The affair of al wisal (fasting the night along with the day)
-
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:Allah’s Messenger ﷺ forbade Al-Wisal. The people said (to him), “But you practice it?” He said, “I am not like you, for I am given food and drink by Allah.”
-
Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allaah be pleased with him):The Prophet ﷺ said twice, “(O you people) Be cautious! Do not practice Al-Wisal.” The people said to him, “But you practice Al-Wisal?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “My Lord gives me food and drink during my sleep. Do that much of deeds which are within your ability.”
2. Narrated Aisha (may Allaah be pleased with her) that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ forbade Al-Wisal out of mercy to them. They said to him, “But you practice Al- Wisal?” He said, “I am not similar to you, for my Lord gives me food and drink.”
Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiri said: These ahadith necessitate the following benefits in terms of the fasting i.e. these narrations talk about the affair of Al Wisal which is continuous fasting where a person continues his fast for part of the night (continuous fasting and doesn’t break his fast at the time of iftaar but he continues until the part of the night such that he connects the night with the day), the one who is supposed to break his fast at iftaar time he does not break his fast at sunset, rather he delays that for an hour or 2 or more than that such that he connects the part of the night with the day. (This wisal is allowed but wisal where the person fast until the next day is not allowed).
When we look at this hadith in this chapter, we will clearly see that there is a prohibition here with regards to Wisal (fasting until the next day). However, these are some of the Ahkaam (rules and regulations) with regards to this matter.
-
Allah has specified the Messenger ﷺ with personal characteristics such that He has given him ﷺ extra strength, extra ability and power that which no other person is given. It becomes clear that he has been given power and extra strength because the Prophet ﷺ said to the companion, “إِني لَسْتُ كَهَيْئَتِكُمْ (I am not like you or I am not similar to you), I spend the night and Allah feeds me and gives me to drink).” So, Prophet ﷺ is clearly showing that he is not similar to them and not similar in the sense that Allah gave him extra strength. Also, we have a narration of Anas radiallahu anhu who said that the Messenger ﷺ was given the strength of 30 men.
So, here is a question,
What does it mean, when He ﷺ said that, “Allah feeds me, and He gives me to drink?”
Scholars say that the meaning of this is that Allah has given the Messenger ﷺ the strength of Faith (Eeman), the strength of certainty (Yaqeen) and the strength of patience (Sabr) from not having any need of food and drink. So, this is the meaning of, “he feeds me and give me to drink.” It means Allah strengthens him so much so that he has no need of these. It is as if he eats and drinks all night (continuously throughout the night). Allah has strengthened the Messenger ﷺ with knowledge and with awareness. And He strengthened the Messenger ﷺ with the fear of Allah, with humility and the strength of Faith as well as the strength of striving to do much good.
The hikmah (wisdom) behind the Messenger ﷺ prohibiting the Companions from the Wisal (from the continuous fasting until the next day) is Rahmah (mercy) for them as Aisha (may Allaah be pleased with her) mentioned that this is out of mercy for them. This clearly shows that the prohibition here of Al Wisal is not a prohibition which is Haram or which is forbidden rather it is a prohibition because it is out of kindness for them, out of Mercy for them, such that they do not harm themselves.
Allah ﷺ mentioned in the Quran,
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ منْ أَنفُسِّكُمْ عَزِّيزٌ عَلَيْهِّ مَا عَنِّتُّمْ حَرِّيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِّٱلْمُؤْمِّنِّينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِّيم
Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty.
He (Muhammad ﷺ) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he ﷺ is) full of pity, kind, and merciful. {Surah Tawbah: 128}
So, here this shows that the Messenger ﷺ is merciful and kind for the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺsuch that he didn’t want them to continuously fast the nights along with the days.