Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From this hadith, it is understood that sometimes a person, due to not correctly understanding the true meaning of a hadith, falls into misunderstanding, or becomes confused regarding the hadith. Therefore, to deny any hadith on the basis of one's limited knowledge is not the way of a Muslim. Rather, one should establish contact with other people of knowledge and seek to understand its correct meaning and interpretation. One should not consider oneself to be the possessor of complete intellect.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Due to the virtue of the day of Jumu‘ah (Friday), there was a possibility that people would single out this day for voluntary fasting and for standing in prayer and recitation during its night, and gradually they would begin to treat it as obligatory and mandatory, even though the Shari‘ah has not declared it obligatory or mandatory. In this way, the door to innovation (bid‘ah) would be opened. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam issued this ruling in order to close the path to introducing any act of worship from oneself on any particular day or night. From this, it is established that to declare something obligatory which the Shari‘ah has not made obligatory, or to treat it as if it is obligatory, is not correct.

And thus, one cannot specify any day for an act of worship from one’s own accord.

According to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah and Imam Muhammad rahimahullah, as well as Imam Malik rahimahullah, it is permissible to fast on Friday without restriction, but according to the rest of the Imams, in accordance with the hadith, it is not permissible to single out Friday for fasting, except if it coincides with one’s habitual days.

For example, if a person always fasts on the 1st, 11th, and 21st of the month, and one of these dates falls on a Friday, then fasting on Friday will be permissible. The Hanafis use as evidence for fasting on Friday the narration of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would rarely leave fasting on Friday.

However, this reasoning is not correct,

because according to the narration of Aisha radi Allahu anha, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would also always fast on Thursdays. Another narration states that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would fast on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in one month, and in the next month on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not fast on Friday alone, neglecting the other days.

Explanation:
1:
The meaning is that the desire a person has to meet Allah at the time when the soul is departing and the angels of death have arrived is what is intended here, not in ordinary circumstances, because in normal conditions no one likes to die.

Benefits and Issues:
(1)
The angels give glad tidings to the righteous person who passes away.
As a result, he develops a longing to go to Allah,
so that he may quickly attain those blessings which Allah has prepared for His beloved servants.

(2)
The evil person who passes away realizes from the terrifying state of the angels
that he is deserving of punishment.
Then the angels also inform him of this,
which increases his certainty.
That is why he becomes afraid of dying,
and he does not wish to go to Allah.