How to reconcile the hadith (Fasting on Saturday is neither for you nor against you) with the other hadiths, and what is the meaning of (neither for you nor against you) here? Is it regarding the reward?

The questioner : My question has two separate parts regarding the topic. The first question is about the hadith in "Sahih al-Jami'" which you mentioned was narrated by Imam Ahmad in "Al-Musnad" from a woman, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So what is the way to reconcile this hadith with the other hadiths, and what is the meaning of here? Is it regarding the reward or something else? This is the first question.

Another questioner : Just wait for us...

Another questioner : This is the first part.

The Shaykh : We do not see a difference between this hadith; we do not see a difference between this hadith and the explicit hadith prohibiting fasting on Saturday. I remind you of the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As in his well-known story in "Al-Sahihayn," which is summarized as follows: "His father, Amr ibn al-As, married him to a young woman from Quraysh, and married him off while he was young. A few days after his marriage, Amr asked his daughter-in-law about her situation with her husband," or about their sexual life, so she answered with a phrase of utmost softness and implication of the intended meaning, saying: "He has not yet lain with us on a bed"; meaning we got married but we did not consummate the marriage, "He has not yet lain with us on a bed." So he complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "We married him and we asked the wife, and her answer was such and such." Ibn Amr is the one who narrates the story, saying: . He said: I said: That was the case, O Messenger of Allah. He said: . It came in the hadith of Salman, to the point where one hadith mixes with another: , he used to fast the whole year—and here is the point—"he used to fast the whole year and stand in prayer at night." This is a person who is not suitable for women; is that not so? Standing in prayer at night, fasting during the day, fasting the whole year. So the Messenger (peace be upon him) wanted...

The questioner : The fault is on his father (may Allah be pleased with him); the fault is on his father, since he knew he was like that, why did he marry him off?

The Shaykh : Hmm, no, he intended good for him; he wanted to protect him—in the name of Allah. The point is, he said to him (peace be upon him): . He said: O Messenger of Allah, I am young. This is a statement you do not hear in this time. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am young, I am strong, I am able to do more than that." So he extended it to him with more and more fasting until he said to him: . And the point is, he said to him, to prohibit him from exhausting himself or destroying himself by fasting the whole year, he said to him: . Now the question arises here, and the story has a continuation, which may be known to some of the attendees: Is that prescribed for him? If you know, let me know; if you do not know, ask.

The questioner : I am asking.

The Shaykh : Fine, we understand from his statement (peace be upon him): ; meaning: he did not fast a fast that is in accordance with the Shari'ah, so he is not rewarded for it, and he did not break the fast, because he did not eat as people eat, so from the material, worldly aspect, he did not break the fast, and from the Shari'ah aspect, he did not fast; is it permissible for a Muslim to fast a fast that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah? The answer is obvious: No. And this is supported by the fact that in "Musnad al-Tayalisi" and "Musnad Imam Ahmad," from the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: ; so we understand from the hadith: that it is not permissible to fast the whole year, and I have explained the reason for that; because he is fasting a fast that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah, like the one who prays a prayer that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah. The statement of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman when he saw a man praying without settling in his bowing and prostration, he said: "If this man dies while praying this prayer, he dies upon a religion other than the religion of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)." If we know the indication of the hadith: , it becomes easy for us to understand your hadith that: , and at that time, this hadith meets the famous hadith with many authentic chains: , we have an appointment with the doctor who is traveling today, so we will leave, if Allah wills.

The questioner : If Allah wills.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : We are asking permission from our brothers because we have an appointment with some of our guest brothers; if there is an urgent question, we will answer it briefly.