What is the ruling on gathering to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and to stand in prayer during their nights in congregation?
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Question:
Some young people make a pact to fast on specific days, such as Monday and Thursday. They break their fast together and go out to the open desert, and they stand in prayer at night in congregation. What is the ruling on this practice of theirs? They have invited me to join them, so should I go out with them?
Answer:
These are bid'ah (religious innovations) and newly invented matters. Fasting on Monday and Thursday is a sunnah (recommended practice), but not in congregation, not in congregation, not by agreement, and not by going out to the open desert or to a rest area. These matters may lead to things that are to be feared. There may be people among them who have malicious ideas and want to spread them among the youth. They approach them through the path of worship, they approach them through the path of worship, in order to be able to gather them and impose misguided ideas upon them.
It is sufficient that this is a bid'ah (religious innovation), even if there are no ideas involved. It is sufficient that this is a bid'ah, and it is not permissible. Whoever wants to fast, let him fast, and praise be to Allah. Whoever wants to pray at night, let him pray, without being connected to others or making an agreement. This is among the bid'ah (religious innovations). And I fear that there is evil behind it.
Because people today are in a time of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and the callers to misguidance are many. They cannot say to people openly that they are calling them to misguidance. They approach them through the path of worship, the path of good, and then they sneak evil upon them. So beware of these matters. Yes.
Some young people make a pact to fast on specific days, such as Monday and Thursday. They break their fast together and go out to the open desert, and they stand in prayer at night in congregation. What is the ruling on this practice of theirs? They have invited me to join them, so should I go out with them?
Answer:
These are bid'ah (religious innovations) and newly invented matters. Fasting on Monday and Thursday is a sunnah (recommended practice), but not in congregation, not in congregation, not by agreement, and not by going out to the open desert or to a rest area. These matters may lead to things that are to be feared. There may be people among them who have malicious ideas and want to spread them among the youth. They approach them through the path of worship, they approach them through the path of worship, in order to be able to gather them and impose misguided ideas upon them.
It is sufficient that this is a bid'ah (religious innovation), even if there are no ideas involved. It is sufficient that this is a bid'ah, and it is not permissible. Whoever wants to fast, let him fast, and praise be to Allah. Whoever wants to pray at night, let him pray, without being connected to others or making an agreement. This is among the bid'ah (religious innovations). And I fear that there is evil behind it.
Because people today are in a time of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and the callers to misguidance are many. They cannot say to people openly that they are calling them to misguidance. They approach them through the path of worship, the path of good, and then they sneak evil upon them. So beware of these matters. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الاجتماع على صيام يومي الاثنين والخميس وقيام ليلتهما في جماعة؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.