Who traveled on the day of 'Ashura and broke his fast, having intended to fast before the journey
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The questioner: A person intended to fast on the day of 'Ashura, but a journey arose for him on that day, and he returned afterward. Will the fast for this day be recorded for him or not? Knowing that he also intends to fast the day before it or the day after it? And is the criterion, O honorable Shaykh, the legal sighting or the calendar?The Shaykh: If he intended to fast on the day of 'Ashura but a journey arose for him, we say: Fast while you are traveling; what is the obstacle?So if he says: I am unable to fast while I am traveling.We said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever falls ill or travels, it is recorded for him what he used to do while healthy and resident." And we hope that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) will record the reward for him.
And as for your question: Is the criterion the calendar or the legal method? The criterion in acts of worship is the legal method, even if the calendar—for example—indicates that the day is the ninth; but the crescent was not seen on the night of the thirtieth of Dhul-Hijjah, meaning: the crescent was not seen, so the calendar is not considered.And for this reason we say: In this year, 'Ashura is Saturday and Tasu'a is Friday.
And I say to you: It is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he forbade fasting on Saturday except for what is obligatory upon us.He said: "If one of you finds nothing else, let him chew a grape stem or the bark of a tree." The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding the authenticity of this hadith and its meaning: some of the scholars said that it is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).Meaning: The prohibition of fasting on Saturday.And among those who said that: Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him).He said: This is a fabricated hadith, so Malik rejected it.
And some of the scholars said: It does not reach the level of fabrication, but it is weak due to its anomaly. The aspect of the anomaly is that there are many hadiths indicating the fasting of Saturday.Among them: The Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) said to one of his wives, and she was Juwayriyyah, and she had fasted on Friday, he said to her: "Did you fast yesterday?She said: No,He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No,He said: Then break your fast."
And among them: A group disputed regarding the fasting of Saturday, so they sent to Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask her.So she said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast frequently on Saturday and Sunday."
The first hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and others, and the second is in the Sunan. So the hadith containing the prohibition, in contrast to these hadiths that establish fasting on Saturday, is anomalous, and the anomalous is among the categories of weak hadiths, and it is not acted upon.
And some of the scholars said: It is possible to reconcile between them by saying: Whoever intends to fast on Saturday because it is Saturday; this is forbidden.And the reason for the prohibition: That Saturday is the festival of the Jews, and a festival day is usually a day of leaving work; because festivals are not days of work, and the fasting person generally needs rest and leaving work, so this would be a type of imitation of the Jews. But this reasoning is actually defective because Sunday is the festival of the Christians, and yet there is no prohibition on fasting it.
And Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) weakened this hadith, where he mentioned that Yahya ibn Sa'id avoided it and refused to narrate it. The fact that Imam Ahmad mentioned this about Yahya ibn Sa'id indicates that the hadith is weak in his view.
So now we have ways: 1/ Malik's ruling on it that it is fabricated.
2/ The ruling on it that it is anomalous and weak.
3/ Abu Dawud mentioned it, and that it is abrogated, but one hesitates regarding this third point; because there is no evidence for abrogation, and abrogation requires knowledge of the timeline.
And the closest thing that can be said about it: That singling it out for fasting is disliked.Meaning: That fasting on Saturday because it is Saturday is disliked. But if it happens to be the day of 'Ashura or the day of 'Arafah, or if it coincides with your custom such that you are among those who fast one day and leave one day, and Saturday coincides with your fasting day, there is no harm in it. Or if Saturday coincides with the white days, or the six days of Shawwal, or if you combine it with another day like Friday or Sunday, all of this is without harm.
And as for your question: Is the criterion the calendar or the legal method? The criterion in acts of worship is the legal method, even if the calendar—for example—indicates that the day is the ninth; but the crescent was not seen on the night of the thirtieth of Dhul-Hijjah, meaning: the crescent was not seen, so the calendar is not considered.And for this reason we say: In this year, 'Ashura is Saturday and Tasu'a is Friday.
And I say to you: It is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he forbade fasting on Saturday except for what is obligatory upon us.He said: "If one of you finds nothing else, let him chew a grape stem or the bark of a tree." The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding the authenticity of this hadith and its meaning: some of the scholars said that it is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).Meaning: The prohibition of fasting on Saturday.And among those who said that: Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him).He said: This is a fabricated hadith, so Malik rejected it.
And some of the scholars said: It does not reach the level of fabrication, but it is weak due to its anomaly. The aspect of the anomaly is that there are many hadiths indicating the fasting of Saturday.Among them: The Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) said to one of his wives, and she was Juwayriyyah, and she had fasted on Friday, he said to her: "Did you fast yesterday?She said: No,He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No,He said: Then break your fast."
And among them: A group disputed regarding the fasting of Saturday, so they sent to Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask her.So she said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast frequently on Saturday and Sunday."
The first hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and others, and the second is in the Sunan. So the hadith containing the prohibition, in contrast to these hadiths that establish fasting on Saturday, is anomalous, and the anomalous is among the categories of weak hadiths, and it is not acted upon.
And some of the scholars said: It is possible to reconcile between them by saying: Whoever intends to fast on Saturday because it is Saturday; this is forbidden.And the reason for the prohibition: That Saturday is the festival of the Jews, and a festival day is usually a day of leaving work; because festivals are not days of work, and the fasting person generally needs rest and leaving work, so this would be a type of imitation of the Jews. But this reasoning is actually defective because Sunday is the festival of the Christians, and yet there is no prohibition on fasting it.
And Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) weakened this hadith, where he mentioned that Yahya ibn Sa'id avoided it and refused to narrate it. The fact that Imam Ahmad mentioned this about Yahya ibn Sa'id indicates that the hadith is weak in his view.
So now we have ways: 1/ Malik's ruling on it that it is fabricated.
2/ The ruling on it that it is anomalous and weak.
3/ Abu Dawud mentioned it, and that it is abrogated, but one hesitates regarding this third point; because there is no evidence for abrogation, and abrogation requires knowledge of the timeline.
And the closest thing that can be said about it: That singling it out for fasting is disliked.Meaning: That fasting on Saturday because it is Saturday is disliked. But if it happens to be the day of 'Ashura or the day of 'Arafah, or if it coincides with your custom such that you are among those who fast one day and leave one day, and Saturday coincides with your fasting day, there is no harm in it. Or if Saturday coincides with the white days, or the six days of Shawwal, or if you combine it with another day like Friday or Sunday, all of this is without harm.