سنن نسائی · Hadith 2331

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم passed by my door. He said: ‘Do you have anything (to eat)?’ I said: ‘I do not have anything.’ He said: ‘Then I am fasting.” She said: “Then he passed by my door a second time and we had been given some Hais. I brought it to him and he ate, and I was surprised. I said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, you entered upon me and you were fasting, then you ate Hais.’ He said: ‘Yes, ‘Aishah. The one who observes a fast other than in Ramadan, or making up a missed Ramadan fast, is like a man who allocated some of his wealth to give in charity; if he wishes he may go ahead and give it, and if he wishes he may keep it.” (Hasan)

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020