Ruling on Spending on Family and Cooking Rice on the Day of Ashura
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Ahkam of Food and Drink, Vol. 1, Page 447
What is the reality of the narrations regarding spending generously on one’s family and cooking rice on the day of Ashura?
«مَنْ وَسَّعَ عَلٰی عِيَالِه فِی النَّفَقَةِ يَوْمَ عَاشُوْرَآءَ وَسَّعَ اﷲُ عَلَيْهِ سَائِرَ السَّنَةِ»
(Mishkat al-Masabih)
Meaning: Whoever spends generously on his family on the day of Ashura, Allah will grant him abundance throughout the year.
It is also narrated from ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud (RA) and Sufyan al-Thawri (RA):
«اِنَّا قَدْ جَرَّبْنَاهُ فَوَجَدْنَاهُ کَذَالِکَ»
(Mishkat al-Masabih)
Meaning: We tried this and indeed found it to be exactly as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said.
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
① Regarding the narration:
The Hadith «مَنْ وَسَّعَ عَلٰی عِيَالِه...» is not established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Shaykh al-Albani (ḥafiẓahullāh), in his commentary on Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab al-Zakah, Bab Fadl al-Sadaqah, Fasl Thalith, writes:
«هُوَ حَدِيْثٌ ضَعِيْفٌ مِنْ جَمِيْعِ طُرُقِهِ وَحَکَمَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْخُ الْاِسْلاَمِ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَةَ بِالْوَضْعِ فَمَا اَبْعَدَ ، وَالشَّرِيْعَةُ لاَ تَثْبُتُ بِالتَّجْرِبَةِ»
Meaning: This Hadith is weak from all its chains, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) declared it fabricated, which is entirely correct. The Shariah cannot be established merely by experience.
② Regarding cooking rice or other foods on Ashura for the purpose of distribution:
There is no authentic evidence from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on this matter.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Ahkam of Food and Drink, Vol. 1, Page 447
❖ Question
What is the reality of the narrations regarding spending generously on one’s family and cooking rice on the day of Ashura?
❖ Hadith Quoted
«مَنْ وَسَّعَ عَلٰی عِيَالِه فِی النَّفَقَةِ يَوْمَ عَاشُوْرَآءَ وَسَّعَ اﷲُ عَلَيْهِ سَائِرَ السَّنَةِ»
(Mishkat al-Masabih)
Meaning: Whoever spends generously on his family on the day of Ashura, Allah will grant him abundance throughout the year.
It is also narrated from ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud (RA) and Sufyan al-Thawri (RA):
«اِنَّا قَدْ جَرَّبْنَاهُ فَوَجَدْنَاهُ کَذَالِکَ»
(Mishkat al-Masabih)
Meaning: We tried this and indeed found it to be exactly as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
① Regarding the narration:
The Hadith «مَنْ وَسَّعَ عَلٰی عِيَالِه...» is not established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Shaykh al-Albani (ḥafiẓahullāh), in his commentary on Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab al-Zakah, Bab Fadl al-Sadaqah, Fasl Thalith, writes:
«هُوَ حَدِيْثٌ ضَعِيْفٌ مِنْ جَمِيْعِ طُرُقِهِ وَحَکَمَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْخُ الْاِسْلاَمِ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَةَ بِالْوَضْعِ فَمَا اَبْعَدَ ، وَالشَّرِيْعَةُ لاَ تَثْبُتُ بِالتَّجْرِبَةِ»
Meaning: This Hadith is weak from all its chains, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) declared it fabricated, which is entirely correct. The Shariah cannot be established merely by experience.
② Regarding cooking rice or other foods on Ashura for the purpose of distribution:
There is no authentic evidence from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on this matter.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
