By Mawlana Muhammad bin Haroon Abasoomer
Imams Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi have reported from Sayyidatuna Samma رضي الله عنها that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “Don’t fast on Saturdays unless it’s an obligatory fast,” i.e, like Ramadan.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith 2413, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi, hadith: 744, and others)
This Hadith has been quoted by some contemporaries to discourage people from fasting on the 10th of Muharram, or even the 9th or 11th of Muharram, if any of these dates fall on a Saturday.
This is a gross misinterpretation which stems from a lack of faqāhah (true understanding of the nature of Shari’ah).
Hereunder is a brief explanation of the issue as understood by the senior scholars of the ummah.
The scholars have either interpreted the above hadith differently, classified it to be abrogated or even dismissed it as weak. The details are as follows.
Correct Interpretation
1. Imams Bukhari and Muslim have reported via Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “None of you should fast on a Friday, unless he fasts with it one day before or after.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 1985, and Sahih Muslim, hadith 2678)
This Hadith clearly states that there is no harm if one observes a fast on a Friday and Saturday together. Hence the Hadith that prohibits fasting on Saturdays will be interpreted to mean fasting on a Saturday only.
Note: Those who have the habit of dismissing everything that doesn’t suite them as a “weak hadith”, should take note that this hadith is in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The next hadith is also classified ṣaḥīḥ:
2. Sayyidatuna Ummu Salamah رضي الله عنها – the honorable wife of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم – reports, “Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم would fast on Saturdays and Sundays more than any other days.”
(Musnad Ahmad, vol.6 pg.324 and classified ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) by Imams Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban. See Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, hadith 2167, and Sahih Ibn Hibban, hadith 3616.)
Interestingly both Imams Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban have recorded this hadith in a chapter titled as “The chapter which explains the permissibility of fasting on a Saturday coupled with another day.”
3. Hafiz Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali says, “In light of this, we will interpret the narration that prohibits fasting on Saturdays to mean fasting on a Saturday alone.” (Lata’if al-Ma’arif, pg.112)
4. In fact, Imam Bayhaqi quoted the hadith of prohibition in a chapter titled, “Chapter that discusses the narrations that prohibit fasting on a Saturday alone.’
In other words, Imam Bayhaqi has also concurred with the conclusion that the hadith does not stop one from fasting on a Saturday as long as one fasts a day before or after as well. For this reason Bayhaqi ends the chapter with the hadith of Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها –cited above- that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم would often fast on Saturdays and Sundays. (Sunan al-Kubra, vol.4, pg.302-303)
Note: There are many Scholars who have adopted the above interpretation. I have not quoted them to avoid monotony. In fact, even Imam Tirmidhi after recording this hadith states, “The meaning of this prohibition is when a man singles out the day of Saturday for fasting, since the Jews revere this day only. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, hadith 744)
5. Imam Tahawi writes, “It’s possible that the prohibition applies to those who do so solely to replicate the Jews. If someone fasts on Saturday without the intention of emulating of the Jews, then it will not be makruh (disliked).” (Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar, vol.2, pg.81)
Those Who Claimed Abrogation
6. Imam Abu Dawud after citing this narration in his Sunan writes:
“This narration is abrogated by the hadith reported by Sayyidatuna Juwairiyah رضي الله عنها wherein she reports that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم visited her on a Friday and discovered she was fasting. He enquired, “Did you fast yesterday?”
She replied, “No.”
He asked further, “Do you intend to fast tomorrow (Saturday)? She said: “No.”
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “Then don’t fast today.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 1986, and Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith 2414)
By quoting this Imam Abu Dawud is emphasizing that the Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم saw nothing wrong with fasting on a Saturday.[1]
7. Like Imam Abu Dawud has done, Imam Bayhaqi also quoted the hadith of Sayyidatuna Juwairiyyah رضي الله عنها in answer to the hadith of prohibition. (Sunan al-Kubra, vol.4, pg.303)
8. Ibn Taymiyyah says, “This Hadith is either shādh (unacceptable due to contradiction) or mansūkh (abrogated).”
Those Who Deemed it as a Weak Narration
9. Imam Abu Dawud quotes Imam Malik to have said, “This is a mistake.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith 2416)
10. He also quotes that whenever the narration that prohibits fasting on Saturdays was mentioned before Imam Zuhri he would say that it is unreliable. (Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith 2415. See Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah’s footnotes explaining Zuhri’s statement.)
Imam Tahawi has also said that Imam Zuhri discredited this report. (Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar, vol.2, pg.81)
11. Imam Nasa’i after reporting this hadith comments, “This Hadith is very contradictory.” (Talkhis al-Habir, vol.2, pg.470)
12. Imam Tahawi says, “The Hadiths that permit fasting on a Saturday are more popular and acceptable to the ‘Ulama in comparison to this [hadith of prohibition] which is shādh (unacceptable due to contradiction).” (Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar, vol.2, pg.80)
13. Ibn Taymiyyah says, “This hadith is either shādh (unacceptable due to contradiction) or mansūkh (abrogated).”
14. Hafiẓ Ibn Hajar says, “Such contradiction in a narration like this one is sufficient to weaken it.” (Talkhis al-Habir, vol.2, pg.470)
Note: It’s truly amazing how some people – when it suites them – choose to follow a hadith as debatable as this one and ignore other hadiths that are authentic (like the hadith of Bukhari and Muslim and the other from Sahih Ibn Hibban).
15. Imam Tahawi writes in his Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar, “Indeed Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم permitted and encouraged fasting on ʿĀshūrāʾ, and he never said, “Don’t fast [ʿĀshūrāʾ] if it falls on a Saturday.”
Tahawi writes further, “That’s a proof to show that the [ʿĀshūrāʾ] fast can be observed on any day.” (vol.2, pg.80)
Summary
In light of the above, one will be allowed to fast on ʿĀshūrāʾ if it falls on a Saturday as long as it is not done in emulation of the Jews and/or one adds a day before or after it. This is supported by authentic hadiths.
As for the hadith that apparently prohibits fasting on a Saturday other than for the obligatory fast, together with it being classified as either abrogated or weak by senior scholars of the ummah, it also has a different interpretation.
In fact, some of the earlier scholars actually refused to quote this narration to anyone, for fear of creating confusion (like is the sad case today).
[1] Refer to an interesting discussion on the details of this abrogation by Hafiẓ Ibn Hajar in Talkhis al-Habir, vol.2, pg.480.
December 15, 2012
Courtesy of al-Miftah
Note: This article was edited for spelling, style, and grammar.
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