee dhalik." And usually this word is used in the Quran when that superiority and when we say superiority, we're not saying that all men are better than all women. This isn't what is meant. When we say superior, we mean the counter to not not superior as opposed to inferior. We're saying superior in a as opposed to subordinate. Right? Superior as opposed to subordinate. you would have your superior at your work, or your superior officer in the military. Someone that you are required to subord- to to provide subordination to, someone whom you are a subordinate to. This is what we mean by superior. And the word ba'al articulates that meaning. That is why it's used in the Quran in that context, and that is why it is used in this narration in this context. So, he says, "No woman is to fast, or a woman is not to fast whilst her ba'al is present without his permission, or except by his permission." And this narration has been collected by both Bukhari Bukhari and Muslim. So, inshallah ta'ala, tomorrow we will speak about the rulings of al-i'tikaf. Is al-i'tikaf only in Ramadan? Is it only permissible in Ramadan? These are good questions. Did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam ever make i'tikaf outside of Ramadan? the answer is yes, he did. And we'll read about that. Inshallah ta'ala. Nas'al Allah subhanahu wa an yu'allimana wa an yanfa'ana wa an yanfa'ana bima 'allamana wa an yazidana 'ilman wallahu a'lam wa sallallahu wasallam 'ala nabiyyina.
[Arabic recitation]