What is the ruling on fasting on Saturday?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. A questioner is asking for evidence regarding fasting on the day before or after Saturday?
The Shaykh : The evidence that Saturday should not be singled out for fasting is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 13:358 or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said. The scholars differed regarding this hadith — do not chew, my brother ... — and some scholars said that this hadith is anomalous (shadhdh) and therefore weak, because it contradicts the authentic hadith in the two Sahihs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon one of his wives while she was fasting on Friday, or she entered upon him, and he said to her: Sunan Abi Dawud 2422Sahih (Al-Albani), and in his saying: there is evidence for the permissibility of fasting on Saturday other than as an obligatory fast. Thus, this hadith is anomalous. And one of the conditions for the validity of a hadith is, what is it? Where are the students of terminology? That it not be defective (mu'alla) and that it not be anomalous.
And some of the scholars said that it is abrogated.
And some of them said that it is to be understood as referring to fasting on it alone, and this is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Shaykh : The evidence that Saturday should not be singled out for fasting is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not fast on Saturday except for what is obligatory upon you, even if one of you were to chew a grapevine twig.
لا تصوموا يوم السبت إلا فيما افترض عليكم ولو أن يمضغ أحدكم غصن عنبٍDid you fast yesterday ? She said: No. He again asked: Do you intend to fast tomorrow ? She said: No. He said: So break your fast.
أصمتِ أمس؟ قالت : لا. قال: أتصومين غداً ؟ قالت : لا، قال : فأفطريWill you fast tomorrow?
أتصومين غداً ؟And some of the scholars said that it is abrogated.
And some of them said that it is to be understood as referring to fasting on it alone, and this is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).