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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
كتاب الصيامBook of Fasting
فَصْلٌ مِنْهُ فِيمَا جَاءَ فِي اسْتِقْبَالِ رَمَضَانَ بِيَوْمٍ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ وَحُكْمِ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ الشَّكِّSection: On Beginning Ramadan with a Day or Two and the Ruling of Fasting the Day of Doubt
Hadith 3692
اُردوEn
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا عَنِ الْيَوْمِ الَّذِي يُخْتَلَفُ فِيهِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، فَقَالَتْ: لَا أَنْ أَصُومَ يَوْمًا مِنْ شَعْبَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُفْطِرَ يَوْمًا مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ، فَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ وَأَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قَالَ: أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَعْلَمُ بِذَكَ مِنَّا
Abdullah bin Abi Musa says: I asked Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about fasting on a doubtful day in the month of Ramadan. She said: Fasting one day in Sha'ban is more beloved to me than abandoning one day of Ramadan. Hearing this, I left from there and asked the same question to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar and Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah. They said: The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) know these matters better.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … The "doubtful day" refers to the 30th day of Sha'ban. Fasting on this day is not permissible. If the crescent is not sighted on the 29th of Sha'ban, then the next day will, in all cases, be considered the 30th of Sha'ban. However, Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha, as a precaution, held the opinion of fasting on this day, and in the above-mentioned hadith, she intends to convey this very point. But from the first hadith of this chapter and the following two ahadith, it is established that it is not permissible to fast on the day immediately preceding Ramadan, either due to its proximity to Ramadan or as a precaution:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Count the crescent of Sha'ban for Ramadan, and do not join it with Ramadan, except if a man is accustomed to fasting on a particular day and it coincides with that day (then he may fast). Fast upon sighting the crescent and break the fast upon sighting it. If the crescent is concealed from you by clouds or mist, then the count is not hidden from you (so complete thirty days)." (Tirmidhi: 1/133, Sahihah: 565)
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Fast upon sighting the crescent and break the fast upon sighting it. If clouds, darkness, or dust come between you and the crescent, then complete the count (of thirty days of Sha'ban). Do not welcome the month (of Ramadan) in advance, nor join Ramadan with a day from Sha'ban." (Nasa'i: 1/306, Sahihah: 1917)
Further ahadith related to this chapter and their reconciliations are as follows:
From Abu Hurairah, from Usamah ibn Zayd (and Nasa'i did not mention Abu Hurairah): He said, "I said: O Messenger of Allah! I see you fasting in a month in a manner I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in it?" He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Which month?" I said: Sha'ban. He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Sha'ban is a month between Rajab and Ramadan, which people neglect. In it, the deeds of the servants are raised (to the heavens), and I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting." (Sahihah: 1898, Nasa'i: 1/322)
Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would not fast a complete month in the year except for Sha'ban; he would join it with Ramadan. (Abu Dawud: 2336, Tirmidhi: 736, Nasa'i: 2175, Ibn Majah: 1648) Other narrations clarify that "complete Sha'ban" means fasting most of the days of this month.
However, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "When half of Sha'ban has passed, do not fast." This hadith appears to conflict with the aforementioned hadith of Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha. Its reconciliation is that the hadith of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu pertains to a person who does not have the habit of fasting before the fifteenth of Sha'ban; such a person should not fast in the latter half of Sha'ban either.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Count the crescent of Sha'ban for Ramadan, and do not join it with Ramadan, except if a man is accustomed to fasting on a particular day and it coincides with that day (then he may fast). Fast upon sighting the crescent and break the fast upon sighting it. If the crescent is concealed from you by clouds or mist, then the count is not hidden from you (so complete thirty days)." (Tirmidhi: 1/133, Sahihah: 565)
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Fast upon sighting the crescent and break the fast upon sighting it. If clouds, darkness, or dust come between you and the crescent, then complete the count (of thirty days of Sha'ban). Do not welcome the month (of Ramadan) in advance, nor join Ramadan with a day from Sha'ban." (Nasa'i: 1/306, Sahihah: 1917)
Further ahadith related to this chapter and their reconciliations are as follows:
From Abu Hurairah, from Usamah ibn Zayd (and Nasa'i did not mention Abu Hurairah): He said, "I said: O Messenger of Allah! I see you fasting in a month in a manner I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in it?" He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Which month?" I said: Sha'ban. He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Sha'ban is a month between Rajab and Ramadan, which people neglect. In it, the deeds of the servants are raised (to the heavens), and I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting." (Sahihah: 1898, Nasa'i: 1/322)
Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would not fast a complete month in the year except for Sha'ban; he would join it with Ramadan. (Abu Dawud: 2336, Tirmidhi: 736, Nasa'i: 2175, Ibn Majah: 1648) Other narrations clarify that "complete Sha'ban" means fasting most of the days of this month.
However, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "When half of Sha'ban has passed, do not fast." This hadith appears to conflict with the aforementioned hadith of Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha. Its reconciliation is that the hadith of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu pertains to a person who does not have the habit of fasting before the fifteenth of Sha'ban; such a person should not fast in the latter half of Sha'ban either.
