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1. Is it permissible to fast daily to discipline oneself, taking into account the Hadith: "O young people, whoever among you can afford to marry, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding one's chastity. And whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him," and the story of the one "who fasts and does not break his fast, and stands in prayer and does not sleep"? 2. How is the last third of the night, mentioned in the Hadith: "Allah descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, saying: Is there anyone asking so that I may give him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I may forgive him?" calculated? Is it by calculating the time from Maghrib to Fajr, and is it according to Makkah time or the time of one's place of residence? 3. Is it better for someone who owes a debt to give charity or to pay off their debt first?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Daily consecutive fasting, with the exclusion of days on which fasting is prohibited (such as the days of Eid and the days of Tashreeq), is permissible according to many jurists. However, fasting on the days when it is prohibited is not permissible. The majority of scholars hold the view that consecutive fasting is permissible, provided that one does not fast on the prohibited days, and on condition that it does not cause harm or lead to the neglect of a right.

Regarding the last third of the night, it is calculated by dividing the time between sunset and dawn into three parts, with the last third being the third part before dawn.

As for giving charity to someone who is in debt, the principle is that the obligatory (repaying debt) takes precedence over the voluntary (charity). It is incumbent upon one who has a debt that consumes their wealth not to give charity until they have repaid their debt. However, it is permissible to give a small amount in charity, even though repaying the debt is more obligatory.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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