Muhammad’s Fasting

The Prophet used fasting to perfect his prayer, just as he used prayer to maintain his contentment and submission to Allah’s will. This aligns with Allah’s command: “Seek help through patience and prayer.” (2:45)
Fasting purifies thoughts, reduces sleep, and enhances the transparency of one’s self, so that it will be illuminated by the spirit during prayer, it also strengthens the illumination of the spirit, as the Prophet said: “Fasting is radiant light, and prayer is illumination.”
His fasting was not habitual or repetitive in a rigid way; instead, he varied its forms. He frequently observed fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. Much of his fasting fell on Saturdays and Sundays, while at other times, he fasted Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of one month, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the next. He would not miss fasting the white days (ayyam al-beed) – [during the full moon phase, the 13th, 14th, and 15th day of the lunar month], whether he was traveling or at home. It is also narrated that he would fast three days of every month, and he did not concern himself with whether these were at the beginning, middle, or end of the month.
Beyond fasting, the Prophet minimized his food intake, saying: “We are a people who do not eat until we feel hungry, and when we eat, we do not fill ourselves to capacity.”
These practices formed the core of the Prophet’s worship. However, what he prescribed for others in terms of acts of worship or supplications constituted the Shari‘ah and not his personal Sunnah, which were his distinctive [personal] habits and practices in both worship and daily life from the time of his mission until his passing.
He commanded us to follow his example, saying: “Pray as you have seen me pray.”
His prayer combined form and presence. Those who adopt the form of his prayer without achieving the presence of heart have neither truly seen the Prophet nor prayed, as it is said: “There may be a person who prays but has not truly established their prayer.”
The Prophet would free his heart of all distractions during prayer. It is narrated that he once removed the straps from his new sandals because they occupied his thoughts. Similarly, he once removed his shirt for the same reason.
His prayer was a ladder of ascent (miʿraj) that he would turn to whenever an affliction or difficulty befell him. Through it, he found rest, and in it he found tranquility within himself]. The mark of one who establishes prayer is its reflection in their character, conduct, and dealings with others, for prayer influences the heart, corrects the self, and refines one’s manners.
The true sign of establishing prayer is its reflection in the worshiper’s life, conduct, and inner self. It should influence all interactions with people and manifest in one’s character. This is the essence of the Prophet’s prayer and the standard for those who seek to emulate him.