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Recommended (Mustahab) Fasts Through the Year — The Voluntary Fasts a Bohra Can Keep

الصيام المستحب في السنة
3 min read · 534 words

Beyond the obligatory fast of Ramadan, the Dawoodi Bohra tradition treasures many voluntary (mustahab, also called nafl) fasts kept across the year for great spiritual reward and nearness to Allah. These are recommended, never compulsory — you fast them by choice, with a sincere intention (niyyat) made the night before or by dawn, and they carry their own blessings as taught in Da'aim al-Islam and the community Mansak. Notable recommended days include certain days in the sacred months of Rajab and Sha'ban (the month leading into Ramadan), the days of Moharram associated with mourning and remembrance, and the 'white days' (ayyam al-beedh) in the middle of each lunar month. Because the exact recommended days, their order, and any special supplications vary by month and are guided by the Dai al-Mutlaq, every believer should follow the dates and method set out in the official Mansak and the calendar issued under the Dai's guidance rather than relying on memory or general lists. This guide is a warm encouragement to take up these fasts, kept simply and sincerely, as a way to draw closer to Allah throughout the year.

What ‘Mustahab’ Fasting Means and Its Reward

A mustahab (recommended) fast is voluntary: keeping it earns reward, while leaving it carries no sin. This sets it apart from the obligatory fast of Ramadan, which every able adult must keep. The Quran praises fasting as a means of God-consciousness — ‘fasting is prescribed for you… that you may attain taqwa’ (2:183) — and the voluntary fast lets a believer reach for that nearness all year, not only in one month.

Fasting is a quiet, private act of devotion. It disciplines the self, softens the heart, and is among the most loved forms of worship. In the Dawoodi Bohra tradition these voluntary fasts are kept in the same outward manner as any fast: abstaining from food, drink, and other fast-breakers from the true dawn (subh sadiq) until sunset, with a sincere niyyat. Keep the day simple — pray your obligations in their proper sittings, recite Quran, give in charity, and remember Allah. The reward of a voluntary fast is real and generous, and it prepares the heart for the obligatory fast of Ramadan.

Across the lunar year there are days the community is encouraged to fast. While the precise list and dates are set by the Dai’s guidance, the recurring categories include:

  1. The white days (ayyam al-beedh): the bright nights in the middle of the lunar month, traditionally counted around the 13th, 14th, and 15th, when the moon is full.
  2. Days in Rajab: Rajab is one of the sacred months, and fasting within it is encouraged as a time of turning to Allah.
  3. Days in Sha’ban: the month immediately before Ramadan, kept as a spiritual preparation for the fasting month ahead.
  4. Days in Moharram: associated with the remembrance and mourning of Imam Husain (a.s.), kept in the spirit of grief, devotion, and closeness.
  5. Days tied to significant occasions in the Fatimid calendar honoured under the Dai’s guidance.

The specific dates, how many days, and any accompanying duas differ by month and year. Do not assume a fixed count — confirm each from the issued calendar.

How to Keep Them, and Following the Mansak

To keep a voluntary fast: form the niyyat (the night before or by dawn), abstain through the day, and break your fast at sunset (iftar), ideally with a date and water as is the gentle custom. Eat a light suhoor before dawn if you can, as it is blessed. If a guest arrives or a genuine need calls, a voluntary fast may be set aside without sin — this flexibility is part of its mercy. Those who are unwell, travelling, or for whom fasting is a hardship are under no obligation to keep voluntary fasts at all.

Most importantly: the recommended days, their dates, and their special supplications are determined by the Dai al-Mutlaq and laid out in the community Mansak and the official calendar. This guide is a study aid only; it is not a substitute for that authoritative guidance. Always confirm the specific recommended fasts, dates, and method with your aamil saheb and follow the Mansak rather than any general list.

See also: Niyyat For Fasting, What Breaks The Fast, Suhoor And Iftar Guide, Ramadan Guide

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