Fasting three days each month cleanses the heart

📖Sunan al-Nasa’i 2385
Amr ibn Shurahbil reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Shall I tell you what will rid the chest of disturbances? Fasting for three days each month.

This hadith shows the spiritual and physical wisdom of fasting. The Prophet ﷺ described fasting three days every month as a way to remove “disturbances of the chest” – meaning it helps settle the heart, remove restlessness, control desires, and strengthen faith.

Scientific & Practical Evidence

Modern science and psychology confirm how fasting benefits the body and mind:

1. Digestive Health – Rest for the stomach reduces indigestion and bloating.
2. Heart Health – Fasting lowers cholesterol, improves circulation, and reduces risk of heart disease.
3. Mental Clarity – It boosts brain function, focus, and emotional stability.
4. Detoxification – The body naturally removes toxins when food intake pauses.
5. Longevity – Studies show fasting supports healthy aging and longer lifespan.

Self-Control

Fasting also plays a key role in controlling sexual desires:

• Hormonal Regulation -Fasting lowers testosterone spikes and helps balance hormones, which reduces constant sexual urges.
• Mental Restraint – By focusing on worship instead of indulgence, fasting redirects the mind away from lust.
• Prophetic Guidance – In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ advised young men who cannot marry to fast, because “it will be a shield for them.” This directly connects fasting with controlling sexual feelings.

Recommendation vs Obligation

This three-day fasting is not obligatory like Ramadan. It is a recommended Sunnah practice that brings spiritual reward and self-control, while also giving physical health benefits.

Quranic Support

📖Quran 2:184
“…But whoever volunteers extra—it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.”

• Some interpretations of this verse highlight that it encourages extra voluntary deeds, including fasting more than required or feeding the poor beyond obligation. While the verse primarily addressed fasting in Ramadan, scholars explain that the phrase “whoever volunteers extra” opens the door to additional good deeds. This means Islam values not only fulfilling what is obligatory but also striving for extra righteousness, whether through extra fasting or helping others with food and charity.

📖Quran 79:40-41
But as for he who feared standing before his Lord and restrained himself from [evil] desire, then indeed, Paradise will be his refuge.
Fasting trains the believer in restraining sexual desires and leads to Paradise.

📖Quran 59:7
And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.

This verse shows that even if something (like extra fasting) is not made directly obligatory in the Qur’an, if the Prophet ﷺ recommended it, we should take it as guidance and act upon it for reward.