Misconception Cleared

 *Misconception Cleared*

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*Fasting on Saturday:*

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Almost *all* the sunni scholars have agreed that the hadeeth which says that *"the Prophet (PBUH) prohibited fasting on Saturdays or Sundays is only talking about people who single out Saturday or Sunday to observe VOLUNTARY fast.

EVIDENCE NO 1

♻Al-Nawawi wrote in his book Minhaj al-Talibin:

"It is the Sunnah to fast on Monday and Thursday, the day of Arafat, the day of Ashura and the ninth of al-Muharram, the white days (that's - the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each month), and six days of Shawwal and to do so consecutively is better. It is disliked to single out Friday or Saturday for fasting" 📚Source: Minha‌j al-T‌a‌libi‌n 1/79

EVIDENCE NO 2

♻ Imaam at-Tirmidhee said: “The above hadeeth is Hasan. The meaning of dislike here applies to the man who singles out Saturday with fasting due to the fact that the Jews revere this day.”

EVIDENCE NO 3

♻Al-Athram said: “The proof utilised by Abu Abdallaah (that's - Ahmad bin Hanbal) in allowing fasting on a Saturday is that all of the ahaadeeth oppose the hadeeth of Busr (i.e. the hadeeth people are mis-interpreting) –  and from them is the hadeeth of Umm Salamah (r.a.) when she was asked: 👉 On which days did the Prophet (PBUH) predominantly fast? So she responded: 👉 Saturday and Sunday.📚(Ahmad, 6/324)”

EVIDENCE NO 4

♻ Ibn Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) stated: “It is known that fasting on a Saturday has different scenarios:

*The first scenario:* That [the fast] is obligatory like that of Ramadaan, so he fasts – or it is making up of an obligatory fast or an expiation, or in replacement for the one who did not sacrifice whilst at Hajj at-Tamattu’.. So in this, there is no harm, so long as he does not single it out with fasting believing it to be [more] virtuous.

*The second scenario:* That he fasts the day before it, (ie - Friday, because some people believe voluntary fast on Friday to be haram) -  then, there is no harm in that.. This is because the Prophet (PBUH) told one of the Mothers of the Believers who fasted on a Firday: -  “Did you fast yesterday?” She said: “No.” He said: “Are you going to fast tomorrow (i.e. Saturday)?” She said: “No.” So he said: “Then break your fast.” (Bukhaaree, 1986) - So his saying, “Are you going to fast tomorrow?” proves the permissibility of fasting Saturday along with Friday.

*The third scenario:* That the legislated fasts happen to coincide with Saturday, such as the middle of month recommended fasts, or the day of ‘Arafah, or the day of ‘Aashooraa, or the six days of Shawwaal for the one who fasted Ramadaan, or the nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, then there is no harm in fasting because one is not fasting because it is a Saturday, rather he fasts because it is legislated to fast on these occasions.

*The fourth scenario:* That fasting on a Saturday happens to coincide with one’s habit such as the one who fasts one day and leaves off fasting the next day [and so on] – so the day he is fasting happens to coincide with a Saturday, in this case there is no harm. [This is] like the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) in forbidding fasting a day or two days just prior to Ramadaan except for the one who is in the habit of fasting *(Bukhaaree, 1914)*. So here there is no forbiddance, so this case is similar.

*The fifth scenario:* That a person singles out Saturday alone for the optional fast, then, *this is forbidden,* if it is assumed that the hadeeth of forbiddance of fasting on a Saturday is authentic.”

📚( See Majmoo’ Fatawa Ibn al-Uthaimeen, Vol. 20, p. 57-58)

Therefore,

I urge all of u to fast on Saturday (Arafat day) because:

"Fasting on the Day of 'Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year, and fasting on 'Ashura, (the tenth day of Muharram) atones for the sins of previous years." 📚Reported by all except Al-Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi