Determining the Fasting of the Day of 'Ashura
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Honorable Shaykh! Is it better to fast the day after the Day of 'Ashura or the day before it?
The scholars said: Fasting the Day of 'Ashura is either done alone, or the ninth is fasted with it, or the eleventh is fasted with it. There is also a fourth possibility where the ninth, tenth, and eleventh are fasted, so three days of the month are fasted.
The better option, if one does not wish to fast more than two days, is to fast the ninth and tenth days rather than the eleventh. However, in this year, which I mean the year 1415 AH, people differed because the news—meaning the confirmation of the month—did not arrive until late. So some people proceeded on the assumption that the month of Dhu al-Hijjah would complete thirty days,And he said: believing that the tenth day was Monday, so they fasted Sunday and Monday. Those who received the news earlier knew the news—Meaning: that the month was confirmed to have begun on the night of the thirtieth of Dhu al-Hijjah—so they fasted on Saturday and Sunday. On this occasion, I would like to clarify that a hadith was reported, which Abu Dawud narrated, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Do not fast on Saturday except for what is obligatory upon you, and if one of you finds nothing to chew except the bark of a tree or a grape stem, let him chew it.) Regarding this hadith, Abu Dawud said that Malik (may Allah have mercy on him)—who is Malik ibn Anas, the famous imam—He said: said that this hadith is a lie, meaning it is fabricated against the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and is not authentic. The truth is that whoever examines this hadith finds that there is confusion in its chain of narration and anomaly or denunciation in its text.
As for the confusion in its chain, the scholars have spoken about it, and whoever wishes to review it may do so. As for the anomaly and denunciation in its text, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, that "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Juwayriyah bint al-Harith and she said: 'I am fasting.'
So he said: Did you fast yesterday?She said: No.
He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No.
He said: so break your fast.) It is well known that the day after Friday is Saturday. This is the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as narrated by al-Bukhari, that he permitted fasting on Saturday. Likewise, what the people of the Sunan narrated from Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) when she was asked: What were the days on which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted the most?She said: [Saturday and Sunday] .
So it is established from the verbal and practical Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that fasting on Saturday is not forbidden. The scholars differ regarding this hadith and acting upon it.So some of them said: Some say that it is not acted upon at all, and that there is no harm in fasting on Saturday, whether it is fasted alone or not; because the hadith is not authentic, and a hadith that is not authentic cannot be the basis for any ruling.
And some of them authenticated or graded the hadith as good and said: Others say that by combining it with other hadiths, what is prohibited is only fasting it alone, meaning fasting it without Friday or Sunday. This is the position of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).So he said: If one fasts another day along with Saturday, there is no harm, such as fasting Friday with it or fasting Sunday with it.
And we also say: If Saturday coincides with a day whose fasting is prescribed, such as the Day of 'Arafah or the tenth of Muharram, then its fasting is not disliked; because the intention is to fast it because it is Saturday,Meaning: fasting it specifically, not because of the days it coincides with which are prescribed for fasting. I pointed this out because some of the brothers heard that people fasted on Saturday to fast the ninth and tenth, so he ordered them to break their fast. This person is actually a mujtahid, but not every mujtahid is correct.
The scholars said: Fasting the Day of 'Ashura is either done alone, or the ninth is fasted with it, or the eleventh is fasted with it. There is also a fourth possibility where the ninth, tenth, and eleventh are fasted, so three days of the month are fasted.
The better option, if one does not wish to fast more than two days, is to fast the ninth and tenth days rather than the eleventh. However, in this year, which I mean the year 1415 AH, people differed because the news—meaning the confirmation of the month—did not arrive until late. So some people proceeded on the assumption that the month of Dhu al-Hijjah would complete thirty days,And he said: believing that the tenth day was Monday, so they fasted Sunday and Monday. Those who received the news earlier knew the news—Meaning: that the month was confirmed to have begun on the night of the thirtieth of Dhu al-Hijjah—so they fasted on Saturday and Sunday. On this occasion, I would like to clarify that a hadith was reported, which Abu Dawud narrated, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Do not fast on Saturday except for what is obligatory upon you, and if one of you finds nothing to chew except the bark of a tree or a grape stem, let him chew it.) Regarding this hadith, Abu Dawud said that Malik (may Allah have mercy on him)—who is Malik ibn Anas, the famous imam—He said: said that this hadith is a lie, meaning it is fabricated against the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and is not authentic. The truth is that whoever examines this hadith finds that there is confusion in its chain of narration and anomaly or denunciation in its text.
As for the confusion in its chain, the scholars have spoken about it, and whoever wishes to review it may do so. As for the anomaly and denunciation in its text, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, that "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Juwayriyah bint al-Harith and she said: 'I am fasting.'
So he said: Did you fast yesterday?She said: No.
He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No.
He said: so break your fast.) It is well known that the day after Friday is Saturday. This is the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as narrated by al-Bukhari, that he permitted fasting on Saturday. Likewise, what the people of the Sunan narrated from Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) when she was asked: What were the days on which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted the most?She said: [Saturday and Sunday] .
So it is established from the verbal and practical Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that fasting on Saturday is not forbidden. The scholars differ regarding this hadith and acting upon it.So some of them said: Some say that it is not acted upon at all, and that there is no harm in fasting on Saturday, whether it is fasted alone or not; because the hadith is not authentic, and a hadith that is not authentic cannot be the basis for any ruling.
And some of them authenticated or graded the hadith as good and said: Others say that by combining it with other hadiths, what is prohibited is only fasting it alone, meaning fasting it without Friday or Sunday. This is the position of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).So he said: If one fasts another day along with Saturday, there is no harm, such as fasting Friday with it or fasting Sunday with it.
And we also say: If Saturday coincides with a day whose fasting is prescribed, such as the Day of 'Arafah or the tenth of Muharram, then its fasting is not disliked; because the intention is to fast it because it is Saturday,Meaning: fasting it specifically, not because of the days it coincides with which are prescribed for fasting. I pointed this out because some of the brothers heard that people fasted on Saturday to fast the ninth and tenth, so he ordered them to break their fast. This person is actually a mujtahid, but not every mujtahid is correct.