Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “The most excellent fast after Ramadan is in God’s month al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night."
‘Imran b. Husain said that the Prophet asked him, or that he asked a man in ‘Imran’s hearing, “Father of so and so, did you not fast the last day of Sha'ban?" When, he replied that he had not, he said, “If you did not observe a fast, you must fast for two days."*
*To reconcile this tradition with that of Abu Huraira at the foot of p.420 it is suggested that the man had made a vow to observe this fast, or that it was his custom.
Ibn ‘Abbas said, "I never saw the Prophet singling out any day’s fast and considering it more excellent than another, except this day, the day of ‘Ashura’,* and this month, meaning the month of Ramadan."
*The 10th of Muharram.
‘Abdallah b. Shaqiq said that when he asked ‘A'isha whether the Prophet used to fast a whole month she replied, "I never knew him to fast a whole month except Ramadan, nor to refrain from fasting some part of every month till he died."
