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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
كتاب الصيامBook of Fasting
بَابُ جَامِعٍ لِبَعْضِ مَا يُسْتَحَبُّ صَوْمُهُ وَمَا يُكْرَهُChapter: A Comprehensive Chapter on What Is Recommended to Fast and What Is Disliked
Hadith 3886
اُردوEn
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ صَوْمِهِ فَغَضِبَ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، قَالَ: وَلَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا قَدْ قَالَ: وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا وَبِبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعَةً، قَالَ: فَقَامَ عُمَرُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! رَجُلٌ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ، قَالَ: ((لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ))، قَالَ: صَوْمُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ؟ قَالَ: ((وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ؟)) قَالَ: لَيْتَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَوَّانَا لِذَلِكَ، قَالَ: صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ؟ قَالَ: ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ، قَالَ: صَوْمُ الْإِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسِ؟ قَالَ: ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ وَأُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ، قَالَ: صَوْمُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَرَمَضَانَ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ؟ قَالَ: ((صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ وَإِفْطَارُهُ))، قَالَ: صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ؟ قَالَ: ((يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ))، قَالَ: صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ؟ قَالَ: ((يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about his fasting. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We are pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, with Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as our Messenger, and with the truth of our pledge. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) or another man stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah! What about a man who fasts every day? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He neither fasts nor breaks his fast. He asked: What about fasting two days and leaving one day? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Who has the strength for that? If only Allah would grant us such strength. He asked: What about fasting one day and leaving one day? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That was the fast of my brother Dawud (peace be upon him). He asked: What about fasting on Mondays and Thursdays? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: On that day I was born and on that day the Qur’an began to be revealed to me. He asked: What about fasting three days every month and the fasts of Ramadan? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That is also perpetual fasting and perpetual breaking of the fast. He asked: What about fasting on the day of Arafah? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This fast is an expiation for the sins of the previous and coming two years. He asked: What about fasting on the day of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram)? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This fast is an expiation for the sins of the previous year.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Reflect on the initial part of the hadith. In reality, the questioner should have asked how many and what kind of fasts he should observe, so that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after assessing his personal circumstances, could have informed him of an appropriate course of action. His directly asking what the habitual practice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in this matter, for which there are no clear expediencies in its explanation, is problematic. For example, at times the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would practice wisal (continuous fasting without breaking the fast at sunset), which is disliked for the ummah; at times he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would observe consecutive fasts, which are difficult for the common person; and at times he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would begin to leave off fasting continuously. Explaining these matters could harm the questioner, as it is possible that he might adopt this concession of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for his entire life, whereas the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would at those times be engaged in other rights and expediencies concerning the Muslims, guests, and his wives.
Consider the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in which he performed at most thirteen and at least seven rak‘ahs (units of prayer). The reason for the fewer rak‘ahs was the advanced age of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, every seeker should observe which legal ruling the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has presented regarding a particular issue through various hadiths, how the aspects of concession (rukhsah) and strictness (‘azimah), and the cases of choice and compulsion, have been taken into consideration. One should act in light of these matters.
Consider the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in which he performed at most thirteen and at least seven rak‘ahs (units of prayer). The reason for the fewer rak‘ahs was the advanced age of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, every seeker should observe which legal ruling the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has presented regarding a particular issue through various hadiths, how the aspects of concession (rukhsah) and strictness (‘azimah), and the cases of choice and compulsion, have been taken into consideration. One should act in light of these matters.
