Friday 25 November 2011

Fasting on Friday's and Saturday's.

Q; Asalamunalaykum, pls, can somebody fast on friday and saturday apart from ramadan fast.

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,
Al-Bukhaari (1985) and Muslim (1144) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “No one of you should fast on Friday, unless he fasts (a day) before it or after it.”

According to a report narrated by Muslim: “do not single out the day of Friday for fasting, unless that coincides with a fast that one habitually observes.”

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: These ahaadeeth appear to support the view of the majority of the companions of al-Shaafa’i, which is that it is makrooh to single out Friday for fasting unless that happens to coincide with a fast that one habitually observes. If he joins it to a fast on the day before or the day after, or it coincides with a day that he habitually fasts, such as if he vowed to fast on the day that a loved one was healed for the rest of his life, and that happens to be a Friday, then it is not makrooh, because of these ahaadeeth.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not single out the night of Friday for qiyaam al-layl, and do not single out the day of Friday for fasting, unless that is part of the habitual fasting of any one of you.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 1144).

Al-San’aani said in Subul al-Salaam: This hadeeth indicates that it is haraam to single out the night of Friday for worship or reading Qur’aan that is not one’s regular custom, apart from that which is indicated in the texts, such as reading Soorat al-Kahf.

Al-Nawawi said: This hadeeth clearly states that it is forbidden to single out the night of Friday for prayer or the day of Friday for fasting. It is agreed (among the scholars) that this is makrooh.

He also said: The scholars said that the reason why it is forbidden to single out Friday for fasting is that Friday is a day of du’aa’, dhikr and worship, such as ghusl, going early to the prayer, waiting for the prayer, listening to the khutbah and reciting a lot of dhikr afterwards, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Salaah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah (by working), and remember Allaah much”

[al-Jumu’ah 62:10]

It is makrooh to single out Saturday for fasting, because of the report narrated by al-Tirmidhi (744), Abu Dawood (2421) and Ibn Maajah (1726) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Busr, from his sister, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not fast on Saturdays apart from days when you are obliged to fast. If any one of you cannot find anything other than grape stalks or the twigs of a tree, let him chew it (to make sure that he is not fasting).” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (960). Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan hadeeth. What is makrooh in this case is for a man to single out Saturday for fasting, because the Jews venerate Saturday. End quote.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (3/52): Our companions said: It is makrooh to single out Saturday for fasting … what is makrooh is singling out that day. If he fasts another day along with it, then it is not makrooh, because of the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah and Juwayriyah. If it coincides with a day that a person regularly fasts, it is not makrooh.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It should be noted that different scenarios may apply with regard to fasting on a Saturday.

1 – It may be obligatory, such as observing a Ramadaan fast during Ramadaan or making it up later on, or observing a fast as expiation (kafaarah), or instead of offering a sacrifice when performing Hajj tamattu’, and so on. There is nothing wrong with that so long as he does not single it out deliberately thinking that there is some virtue in that.

2 – If he fasts on the Friday before, there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to one of the Mothers of the Believers who was fasting on a Friday: “Did you fast yesterday?” She said: “No.” He said: “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” She said, “No.” He said: “Then break your fast.” The words, “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” indicate that it is permissible to fast Saturday along with Friday.

3 – If it happens to be one of the days when it is prescribed to fast, such as Ayyaam al-Beed (the 13th, 14th and 15th of each hijri month), ‘Arafah, ‘Ashoora’, six days of Shawwaal for one who has fasted Ramadaan, and the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. There is nothing wrong with that, because he is not fasting because it is Saturday, rather it is because it is one of the days when it is prescribed to fast.

4 – When it happens to be a day when he habitually fasts, such as a person whose habit is to fast alternate days, and the day that he fasts happens to be a Saturday, then there is nothing wrong with it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said when he forbade fasting one or two days before Ramadaan begins: “except a man who (habitually) observes a fast, in which case let him fast.” This is similar.

5 – If he singles it out to observe a voluntary fast for one day only. This is what is forbidden, if the hadeeth forbidding it is proven to be saheeh.

End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (20/57)

And Allah knows best...

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