Question 751: Is it necessary for two consecutive months of fasting to start from the beginning of a month, or does the starting time not matter?
Answer
✅Answer: Fasting for two consecutive months (shahrayn muttabain) is prescribed for atonement for breaking a fast, and for atonement for zihar, killing, and other acts, each with its specific detailed rulings.
First, look at the interpretation of 'consecutive' in the following hadith:
1 الحلبی عن أَبی عبداللَّه قال: صِیَامُ کَفَّارَةِ الْیَمِینِ فی الظِّهَارِ شَهْرَیْنِ مُتَتَابِعَیْنِ و التَّتَابُعُ أَنْ یَصُومَ شَهْراً وَ یَصُومَ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الْآخَرِ أَیَّاماً أَوْ شَیْئاً مِنْهُ فَإِنْ عَرَضَ لَهُ شَیْ ءٌ یُفْطَرُ فِیهِ أَفْطَرَ ثُمَّ قَضَی مَا بَقِیَ عَلَیْهِ و إِنْ صَامَ شَهْراً ثُمَّ عَرَضَ لَهُ شَیْ ءٌ فَأَفْطَرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ یَصُومَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ شَیْئاً فَلَمْ یُتَابِعْ أَعَادَ الصِّیَامَ کُلَّه
📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 4, page 137
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'The atonement fast for zihar is two consecutive months. And the consecutiveness is to fast for one month and for some days or something of the other month. If something that breaks the fast happens to him, he breaks his fast and then makes up for the rest. But if he fasts for one month and then something happens to him and he breaks his fast before fasting anything from the second month, then he has not maintained the consecutiveness, and he must repeat all the fasts!'
✅Based on the above narration, 'consecutive' means fasting for at least one month and something from the second month, even if it is just one day, the details of its rulings and cases of exception are mentioned in the narrations.
✅But pay attention to the following narrations:
2 مَنْصُور بْنِ حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فِي رَجُلٍ صَامَ فِي ظِهَارٍ شَعْبَانَ ثُمَّ أَدْرَكَهُ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ يَصُومُ [شهر] رَمَضَانَ وَ يَسْتَأْنِفُ الصَّوْمَ فَإِنْ هُوَ صَامَ فِي الظِّهَارِ فَزَادَ فِي النِّصْفِ يَوْماً قَضَى بَقِيَّتَهُ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 4, page 139
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding a man who fasts in the month of Sha'ban for zihar and then the month of Ramadan arrives, said: 'He should fast the month of Ramadan and then start the fast (for the atonement of zihar) from the beginning. If he fasts for zihar and adds one day to half (of the fasts), he makes up for the rest!'
3 سماعة بن مهران قال: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ صَوْمُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ أَ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ الْأَيَّامِ فَقَالَ إِذَا صَامَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ شَهْرٍ فَوَصَلَهُ ثُمَّ عَرَضَ لَهُ أَمْرٌ فَأَفْطَرَ فَلَا بَأْسَ فَإِنْ كَانَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ شَهْرٍ أَوْ شَهْراً فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُعِيدَ الصِّيَام
📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 4, page 138
Sama'ah said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a person who has to fast for two consecutive months, can he separate the days between them?' The Imam said: 'If he fasts for more than a month and connects it to (the second month) and then something happens to him and he breaks his fast, there is no problem, but if it is less than a month or a month, he must repeat the fast!'
4 محمد بن مسلم عن أحدهما قال: فَإِنْ ظَاهَرَ في شَعْبَانَ وَ لَمْ يَجِدْ مَا يُعْتِقُ قَالَ يَنْتَظِرُ حَتَّى يَصُومَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ- ثُمَّ يَصُومُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ و إِنْ ظَاهَرَ وَ هُوَ مُسَافِرٌ انْتَظَرَ حَتَّى يَقْدَمَ
📚 Al-Kafi, Volume 6, page 156
Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them) said: 'If a person commits zihar in the month of Sha'ban and does not find a slave to free with it, he waits to fast the month of Ramadan and then fasts for two consecutive months, and if he commits zihar while traveling, he waits until he returns (and then begins the atonement fasts).'
