What is the ruling on fasting on Saturday alone? And how do we respond to the hadith of prohibition?

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : What is the ruling on fasting on Saturday alone, and what is the explanation of the hadith?

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : And what is your explanation of the hadith regarding the prohibition?

The Shaykh : What is the hadith?

The questioner : That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited fasting on Saturday alone, other than what is obligatory.

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : The meaning of the hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited fasting on Saturday alone.

The Shaykh : Fasting on Saturday alone.

The questioner : Yes, other than what is obligatory.

The Shaykh : Yes, the hadith is meaning the stalks of the grapevine, he chews them and eats them, meaning let him do so. But this hadith is not in the two Sahihs, nor in either of them. The hadith established in the two Sahihs is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon one of the Mothers of the Believers and found her fasting, so he said to her: What does this hadith indicate? It indicates that fasting on Saturday is permissible. The hadith you referred to was narrated by Abu Dawud and others from the compilers of the Sunan. It does not match this one in authenticity. And if it does not match it in authenticity, then among the established principles in the terminology of hadith is that it is anomalous (shadhdh), because it contradicts what is stronger than it. And the anomalous hadith is not acted upon. This is the approach taken by some scholars, who said this hadith is anomalous and not acted upon. Some of them weakened it in its chain, meaning those who say it is anomalous weakened it in its text. And some of them weakened it in its chain and said: it is not authentic, and they criticized some of its narrators. And some of them said: it is abrogated. And some of them reconciled it with the hadith of the permissibility of fasting on Saturday, saying: if he fasts it alone because it is Saturday, then that is what is prohibited. And if he fasts it following another day, or for a reason that necessitates specifying this day, then there is no harm. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) held this view. And this is undoubtedly a good reconciliation between the two hadiths. So we say: do not fast on Saturday alone. But if you fast it with another day, there is no harm. Or if you fast it because it is a day on which fasting is recommended, such as if it coincides with the Day of 'Arafah, or if it coincides with the fifteenth of the month and you are fasting the white days, or if it coincides with the Day of 'Ashura, then there is no harm. And this is the best of the opinions you have heard, so let it be the relied-upon one. That is, it is disliked to fast on Saturday because it is Saturday. But if he fasts it for another reason, there is no harm. And likewise, if he does not fast it alone by fasting a day before it or a day after it, then there is no harm. Yes.