Did the Prophet Muhammad fast voluntarily during times of battle?
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Islam has days for voluntary fasting , e.g., Mondays and Thursdays, and Muhammad was known to fast on these days (e.g. Aishah narrated: "The Prophet used to try to fast on Mondays and Thursdays." sunnah.com ) and others ("He observed Sawm on many days of the year..." Al-Islam ). I'm wondering if, during times of battle, Muhammad continued these voluntary fasts, given that it might impair his ability to fight.
**Question**: Did the Prophet Muhammad fast voluntarily during times of battle?
I found one pertinent sahih hadith:
> Narrated Abu al-Darda: **We went out along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for some battle** in intense heat, so much so that one of us placed his hand on his head, or placed his palm on his head, due to intense heat, **No one of us fasted except the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and 'Abd Allah b. Rawahah.** -- Sunan Abi Dawud 2409 [grade: sahih] (sunnah.com )
This implies he fasted despite battle, but it doesn't clarify if this was a voluntary or obligatory fast. I also found one weak hadith, which I'm not sure if I should take seriously:
> Ma'mar bin Abi Huyaiyah narrated that: he asked Ibn Al-Musaiyab about fasting on a journey, so he narrated to him that Umar bin Al-Khattab said: **"We fought in two battles along with the Messenger of Allah during Ramadan; the Day of Badr, and the Conquest (of Makkah), so we broke our fast during them."** -- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 714 [grade: da'if] (sunnah.com )
Asked by Rebecca J. Stones
(20998 rep)
Jan 30, 2017, 01:07 PM