✅The narrative evidence shows that two consecutive months simply means the number of days of two months, and it is not necessary to start from the first day of a month.
✅Although some lunar months can be 29 days, since the narrations do not specify which number of days is intended, it is necessary to be cautious and consider two months of 30 days. Based on this and according to narration 1 , at least 31 days of it must be consecutive. However, in the case of common excuses such as illness and menstruation during these 31 days, permission to continue has been mentioned in the narrations.
✅According to the definition of consecutiveness in hadith 1 and others, a person who has to fast for two consecutive months must start in a way that he does not encounter days like Eid al-Adha, on which fasting is not possible, or the month of Ramadan, so that he is not forced to start over.
اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Table of Contents of the channel regarding the rulings on fasting:
Intention for make-up fasting during the day
Things that invalidate the fast
Ritual immersion (Ghusl Irtimasi)
Traveling in the month of Ramadan
Fasting for a traveler
And the intention to stay for ten days
1. Fasting on a day of doubt (Yawm al-Shakk)
2. Forbidden days for fasting
The ruling on hired prayer and fasting
Intention for a vow fast
1. Make-up fasts
2. Remaining in a state of janabah until morning
Punishment fast
Due to intentionally sleeping through the 'Isha' prayer
Prayer and fasting for a traveler
And the days of stay are not specified
Breaking a make-up obligatory fast
Virtues of fasting three days a month
Make-up prayers and fasts for a state of unconsciousness
Forgetting the ritual bath for janabah and praying and fasting
Make-up prayers and fasts for a deceased person
The ruling for a traveler who fasts during travel!!
Fasting for a traveler
And the time of arrival at home or a place where he intends to stay for 10 days!
A sick person
A menstruating person
And a person who is unable to fast:
Intentionally vomiting for a fasting person
Breaking the Ramadan fast
Because of accompanying a traveler
A religious brother
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
What is Yawm al-Shakk (Day of Doubt)?
And its rulings
The extent of illness that requires breaking the fast.
A sick person whose duty is not to fast
The virtue of the month of Rajab
For making up fasts
A fasting person and having a wet dream during the day
Eating and drinking after the Fajr call to prayer
And fasting
Breaking the fast with something forbidden (we seek refuge in Allah)
And two consecutive months of fasting
Breaking the fast due to breastfeeding
Remaining in a state of janabah until morning
And fasting
Many make-up fasts
Atonement fasts
Fasting and having a nosebleed
Fasting and
Rinsing the mouth
Rinsing the nose
Thick dust
Strong scent
Cigarettes
Paying the fast atonement of the sayyids to each other
The necessity of the husband's permission for taking a recommended fast
The fast atonement of a woman is her own responsibility:
The age of responsibility for girls and boys for prayer and fasting
Four specific and highly virtuous days for fasting
Seven people who do not shorten their prayers when traveling and must fast.
Prayer and fasting for a traveler
Disliking fasting for three days after Eid al-Fitr
Pulling a tooth while fasting
The standard for the time of Maghrib prayer
And the permissibility of breaking the fast
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Swallowing phlegm from the chest and nose for a fasting person
Cupping for a fasting person
The ruling of rinsing the mouth and nose for a fasting person
Brushing teeth for a fasting person
Disliking taking snuff for a fasting person
(Dropping medicine or oil in the nose)
Dropping medicine or oil in the ear of a fasting person
Applying kohl (surma) for a fasting person
Breaking the fast to welcome a traveler
A person unable to pay atonement
A fasting person using a suppository
Performing things that invalidate the fast due to forgetfulness does not invalidate the fast:
Eating and drinking after the Fajr call to prayer
In a supererogatory fast
Atonement for breaking a fast with something forbidden
Using a nutritional IV while fasting
Breaking the fast due to old age weakness
A person who has make-up fasts from Ramadan
Cannot take a supererogatory fast.
Fasting for an oath atonement
The method of fast atonement
60 consecutive days
The method of atonement fast
Two consecutive months
(Consecutiveness)