saying, ‘To my Lord belongs all praise; to my Lord belongs all praise,’ then prostrate for about as long as he had stood, saying, ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Most High; glory be to my Lord, the Most High,’ then sit for about as long as he had prostrated, saying, ‘My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me,’ then prostrate.”

As for “continuous fasting without breaking the fast,” it is established that he forbade his Companions to do this, allowing them only to continue until the predawn hours. He explained that he was not like any of them. Some who strove hard in worship would fast continuously: some would go for a month without eating or drinking, others for two months, or for longer or shorter periods. Many of them, however, regretted what they had done, and this became apparent in some of them. For the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most knowledgeable of all creation concerning the path to Allah, the most sincere in counsel to Allah’s servants, the best of all creation, the most obedient to Him, and the most faithful in following His way.

Spiritual states arising from practices that contravene the Sunnah are not praiseworthy, even if they involve disclosures of hidden matters and produce effects. Anyone well acquainted with this subject knows that states arising from acts of worship that are not prescribed are like wealth earned through unlawful means or ownership acquired through unlawful means. Unless Allah comes to His servant’s aid by granting him repentance through which he follows the prescribed path, these things will cause him harm. He may, however, have exercised his judgment and erred, with his error forgiven; or he may have committed a sin that is forgiven because of good deeds that erase it; or he may be tried with afflictions that expiate his sins; or he may be punished by being deprived of those states.