8/37. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 736 — Sha'ban Fasting
What Has Been Related About Connecting Fasts Of Sha'ban To Ramadan
Sha'ban Fasting Hadith Before Ramadan
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 736
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 736
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ إِلاَّ شَعْبَانَ وَرَمَضَانَ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ، أَيْضًا عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي شَهْرٍ أَكْثَرَ صِيَامًا مِنْهُ فِي شَعْبَانَ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً بَلْ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ كُلَّهُ .
Umm Salamah Narrated from:
I Did Not See The Prophet Fasting Two Consecutive Months Except For Sha'Ban And Ramadan.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 736In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 55English translation : Vol. 2, Book 3, Hadith 736
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 736
This Sha'ban fasting hadith is narrated by Umm Salamah. She says she did not see the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم fasting two consecutive months except Sha'ban and Ramadan. The report highlights a strong connection between Sha'ban and Ramadan in the Prophet’s fasting practice. The Arabic text also mentions a related report from Aishah saying she did not see him fast more in any month than in Sha'ban, and that he would fast it except a little, or it was expressed as fasting all of it. So the safe explanation is that Sha'ban was a month in which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم fasted a great deal, joined closely with Ramadan. The text should not be turned into a new obligation; it reports his practice.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported as fasting Sha'ban closely before Ramadan.
- Umm Salamah links Sha'ban and Ramadan as two consecutive months in what she observed.
- The related note from Aishah points to much fasting in Sha'ban.
- The report describes practice, not a stated obligation on everyone.
