Dought & clear - Prohibition on anticipating Ramadan byfasting one or two days before it begins.

I heard that it is not permissible for us to fastbefore Ramadaan. Is that true?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet )peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him( which forbid fasting in the second half of
Sha'baan, except in two cases:
1 – Those who have a habitual pattern of fasting, such as a man who
usually fasts on Mondays and Thursdays – he may continue to do so even
in the second half of Sha'baan.
2 – If he joins fasts in thesecond half of Ramadaan to the first half,
i.e., if he started to fast in the first half and continues to fast
until Ramadaan begins, this ispermissible. See question no. 13726.
These ahaadeeth includethe following:
Al-Bukhaari )1914( and Muslim )1082( narrated that Abu Hurayrah )may
Allaah be pleased with him( said: The Messengerof Allaah )peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: "Do not anticipate Ramadaan by
fasting one or two days before it begins, but if a man habitually
fasts, then let him fast."
Abu Dawood )3237(, al-Tirmidhi )738( and IbnMaajah )1651( narrated
from Abu Hurayrah )may Allaah be pleased with him( that the Messenger
of Allaah )peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: "When
Sha'baan is half over, do not fast." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 590.
Al-Nawawi said:
The words of the Prophet )peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him(,
"Do not anticipate Ramadaan by fasting one or two days before it
begins, but if a man habitually fasts, then let him fast,"
clearlyindicate that it is not allowed to anticipate Ramadaan by
fasting one or two days before it begins, for those who do not have a
habitual pattern of fasting or who are not continuing to fast after
starting to fast before )in the first half of Sha'baan(. If one is not
continuing to fast or does not have a regular pattern of fasting, then
it is haraam.
Al-Tirmidhi )686( and al-Nasaa'i )2188( narrated that 'Ammaar ibn
Yaasir )may Allaah bepleased with him( said: "Whoever fasts on the day
concerning which there is doubt has disobeyed Abu'l-Qaasim )peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him(." See Question no. 13711.
Al-Haafiz said in Fath al-Baari:
It was understood from this that it is haraam to fast the day of
doubt, because the Sahaabah would not say such a thing based on
personal opinion.
The day of doubt is the thirtieth of Sha'baan if the new moon cannot
be seen because of clouds etc. It is called theday of doubt because it
could be the thirtieth of Sha'baan, or it could be the first day of
Ramadaan. It is haraam to fast on this day, unlessit coincides with a
day on which a person habitually fasts.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo' )6/400( concerning the ruling onfasting
the day of doubt:
If a person observes a voluntary fast on this day, and he has a
reasonfor doing so, such as having the habit of fasting every day, or
of fasting alternate days, orfasting on particular days such as
Mondays, and it happens to coincide with that day, then it is
permissible for him to fast on this day; there is no difference of
opinion among our companions regarding that. The evidence for that is
the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: "Do not anticipate Ramadaan by fasting
one or two days before it begins, but if a man habitually fasts, then
let him fast." If he does not have a reason, then it is haraam for
himto fast on this day.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said in his commentary on the hadeeth "Do not
anticipate Ramadaan by fasting one or two days before it begins…":
The scholars )may Allaah have mercy on them( differed concerning this
prohibition and whetherit meant that this is haraam or makrooh.
Thecorrect view is that it means it is haraam, especially on the day
of doubt.
Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, 3/394.
Based on this, fasting in the second half of Sha'baan falls into two categories:
1- Fasting from the sixteenth until the twenty-eighth. This is
makrooh, except for those who have a habitual pattern of fasting.
2- Fasting on the day of doubt, or one or two days before Ramadaan
begins. This is haraam, except for one who has a habitual pattern of
fasting.
And Allaah knows best.