Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:
➊
This ruling is abrogated.
Until Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu became aware of its abrogation, he used to give this fatwa.
Abu Bakr ibn Abdur Rahman rahimahullah inquired about the issue from Aisha radi Allahu anha and Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha,
and informed Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the fast is not invalidated if dawn breaks while one is in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah).
Accordingly, Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu retracted his earlier fatwa. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Siyam, Chapter: The Validity of the Fast for One Upon Whom Dawn Breaks While He is Junub, Hadith: 1109)

➋
Whether the state of major ritual impurity (janabah) is due to a wet dream (ihtilam) or due to intercourse (jima‘), in both cases the ruling is the same.
After the true dawn (subh sadiq) has occurred, one may complete the fast after performing the ritual bath (ghusl).

➌
It is permissible to eat and drink while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah).
A woman may also prepare food in this state.
However, it is better to perform ablution (wudu).
See: (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Taharah, Hadith: 593, 592)

Explanation of the Hadith:

The hadith narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu is among the mursal (mursal: a narration in which the companion omits the direct mention of the Prophet and attributes it to a successor or another companion) narrations of the Companions, and regarding mursal narrations, the agreed-upon principle among the hadith scholars is that these narrations are accepted. For details, see: [شرح نخبة الفكر لابن حجر]

Furthermore, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu himself has stated that he heard this hadith (mursal) from Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Chapter: The Fasting Person Who Wakes Up in a State of Janabah (major ritual impurity), it is mentioned regarding the fast of the Messenger of Allah, narrated by Abu Bakrah radi Allahu anhu, who states that his father Abdur Rahman radi Allahu anhu informed Marwan radi Allahu anhu that Sayyida Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma narrated to him that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would perform ritual bath (ghusl) due to intimacy with his wives and then fast, even when he was aware that dawn had already broken. At the end of this incident, it is also mentioned that when Abdur Rahman radi Allahu anhu met Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, he said to him, "I wanted to ask you something, and had Marwan not made me swear an oath, I would not have presented this matter before you at all." Afterwards, Abdur Rahman radi Allahu anhu narrated the hadith mentioned by Sayyida Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma, upon hearing which Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said, "This narration was related to me by Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu," i.e., «فَلَا يَصُوْمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ», "whereas the Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna know this matter better than us." After quoting this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah states: "The son of Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma has corroborated Hammam in narrating from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that 'whoever wakes up in a state of janabah, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would command him to break his fast.'"

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah further writes: "The previous narration, in which there is explicit mention of fasting from the Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna, is more firmly established than the narration about not fasting."

Based on these two hadiths, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars of the past and present regarding this issue. One group says that a person who wakes up in a state of janabah should not fast that day, as is apparent from the (literal) meaning of the hadith. The other group says that if a person finds himself at dawn in a state of janabah, he may perform ritual bath (ghusl) and fast, as is understood from the narration of the Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna.

If the above-mentioned incident of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is carefully considered, it becomes clear that the opinion he had formed based on the earlier narration (that whoever wakes up in a state of janabah should not fast that day), he later retracted from it. The evidence for this is that when the narration from the Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna was presented to him, he said: "The Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna know this matter better than us." Furthermore, it is narrated from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah that later Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu also retracted from this opinion. See: [الاعتبار فى الناسخ والمنسوخ من الآثار، ص: 262]

An Objection: SA After mentioning these hadiths, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah states that the first narration (from Sayyida Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma) is more authentic (asah). However, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah himself has included numerous narrations in his book with the chain of Hammam ibn Munabbih, but at this point, he mentions the narration of Hammam in a suspended (mu'allaq) form and calls the other narration "more firmly established" (asnad). Why is this so? EA

Resolution: Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states: "What has come to my understanding is that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah's intent in calling the first narration 'asnad' is that it appears stronger both in terms of chain and content. The reason is that the narration of Sayyida Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma has reached the level of tawatur (multiple chains) in the same meaning." Thus, from Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah's statement regarding the narration being 'asnad', it is clear that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah preferred the hadith of Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma only due to the abundance of chains and the consistency of meaning, not because of any deficiency in the narration of Hammam. In fact, there is no deficiency in the authenticity of Hammam's chain by this method.

