was mentioned to the Holy Prophet, he approved of what Salmān had said and done (Bu. 30:51). Here, therefore, the husband was forbidden to fast, for the sake of the wife. Similarly the wife should not resort to voluntary fasting without the permission of her husband (Bu. 67:85). And as the host in the instance cited above broke the fast on account of his guest, there is a ḥadīth stating that the guest should not undertake a voluntary fast, without the permission of the host (Tr. 8:69).

Expiatory fasts

Fasts are also recommended as an expiation for breaking certain commandments. The expiatory fasts mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān are, (1) two months’ successive fasting when a Muslim has killed a Muslim by mistake and the killer has not the means sufficient to free a slave (4:92); (2) two months’ successive fasting when the husband resorts to the practice called zihār (putting away of the wife by saying, Thou art to me as the back of my mother), and he has not the means to free a slave (58:3, 4); (3) three days’ fasting as an expiation for taking an oath by which one deprives oneself of something lawful when one is unable to free a slave or feed ten poor men (5:89); (4) fasting as decided on by two judges, as an expiation for killing game while one is on pilgrimage as an alternative to feeding the poor (5:95).

Ḥadīth mentions two months’ successive fasting by way of expiation when a fast during Ramadzān is broken intentionally (Bu. 30:30). This was the case of a man who had sexual intercourse with his wife while fasting in Ramadzān, and the Holy Prophet told him to free a slave. On being told that he was too poor for that, he was asked if he could fast for two months successively, and he replied in the negative. Then he was asked if he could feed sixty poor men, and he again said, No. Thereupon the Holy Prophet waited till there came a sack of dates to be given in charity, and the Holy Prophet gave this away to the breaker of the fast, telling him to give it in charity. He said that there was no one in Madīnah poorer than himself, upon which the Holy Prophet laughed heartily and allowed him to take away the sack of dates for his own use. This would show that the keeping of expiatory fasts for two months was only meant to make the violator feel contrite