Why it is desirable to fast on Monday and Thursday?
Keeping both obligatory and desirable fasting is one of the valuable worships before the Almighty. The Lord Himself rewards fasting, for its observance is fundamentally different from other kinds of worship.
From Abu Huraira (may God be pleased with him) it is transmitted that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no good deed that the son of Adam does, but between ten and seven hundred Hasanahs will be recorded for him. Allah, the mighty and sublime, said, “Except fasting, for it is for me and I shall reward for it. He gives up his desires and his food for my sake. Fasting is a shield, and the fasting person has two moments of joy.
One when he breaks his fast and another when he meets his Lord. And the smell that comes from the mouth of the fasting person is better before Allah than the fragrance of musk.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad). As you know, the believer receives the greatest reward for obligatory worship.
Therefore, the one who fasted in the month of Ramadan receives the greatest reward. However, in the above hadith, God the Almighty does not distinguish between desirable and obligatory fasting. Therefore, a believer also receives a great reward for a desirable fast, although it is less than for a mandatory one. One of the desirable fasts regularly observed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the fast on Monday and Thursday. Therefore, fasting on these days is an imperative Sunna (the most desirable deed).
From the mother of the faithful Aisha (may God be pleased with her) it is transmitted, “The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.” (Narrated by AtTirmidhi, Ibn Majah). Imam al-Nawawi in his book “AlMajmu’ sharh al-Muhazzab” writes the following about this, “All the scholars of our madhab and other scholars are unanimous regarding the desirability of fasting on Monday and Thursday.”
The authoritative scholar of the Shafi madhab al-Khatib ash-Shirbini writes the following about this in his book “Mugni al-Muhtaj”, “It is desirable (Sunna) to fast on Monday and Thursday, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) always fasted on these days. He also said, “Verily, on these two days, the deeds of people are presented to the Almighty, and I want my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” (Narrated by AtTirmidhi).
The presentation of deeds on these days means that they are raised by angels twice a day: in the evening and during the day.” To the question of the companions about observing the fast on Monday, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “That (Monday) is the day of my birth, the day of my apostleship or the day of revelation to me.” (Narrated by Muslim).
From Abu Huraira (may God be pleased with him) it is transmitted, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted on Monday and Thursday, and one day he was asked, “O Messenger of God, why do you fast on Mondays and Thursdays?” He said, “On Mondays and Thursdays God forgives every Muslim except two who have forsaken one another. He says, ‘Leave these two until they reconcile.’” (Narrated by Ibn Majah). From all of the above, we understand that Muslims fast on Monday and Thursday for several reasons that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) explained to them in his hadith.
ADIL IBRAGIMOV
