Are disputed issues, such as fasting on Saturday, raised among the general public? We request details on this.

The questioner : O Shaykh, regarding disputed issues among the general public, such as fasting on Saturday, for example, is it permissible for us, for instance, to tell them, "Do not fast on Saturday except in the obligatory case," as we were told? Some people said, "Do not raise these issues among the people as long as the scholars of this country issue rulings thus; do not contradict the scholars of this country, or so and so?"
Another questioner: ...

The questioner : They say you are causing confusion for the people, and so on. So the response to these people is that we know, if Allah wills, that it is obligatory upon us to...
Another questioner: I advised one of the distinguished brothers, the callers to Allah, who is a teacher at the Islamic University. It was the day of Ashura, the ninth of Muharram, and this time it was a Saturday. He reminded the people in the Friday sermon to fast the ninth and the tenth. The ninth was a Saturday. After the prayer, I went to him and explained to him, saying, "Do not fast on Saturday except in what is obligatory upon you." Then I told him that here is the prohibition, and then the specification to the obligatory only. Then, if one of you finds nothing but a twig...

The Shaykh : ...bark of a tree...
Another questioner: ...bark of a tree or a grapevine twig, let him chew it. I am telling you, this confirms the issue... Imam Malik rejected the hadith. Second, this hadith is specified by what comes after it. Okay, did he fast the day before or the day after, and he started... the issue. In fact, I say, may Allah reward you with good, this place... needs some detail in Saudi Arabia...

The questioner : ...and many issues... especially when the scholars there have issued a ruling on something, they say, "Do not contradict them..."
Another questioner: And the scholars do not accept the hadith at all... by consensus. They say this hadith is specified by the hadith, "Did you fast the day after it?" And the day after it is Saturday... after Friday is Saturday...

The questioner : The hadith of Juwayriyyah...
Another questioner: Yes... certainly, but my intention is regarding the brothers... in Saudi Arabia...

The Shaykh : We say that this position returns Muslims to the ages of sectarian fanaticism. And this fanaticism has been eradicated, if Allah wills, by the current Islamic awakening among many students of knowledge, let alone scholars. Therefore, their saying means opposing what correct knowledge, based on the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, has concluded. Among these texts is the saying of Blessed and Exalted is He: , and similar verses and hadiths that command the Muslim to follow the Sunnah and not to follow those who contradict the Sunnah. For this reason, it is not befitting for a student of knowledge, let alone a scholar among the scholars of Muslims, to regress Muslims by obligating them to follow the scholars of their country. Islam, as we all know, is one country. So it is not befitting, if for example a country is predominantly adherent to a school of jurisprudence, and one of its individuals wants to take the opinion of another school, but this school is not known or famous in that country, that it be said to such a person, "Do not contradict the scholars." The phrase "Do not contradict the scholars" has a place other than this place. Do not contradict the scholars of Muslims in the lands of Islam, meaning do not contradict their consensus. But "Do not contradict the scholars of a certain country" when there are scholars in another country who say the opposite of the first country's scholars—this is a new sectarian bias that should not come from some students of knowledge, let alone from a scholar trusted for his knowledge. In truth, this phrase returns us to the writings, research, and articles written in response to those who follow scholars without knowing their evidence and to those who took following scholars without knowing their evidence as a religion, thereby turning away from adhering to the Book and the Sunnah. It is possible to say, "O so-and-so, call to what is best. Do not say this opinion is the one that every Muslim must follow." Rather, we also follow the righteous predecessors, one of whom would say, "This is what I have. If anyone has something better than what I have, let him present it to us." Our issue here is not a matter of independent legal reasoning where it can be said that opinions differ. If that were the case, the matter would be very easy. But we argue with this authentic hadith. And those who say that Imam Malik rejected this hadith have come from ignorance of the hadith. Because this hadith, as I spoke about in detail in my book *Irwaa' al-Ghalil*, has three routes. A hadith narrated through three routes, if we assume that all these routes are weak, the rule of a weak hadith being strengthened by the multiplicity of routes would be applied to it. How much more so when some of them are authentic in themselves? If the report of Imam Malik rejecting this hadith is authentic, and I mention that they reported from him that he said, "This is a false hadith." Okay! How can it be a false hadith when it is narrated through three chains, some of which are authentic? Some other scholars, like Abu Dawud, for example, who is among those who included this hadith, could not reject it, but he said it is abrogated. And it is known from the principles of jurisprudence that a hadith is not claimed to be abrogated unless reconciliation between it and its contradictor is impossible. Here, there is no hadith that contradicts it in a way that makes reconciliation impossible, so then the claim of abrogation is made. As for the hadith of Juwayriyyah, when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her to have lunch with him, she said, "I am fasting." He said: She said, "No." She said, "No." He said: This hadith is not considered a general rule, but it addresses a specific incident, namely this noble woman who fasted on Friday. She fasted on Friday and had not fasted on Thursday, so she was ordered to add Saturday to Friday. But if you start initially and fast on Friday with the intention to fast on Saturday, here you contradict our hadith . So here, reconciliation is very wide. I and all the attendees know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited fasting on Friday. So we do not fast on Friday unless we fast on Thursday, because fasting on Thursday is recommended and prescribed. But I did not fast on Thursday. Do I start fasting on Friday to follow it with fasting on Saturday? No, because the hadith we mentioned earlier is for the one who fasted on Friday and did not know this ruling. So the expiation for this fasting on Friday is to follow it with fasting on Saturday. This is answer number one. Answer number two: What does this whole process mean? Fasting on Friday and then fasting on Saturday for the general people. Is it an obligatory matter? The answer is no. Okay, is it a permissible matter? Permissibility, yes. Is it more than that? Yes, the recommendation is very good. Here is a rule: when a prohibitor and a permitter conflict, which is given precedence? The prohibitor is given precedence over the permitter . Okay, I want to fast on Friday and Saturday. What is the ruling on this fasting? Is it obligatory? The answer is no. So the prohibitor is given precedence over the permitter. Therefore, from what I mentioned, there is absolutely no room for fasting on the day of Ashura and fasting on the day of 'Arafah if they fall on a Saturday. Then many people fall into a misconception, similar to the misconception of small students when one of them says to his classmate, "A quintal of cotton is heavier than lead." He says, "Lead," and overlooks the word "quintal." A quintal of cotton is heavier, or a quintal of lead? The other one, unaware, is surprised and says, "No, lead, my brother. The issue is a quintal. A quintal of cotton fills the whole house. A quintal of lead might be a corner of the house, but it is a quintal." The point of this example is that many people assume that if the day of 'Arafah falls on a Saturday, they do not fast and thus lose out. In truth, he is the winner. Why? Because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . The one who does not fast on Saturday in obedience to the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of Ashura or the day of 'Arafah is better than the one who fasted it while knowing that his Prophet prohibited him from fasting on Saturday except in the obligatory case. And with this amount, it is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : ...Peace be upon you.