The ruling on fasting on Saturday alone or together with other days
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The ruling on fasting on Saturday alone or together with other days
Some scholars cited the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Do not fast on Saturday except on what is obligatory for you) to argue that fasting on Saturday is not permissible, whether alone or together with other days. What is the validity of this statement?
This statement is not correct.First: Many scholars have weakened this hadith. Imam Malik, as reported by Abu Dawud,He said: said that it is a lie. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) is well known for his status in hadith; he is one of the imams and preservers of hadith.He said: He said it is a lie, and Abu Dawud is trustworthy.
The second opinion: It is anomalous, and therefore weak.Meaning: We do not say it is a lie, but it is weak, and an anomalous narration is not acted upon.And the aspect of its anomaly is: It contradicts what is established in the authentic hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to one of the Mothers of the Believers when he found her fasting on Friday: (Did you fast yesterday?She said: No,He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No.
He said: Then break your fast.) His statement: (Will you fast tomorrow?) indicates the permissibility of fasting on Saturday, and this contradicts the hadith mentioned by the questioner.Where he said: (Do not fast on Saturday except on what is obligatory for you, and if any of you finds nothing but the bark of a tree or a grape stalk, let him chew it) because the implication of this hadith is that one does not fast with Friday; the implication of the hadith is prohibition. The authentic hadith explicitly states that it is permissible to fast with Friday. Therefore, it is anomalous, because an anomalous narration is when a trustworthy narrator contradicts the trustworthy ones, and it is not permissible to act upon an anomalous narration.
The third view: It is abrogated.And this means: The hadith is authentic but it is abrogated.But this statement requires knowledge of the date: Was this prohibition before the permission or after it? We have no knowledge of that. And it is known that one must know the later date if we say: that it is abrogated.And in that case, the best that can be said about it is: If he fasts it alone because it is Saturday, then it is prohibited; otherwise, it is not.That it was reported in the Sunan from the hadith of Umm Salama: (The most that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast was on Saturday and Sunday) even though they are festivals for the disbelievers, and it is well known that one of the characteristics of a festival is that it is not fasted. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast them in opposition to the Jews and Christians. The scholars mentioned this in refuting this weak hadith which contains the prohibition of fasting on Saturday.
In conclusion: If we were to be lenient and accept this hadith, which is the prohibition of fasting on Saturday, we would not accept it except on the condition that the one who fasted did so because it is Saturday. Based on this, if Saturday coincides with the Day of 'Arafah and he fasts it alone, there is no harm in that; because he fasted it because it is the Day of 'Arafah, not because it is Saturday. Likewise, if Saturday coincides with the tenth of Muharram, he should fast it, but he should fast a day before it and a day after it in opposition to the Jews who fast only the tenth day.
Likewise, if it coincides with his habit, such as one who fasts one day and breaks the fast the next, and it coincides with Friday, and his fasting is on Saturday and his breaking the fast is on Sunday, this is also permissible; because he did not fast it because it is Saturday, but he fasted it because it coincided with his habit.
Take it, may Allah bless you, and spread it among your people, for many people have been misled by the words of some contemporary scholars regarding this hadith.
Some scholars cited the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Do not fast on Saturday except on what is obligatory for you) to argue that fasting on Saturday is not permissible, whether alone or together with other days. What is the validity of this statement?
This statement is not correct.First: Many scholars have weakened this hadith. Imam Malik, as reported by Abu Dawud,He said: said that it is a lie. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) is well known for his status in hadith; he is one of the imams and preservers of hadith.He said: He said it is a lie, and Abu Dawud is trustworthy.
The second opinion: It is anomalous, and therefore weak.Meaning: We do not say it is a lie, but it is weak, and an anomalous narration is not acted upon.And the aspect of its anomaly is: It contradicts what is established in the authentic hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to one of the Mothers of the Believers when he found her fasting on Friday: (Did you fast yesterday?She said: No,He said: Will you fast tomorrow?She said: No.
He said: Then break your fast.) His statement: (Will you fast tomorrow?) indicates the permissibility of fasting on Saturday, and this contradicts the hadith mentioned by the questioner.Where he said: (Do not fast on Saturday except on what is obligatory for you, and if any of you finds nothing but the bark of a tree or a grape stalk, let him chew it) because the implication of this hadith is that one does not fast with Friday; the implication of the hadith is prohibition. The authentic hadith explicitly states that it is permissible to fast with Friday. Therefore, it is anomalous, because an anomalous narration is when a trustworthy narrator contradicts the trustworthy ones, and it is not permissible to act upon an anomalous narration.
The third view: It is abrogated.And this means: The hadith is authentic but it is abrogated.But this statement requires knowledge of the date: Was this prohibition before the permission or after it? We have no knowledge of that. And it is known that one must know the later date if we say: that it is abrogated.And in that case, the best that can be said about it is: If he fasts it alone because it is Saturday, then it is prohibited; otherwise, it is not.That it was reported in the Sunan from the hadith of Umm Salama: (The most that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast was on Saturday and Sunday) even though they are festivals for the disbelievers, and it is well known that one of the characteristics of a festival is that it is not fasted. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast them in opposition to the Jews and Christians. The scholars mentioned this in refuting this weak hadith which contains the prohibition of fasting on Saturday.
In conclusion: If we were to be lenient and accept this hadith, which is the prohibition of fasting on Saturday, we would not accept it except on the condition that the one who fasted did so because it is Saturday. Based on this, if Saturday coincides with the Day of 'Arafah and he fasts it alone, there is no harm in that; because he fasted it because it is the Day of 'Arafah, not because it is Saturday. Likewise, if Saturday coincides with the tenth of Muharram, he should fast it, but he should fast a day before it and a day after it in opposition to the Jews who fast only the tenth day.
Likewise, if it coincides with his habit, such as one who fasts one day and breaks the fast the next, and it coincides with Friday, and his fasting is on Saturday and his breaking the fast is on Sunday, this is also permissible; because he did not fast it because it is Saturday, but he fasted it because it coincided with his habit.
Take it, may Allah bless you, and spread it among your people, for many people have been misled by the words of some contemporary scholars regarding this hadith.