13. Ṣawm (Fasting)

١٣۔ كتاب الصيام

13.38 The virtue of fasting Muharram

١٣۔٣٨ باب فَضْلِ صَوْمِ الْمُحَرَّمِ

Best fast after Ramadan is Muharram and the best prayer after the fard is the night prayer

muslim:1163aQutaybah b. Saʿīd > Abū ʿAwānah > Abū Bishr > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Ḥimyarī > Abū Hurayrah

The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.  

مسلم:١١٦٣aحَدَّثَنِي قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِمْيَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ  

The best prayer after fard is the night prayer and the best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in the month Muharram

muslim:1163bZuhayr b. Ḥarb > Jarīr > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

he attributed this to the Prophet ﷺ: He was asked which prayer is best after the obligatory prayers and which fasting is best after the month of Ramadan? He said: (1) The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the one offered in the middle of the night, and (2) the best fast after the month of Ramadan is the fast in the Month of Allah: al-Muharram.  

مسلم:١١٦٣bوَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ يَرْفَعُهُ قَالَ

سُئِلَ أَىُّ الصَّلاَةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَأَىُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ الصَّلاَةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صِيَامُ شَهْرِ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمِ  

muslim:1163cAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī > Zāʾidah

A hadith like this has been reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ by 'Abd al-Malik with the same chain of transmitters in connection with fast.  

مسلم:١١٦٣cوَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ فِي ذِكْرِ الصِّيَامِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