The status of this hadith in the view of the scholars is that, in terms of the authenticity of its chain, no one can reject it. However, it is unfortunate that the issue mentioned in this hadith has not been accepted by many great scholars, even though the reasonable and correct opinion of all is that "whoever finds himself in a state of janabah at dawn may perform ritual bath (ghusl) and fast."

In addition, Imam Shafi'i rahimahullah also adopted the preferred method from the two aforementioned hadiths, but his method of preference was not due to the abundance of chains in the same meaning, but rather for various reasons, the most fundamental and important of which was that the Mothers of the Believers radi Allahu anhunna had thorough knowledge of this issue. Therefore, the hadith narrated from them should be considered preferable. [الاعتبار، ص: 262]

Some scholars have adopted the method of abrogation (naskh) between these two hadiths. For example, Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi rahimahullah states: "Of all the discussions and statements I have heard regarding the non-preferred narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, the best and most refined is to consider this narration abrogated (mansukh)."

Likewise, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah rahimahullah is among those hadith scholars who consider this narration abrogated. Thus, in his book "Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah," in support of his position, he affirms the authenticity of this hadith and refutes those who consider Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu to have been mistaken in this narration, writing: "The narration that whoever finds himself in a state of janabah at dawn should not fast."

Some scholars, due to not understanding the meaning and purport of this hadith, have denied it. Along with this, they have also fallen into the misconception that, despite being a great and highly esteemed Companion, Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was mistaken in this matter. However, the reality is that Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu was not mistaken at all; rather, this narration is authentic and established. However, (it is a separate matter that) this hadith holds the status of being abrogated (mansukh).

Furthermore, after recording a similar hadith, Bukhari rahimahullah states: Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu heard this hadith from the truthful Prophet. And this (in this narration) is absolutely correct, and he did not fall into any kind of misconception or error; however, the narration he transmitted is abrogated (mansukh).

Imam Ibn Khuzaymah rahimahullah, while providing evidence for the abrogation of this hadith, writes: When Allah, the Exalted, initially made fasting obligatory upon the Ummah of Muhammad, the fast would begin at that time, and all permissible matters—such as eating, drinking, and sexual relations—would become prohibited. (If this is kept in view, it becomes apparent that it is possible that the hadith which Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrated from Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu pertains to that period.)

However, now all those matters which were initially impermissible are permissible and lawful until the break of dawn, and a person in a state of janabah may also fast. For example, if a person has intercourse in the last part of the night and immediately thereafter dawn breaks, then in this case, he does not get time for ritual bath (ghusl), and morning arrives while he is in a state of janabah. In such a case, he may fast (without any dislike).

It is thus understood that the hadith of Aisha and Umm Salama radi Allahu anhuma—that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would fast even after waking up in a state of janabah—abrogates the hadith of Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, because in it the action of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is described. And the action of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam necessitates that it is after the permissibility of intercourse until the break of dawn.

It has also been said regarding this hadith that it applies to the case where a person is in a state of janabah and, despite knowing, continues to sleep until morning arrives; for such a person, fasting is not permitted. However, if he remained asleep unintentionally, then he may fast. [الاعتبار، ص: 259]

Arguments:
From all the above discussions and applications, it becomes clear that if a person wakes up in a state of janabah, he may fast.

Benefit:
Regarding this narration, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani rahimahullah states:
"‘La yasihhu dhalika ‘an Abi Hurayrah li-annahu min riwayati ‘Umar ibn Qays wa huwa matruk.’"
"This narration is not authentically established from Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, because it is from ‘Umar ibn Qays, and he is abandoned (matruk)." (Fath al-Bari: 4/146)
Moreover, the aforementioned hadith has already been mentioned, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to partake in suhur while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah).