Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: When there comes the month of
Ramadan, the gates of mercy are opened, and the gates of
Hell are locked and the devils are chained,
This hadith is reported by Abu Huraira (with a slight
alteration of words) that the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) said:" When (the month of) Ramadan
begins."
Chapter 2: FASTING IN RAMADAN SHOULD NECESSARILY
BE COMMENCED WITH THE SIGHT OF THE NEW MOON AND FINISHED
WITH THE SIGHT OF THE NEWMOON IF THE WEATHER IS CLOUDY AT
THE BEGINNING OR AT THE END, THEN COMPLETE THIRTY DAYS
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying in
connection with Ramadan: Do not fast till you see the new
moon, and do not break fast till you see it; but if the
weather is cloudy calculate about it.
Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) made a mention of Ramadan and he with the
gesture of his hand said: The month is thus and thus. (He
then withdrew his thumb at the third time). He then said:
Fast when you see it, and break your fast when you see it,
and if the weather is cloudy calculate it (the months of
Sha'ban and Shawwal) as thirty days.
This hadith is narrated on the authority of 'Ubaidullah
with the same chain of transmitters, and he said: If (the
sky) is cloudy for you, then calculate thirty days (for
the month of Ramadan).
'Ubaidullah narrated on the authority of the same chain
of transmitters that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) made a mention of Ramadan and said: The month
may consist of twenty-nine days, and it may be thus, thus
and thus, and (he further) said: Calculate it, but he did
not say thirty.
Ibn'Umar (Allah be pleased with-both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
month of Ramadan may consist of twenty-nine days. So do
not fast till you have sighted it (the new moon) and do
not break fast, till you have sighted it (the new moon of
Shawwal), and if the sky is cloudy for you, then
calculate.
'Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: The month (of Ramadan) may consist of twenty nine
days; so when you see the new moon observe fast and when
you see (the new moon again at the commencement of the
month of Shawwal) then break It, and if the sky is cloudy
for you, then calculate it (and complete thirty days).
'Abdullah b. Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Measenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: When you see the new moon, observe fast, and when
you see it (again) then break it, and if the sky is cloudy
for you, then calculate it.
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
month may consist of twenty-nine nights. So do not fast
till you have sighted it (the new moon) and do not break
it till you have sighted it, except when the sky is cloudy
for you, and if it is so, then calculate it.
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
month is thus and thus and thus (i. e. pointing with his
fingers thrice), and he held back his thumb at the third
time (in order to show that it can also consist of
twenty-nine days).
Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: The mouth (of Ramadan) is thus and thus, and thus.
i. e. ten, ten and-nine.
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
month is thus, and thus, and thus, and he flapped his
hands with all their fingers twice. but at the third turn,
folded his right thumb or left thumb (in order to give an
idea of twenty-nine).
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
month (of Ramadan) may consist of twenty. nine days, and
Shu'ba (one of the narrators) (gave a practical
demonstration how the Holy prophet (may peace be upon him)
explained to them) by unfolding his hands thrice and
folding his thumb at the third turn. 'Uqba (one of the
narrators in this chain of trans- mitters) said: I think
that he said that the month consists of thirty days and
unfolded his palm three times.
Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as
saying: We are an unlettered people who can neither write
nor count. The month is thus, and thus. folding his thumb
when he said it the third time. This hadith has been
narrated on the authority of Aswad b. Qais with the same
chain of transmitters, but herein no mention has been made
of the other month (consisting of) thirty days.
Sa'd b. 'Ubaida reported that Ibn'Umar (Allah be
pleased with both of them) heard a person saying: This
night is the midnight (of the month). Upon this he said to
him: How do you know that it is the midnight (of the
month), for I heard the Mes- senger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) as saying: The month is thus and thus (and he
pointed with his ten fingers twice) and thus (i. e. at the
third time he pointed with all his fingers but withdrew or
folded his thumb)?
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Whenever you sight the new moon (of
the month of Ramadan) observe fast. and when you sight it
(the new moon of Shawwal) break it, and if the sky is
cloudy for you, then observe fast for thirty days.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Observe fast on sighting it (the new
moon) and break (fast) on sighting it (the new moon), but
if the sky is cloudy for you, then complete the number (of
thirty).
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Observe fast on sighting it (the new
moon) and break it on sighting it. But if (due to clouds)
the actual position of the month is concealed from you,
you should then count thirty (days).
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that
the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) made a
mention of the new moon and (in this connection) said:
Observe fast when you see it (the new moon) and break fast
when you see it (the new moon of Shawwal), but when (the
actual position of the month is) concealed from you (on
account of cloudy sky), then count thirty days.
Chapter 3: DO NOT FAST FOR A DAY OR TWO DAYS
AHEAD OF RAMADAN
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do
not observe fast for a day, or two days ahead of Ramadan
except a person who is in the habit of observing a
particular fast; he may fast on that day.
Zuhri reported that (once) the Apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) took an oath that he would not go to
his wives for one Month. Zuhri said that 'Urwa narrated to
him from 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) that she
said: When twenty-nine nights were over, which I had
counted, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
came to me (he came to me first of all). I said: Messenger
of Allah, you had taken an oath that you would not come to
us for a month, whereas you have come after twenty nine
days which I have counted. Whereupon he said: The month
may also consist of twenty-nine days.
Jabir (Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the
Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) separated himself
from his wives for a month. (His wives said: ) He came to
us on the twenty-ninth day, whereupon we said: It is the
twenty-ninth (day) today. Thereupon he said: So far as the
month is concerned, (and he, with a view to explaining it)
flapped his hands thrice, but held back one finger at the
last turn.
Abu Zubair is reported to have heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah
(Allah be pleased with both of them) as saying: The
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) separated himself
from his wives for a month. (His wives said: ) He came to
us on the morning of the twenty-ninth. Upon this some, of
the people said: It is the morning of twenty- ninth
(according to our calculation). Upon this the Apostle of
Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The month. may also
consist of twenty-nine days. The Apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) then flapped his bands thrice, twice
with all the fingers of both his hand (to indicate
twenty-nine) and by the third time with nine (fingers).
Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with him) reported that
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) took an oath
that he would not go to some of his wives for the whole of
the month. When twenty-nine days bad passed he (the Holy
Prophet) went to them in the morning or in the evening.
Upon this it was said to him: Apostle of Allah, you took
an oath that you would not come to us for a month,
whereupon he said: The month may also consist of
twenty-nine days.
Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with him) said
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) struck
his hand against the other and (then with the gesture of
his two hands) said: The month is thus, thus (two times).
He then withdrew (one of) his fingers at the third turn.
Muhammad b. Sa'd reported on the authority of his
father (Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with him)
that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had
said: Tho month is thus and thus, and thus, i. e. ten, ten
and nine. This hadith has been narrated by Abu Khalid with
the same chain of transmitters.
Chapter 5: THERE IS A SIGHTING OF THE MOON FOR
EVERY TOWN; THE SIGHTING AT ONE TOWN CANNOT BE HELD VALID
FOR THE OTHER TOWN SITUATED AT A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE FROM
IT
Kuraib reported that Umm Fadl, daughter of Harith, sent
him (Fadl, i. e. her son) to Mu'awiya in Syria. I (Fadl)
arrived in Syria, and did the needful for her. It was
there in Syria that the month of Ramadan commenced. I saw
the new moon (of Ramadan) on Friday. I then came back to
Medina at the end of the month. Abdullah b. 'Abbas (Allah
be pleased with him) asked me (about the new moon of
Ramadan) and said: When did you see it? I said.: We saw it
on the night of Friday. He said: (Did) you see it
yourself? -I said: Yes, and the people also saw it and
they observed fast and Mu'awiya also observed fast,
whereupon he said: But we saw it on Saturday night. So we
would continue to observe fast till we complete thirty
(lasts) or we see it (the new moon of Shawwal). I said: Is
the sightidg of the moon by Mu'awiya not valid for you? He
said: No; this is how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) has commanded us. Yahya b. Yahya was in doubt
(whether the word used in the narration by Kuraib) was
Naktafi or Taktafi.
Chapter 6: IT IS IMMATERIAL WHETHER THE NEW MOON
IS LARGE (ON ACCOUNT OF APPEARING AFTER THIRTY NIGHTS) OR
SMALL (ON ACCOUNT OF APPEARING ON THE THIRTIETH NIGHT) ; AND
ALLAH DEFERS IT TO MAKE IT SUITABLE FOR SIGHTING AND IF THE
SKY IS CLOUDY, THEN THIRTY (FASTS) ARE TO BE COMPLETED
Abu'l-Bakhtari reported: We went out to perform Umra
and when we encamped in the valley of Nakhla, we tried to
see the new moon. Some of the people said: It was three
nights old, and others (said) that it was two nights old.
We then met Ibn 'Abbas and told him we had seen the new
moon, but that some of the people said it was three nights
old and others that it was two nights old. He asked on
which night we had seen it; and when we told him we had
seen it on such and such night, he said the Prophet of
Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: Verily Allah
deferred it till the time it is seen, so it is to be
reckoned from the night you saw it.
Abu'l-Bakhtari reported: We saw the new moon of Ramadan
as we were at Dhit-i-'Irq. We sent a man to Ibn Abbas
(Allah be pleased with both of them) to ask him (whether
the sighting of a small moon had something of the nature
of defect in it). Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased
with both of them) said that the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) had said: Verily Allah deferred its
sight, but if (the new moon) is hidden from you, then,
complete its number (thirty).
The son of Abu Bakra reported it on the authority of
his father that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon
him) had said: The two months of 'Id, Ramadan and
Dhu'l-Hijja (are not incomplete).
'Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority
of Abu Bakra that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon
him) had said: The months of 'Id are not incomplete. And
in the hadith narrated by Khalid (the words are):" The
months, of 'Id are Ramadan and Dhu'l-Hijja."
'Adi b. Hatim (Allah be pleased with him) reported that
when (this verse) was revealed:" Until the white streak of
the dawn becomes distinct from the dark streak" (ii. 187)
Adi b. Hatim said: Messenger of Allah, verily I keep
underneath my pillow two strings, one white and the other
black, by which I distinguish night from dawn. Upon this
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Your
pillow seems to be very large. For the word khait implies
the blackness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn.
Sahl b. Sa'd said that when this verse was revealed:"
Eat and drink till the white streak is distinct from the
dark streak," a person would take hold of a white thread
and a black thread and keep on eating till he could find
them distinct (in the light of the dawn). It was then that
Allah, the Majestic and Great, reveiled (the words) min
al-fajr (from the dawn), and then it became clear (that
the word khait refers to the streak of light in the dawn).
Sahl b. Sa'd (Allah be pleased with him) said: When
this verse was reveal- ed." Eat and drink till the white
streak becomes distinct from the dark streak for you," the
person who decided to observe fast tied on one of his feet
a black thread and on the other a white thread. And he
went on eating and drinking till he could distinguish
(between their colour) on seeing them. It was after this
that Allah reveal- ed (the words): min al-fajr. And they
(the Muslims) came to know that (the word khait) refers to
the night and day.
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) had said: Bilal would pronounce Adhan (at the fag end
of the night in order to inform the people about the time
of the Sahri). So you eat and drink till you hear the
Adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum (which was pro- nounced at the
conclusion of the Sahri and the commencement of the fast).
Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Bilal announces Adhan during the
night, so you eat and drink, till you hear the Adhan of
Ibn Umm Maktum.
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had
two Mu'adhdhins, Bilal and son of Umm Maktum, the blind.
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Bilal
announces Adhan at (the fag end of the) night (i. e. Sahri),
so eat and drink till the son of Umm Maktum announces
Adhan. And he (the narrator) said: And the (difference of
time) between their (Adhans) was not more than this that
one climbed down (from the minaret) and the other climbed
up (to announce Adhan).
Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying The Adhan of
Bilal should not restrain anyone among you from eating
Sahur (last meal before daybreak during the month of
Ramadan) for he announces Adhan (or he calls) at (the fag
end of) the night to make him turn who stands for prayer
among you, and to awaken those who are sleeping among you.
And he said: The dawn is not like it, as one says (and he
lifted his hand) till he (dispersed his fingers) and said:
It is like this.
This hadith has been narrated by Sulaiman al-Taimi with
the same chain of transmitters (but with a slight
variation of words) that he (the Holy Prophet) said: The
dawn is not like it as it is said; he then gathered his
fingers and lowered them. But he said, it is like this
(and he placed the index finger upon the other one and
spread his hand).
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Sulaiman Taimi with the same chain of transmitters and, at
the end, it was said that the first Adhan was meant to
awaken those who were in slumber amongst them and in order
to make them turn who stand in (prayer) among them
(towards food at the commencement of the fast). Jarir (one
of the narrators) said that the Messenger (may peace be
upon him) did not say like this but he said like it (true
dawn) that the streaks of (true dawn ) are horizontal and
not vertical.
Samura b. Jandub reported Muhammad (may peace be upon
him) as saying. The call of Bilal may not mislead any one
of you (and he may, under the wrong impression gathered
from it, refrain) from taking meal before the commencement
of the fast (for the streaks) of this whiteness (which are
vertical indicate the false dawn and the true dawn with
which the fast commences is that when the streaks of light
are) spread.
Samura b. Jundub reported Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) as saying: The Adhan of Bilal should not
mislead you nor the whiteness (of the pillar) of dawn, for
it is not the whiteness of the true dawn, but that of the
false dawn which is vertical like a pillar and you can eat
food till the streaks of whiteness spread like it.
Samura b. Jundub (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
Adhan of Bilal may not mislead you with regard to your
food at the commencement of the fast, nor the vertical
(streaks) of whiteness in the horizon (for it is an
indication of false dawn). You should stop eating (food)
till (the whiteness) spreads like it. Hammad narrated it
and with the gesture of his band he explained, the
horizontal position (of the streaks of light).
Samura b. Jundub addressed and narrated from the
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) having said
(these words): Neither the call of Bilal should mislead
you nor this whiteness (of false dawn) till (the true)
dawn appears (or he said) till the dawn breaks.
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority
of Samura b. Jundub.
Chapter 9: EXCELLENCE OF TAKING MEAL BEFORE DAWN,
STRESS ON GIVING IT PREFERENCE AND PREFERENCE FOR DEFERRING
IT (AT THE FAG END OF THE NIGHT) AND HASTENING IN BREAKING
IT
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Take meal a
little before dawn, for there is a blessing in taking meal
at that time.
'Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: The difference between our fasting
and that of the people of the Book is eating shortly
before dawn.
Zaid b. Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) said: We
took meal shortly before dawn along with the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him). We then stood up for
prayer. I said: How much span of time was there between
the two (acts, i. e. taking of Sahri and observing of
prayer)? He said (a span of reciting) fifty verses.
Sahl b. Sa'd (Allah be pleased with him) repotted
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
people will continue to prosper as long as they hasten the
breaking of the fast.
Abu 'Atiyya reported: I and Masruq went to 'A'isha and
said to her: Mother of the Believers, there are two
persons among the Companions of Muhammad (may peace be
upon him) one among whom hastens in breaking the fast and
in observing prayer, and the other delays breaking the
fast and delays observing prayer. She said: Who among the
two hastens in breaking fast and observing prayers? We
said, It is 'Abdullah. i. e. son of Mas'ud. whereupon she
said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) did. Abu Kuraib added: The second one was Abu
Musa.
Abu 'Atiyya reported: I and Misruq went to 'A'isha
(Allah be pleased with her) and Masruq said to her: There
are two persons among the Companions of Muhammad (may
peace be upon him) none of whom abandons the good, but one
of them hastens to observe sunset prayer and break the
fast, and the other delays in observing the sunset prayer
and in breaking the fast, whereupon she said: Who hastens
to observe sunset prayer and break the fast? He said: It
is 'Abdullah. Upon this she said: This is how the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to do.
Chapter 10: THE TIME FOR BREAKING THE FAST AND
ENDING OF DAY
'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When the
night approaches and the day retreates and the sun sinks
down, then the observer of the fast should break it. Ibn
Numair made no mention of the word" then".
'Abdullah b. Abi Aufa reported: We were with the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey
during the month of Ramadan. When the sun had sunk he
said: So and so, get down (from your ride) and prepare the
meal of parched barley for us. He said: Messenger of
Allah, still (there is light of) day. He (the Holy
Prophet) said: Get down and prepare meal of parched barley
for us. So he got down and prepared the meal of parched
barley and offered him, and the apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) drank that (liquid meal). He then told
with the gesture of his hand that when the sun sank from
that side and the night appeared from that side, then the
observer of the fast should break it.
Ibn Abi Aufa (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We
were with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
on a journey. When the sun sank he said to a person: Get
down and prepare barley meal for us. Upon this he said:
Messenger of Allah, let there be dusk. (He the Holy
Prophet) said: Get down and prepare barley meal for us. He
(the person) said: There is still (the light of) day upon
us. (But) he got down (in obedience to the command of the
Holy Prophet) and prepared a barley meal for him and he
(the Holy Prophet) drank that (liquid meal) and then said:
When you see the night approaching from that side (west)
(and he pointed towards the east with his hand), then the
observer of the fast should break it.
Abdullah b. Abi Aufa (Allah be pleased with him)
reported: We travelled with the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) as he had been observing fast. When the
sun sank he said: So and so, get down and prepare barley
meal for us. The rest of the hadith is the same.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn
Abi Aufa (Allah be pleased with him) through another chain
of transmitters (but with a sight alteration of words): In
this hadith transmitted by one of the narrators (neither
these words are found): During the month of Ramadan." nor
his statement:" And the night prevails from that side (the
eastern side)." (These words are found in the narration
of) Hushaim only.
Chapter 11: IT IS FORBIDDEN TO OBSERVE
UNINTERRUPTED FASTING
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) said
that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade
uninterrupted fasting. They (some of the Companions) said:
You yourself fast uninterruptedly, whereupon he said: I am
not like you. I am fed and supplied drink (by Allah).
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) abserved fasts uninterruptedly in
Ramadan and the people (in his wake) did this. But he
forbade them to do so. It was said to him (to the Holy
Prophet): You yourself observe the fasts uninterruptedly
(but you forbid us to do so) Upon this he said: I am not
like you; I am fed and supplied drink (by Allah).
A hadith like this has been transmitted by Ibn 'Umar
(Allah be pleased with both of them), but he did not make
mention of (the words):" During the month of Ramadan."
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade (his
Companions) from observing fast unintermptedly. One of the
Muslims said: Messenger of Allah, you yourself observe
Saum Wisal. whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: Who among you is like me? I spend night
(in a state) that my Allah feeds me and provides me drink.
When they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) did not
agree in abandoning the uninterrupted fast, then the Holy
Prophet (may peace. be upon him) also observed this fast
with them for a day, and then for a day. They then saw the
new moon and he (the Holy Prophet) said: If the appearance
of the new moon were delayed. I would have observed more
(fasts) with you (and he did it) by way of warning to them
as they had not agreed to refrain (from observing Saum
Wisal)
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
Abstain from Saum-Wisal. They (his Companions) said:
Messenger of Allah, but you observe Saum Wisal. Upon this
he said: You are not like me in this matter, for I spend
my night (in a state) that my Lord feeds me and provides
me drink Devote yourselves to the deeds (the burden of
which) you can bear.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying (the
words as said in the previous hadith) but with this
alteration (of words):" Take upon yourselves (the burden
of the deeds) for which you have the strength to bear."
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported The Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) was observing prayer
during Ramedan. I came and stood by his side. Then another
man came and he stood likewise till we became a group.
When the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)
perceived that we were behind him, he lightened the
prayer. He then went to his abode and observed such (a
long) prayer (the like of which) he never observed with
us. When it was morning we said to him: Did you perceive
us during the night? Upon this he said: Yes, it was this (realisation)
that induced me to do that which I did. He (the narrator)
said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) began
to observe Saum Wisal at the end of the month (of
Ramadan), and some persons among his Companions began to
observe this uninter- rupted fast, whereupon the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: What about such
persons who observe uninterrupted fasts? You are not like
me. By Allah. if the month were lengthened for me, I would
have observed Saum Wisal, so that those who act with an
exaggeration would (have been obliged) to abandon their
exaggeration. 1501
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed Saum
Wisal during the early part of the month of Ramadan. The
people among Muslims also observed uninterrupted fast.
This (news) reached him (the Holy Prophet) and he said:
Had the month been lengthened for me I would have
continued observing Saum Wisal, so that those who act with
forced hardness would (have been obliged) to abandon it.
You are not like me (or he said): I am not like you. I
continue to do so (in a state) that my Lord feeds me and
provides me drink.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said: The Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade them (his
Companions) to observe Saum Wisal out of mercy for them.
They said: You (Holy Prophet) yourself observe it. Upon
this he said: I am not like you. My Lord feeds me and
provides me drink.
Chapter 12: KISSING IS NOT FORBIDDEN WHILE
FASTING IF ONE IS NOT URGED BY SEXUAL LUST
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) kissed one of
his wives while he was fasting, and then she ('A'isha)
smiled (as she narrated).
Sufyan reported: I said to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim:
Have you heard from your father narrating from 'A'isha
(Allah be pleased with her) that he kissed her while
observing fast? He ('Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim) kept silence
for a short while and then said:" Yes."
'A'isha reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) used to kiss me while observing fast; and who among
you can control his desire as the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) could control his desire.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to kiss (his wives)
while fasting and embraced (them) while fasting; but he
had the greatest mastery over his desire among you.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to kiss
(his wives) while fasting; and he had the greatest control
over his desire (as compared with you).
Aswad reported: I and Masruq went to 'A'isha (Allah be
pleased with her) and asked. her if the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) embraced (his wives) while
fasting. She said: Yes; but he had the greatest control
over his desire among you: or he was one of those who had
control over his desire. It is further narrated on the
authority of Aswad and Masruq that they went to the Mother
of the Believers and they asked her (and the rest of the
hadith is the same)
'Urwa b. Zubair narrated that 'A'isha the Mother of the
Believers (Allah be pleased with her) informed him that
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) kissed her
while fasting.
Umar b Abu Salama reported that he asked the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him): Should one observing
fast kiss (his wife)? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said to him: Ask her (Umm Salama). She informed
him that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
did that, where upon he said: Messenger of Allah, Allah
pardoned thee all thy sins, the previous and the later
ones. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) ) said: By Allah, I am the most God conscious among
you and I fear Him most among you.
Chapter 13: THERE IS NO HARM IN OBSERVING FAST IF
ONE IS JUNBI EVEN AFTER DAWN
Abu Bakr (he is Abu Bakr b. Abd al-Rahman b. Harith)
reported: I heard Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him)
narrating that he who is overtaken by dawn in a state of
seminal emission should not observe fast. I made a mention
of it to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Harith (i. e. to his father)
but he denied it. 'Abd al-Rahman went and I also went
along with him till we came to'A'isha and Umm Salama
(Allah be pleased with both of them) and Abd al-Rahman
asked them about it. Both of them said: (At times it so
happened) that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon
him) woke up in the morning in a state of junub (but
without seminal emission in a dream) and observed fast He
(the narrator) said: We then proceeded till we went to
Marwan and Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it to him. Upon
this Marwan said: I stress upon you (with an oath) that
you better go to Abu Huraira and refer to him what is said
about it. So we came to Abu Huraira and Abu Bakr had been
with us throughout and 'Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it
to him, whereupon Abu Huraira said: Did they (the two
wives of the Holy Prophet) tell you this? He replied: Yes
Upon this (Abu Huraira) said: They have better knowledge.
Abu Huraira then attributed that what was said about it to
Fadl b. 'Abbas and said: I heard it from Fadl and not from
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). Abu Huraira
then retracted from what he used to say about it. Ibn
Juraij (one of the narrators) reported: I asked 'Abd al-Malik,
if they (the two wives) said (made the statement) in
regard to Ramadan, whereupon he said: It was so, and he
(the Holy Prophet) (woke up in the) morning in a state of
junub which was not due to the wet dream and then observed
fast.
'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him), said: The dawn broke upon the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) during the Ramadan in a
state of junub not because of sexual dream (but on account
of intercourse) and he washed himself and observed fast.
Abu Bakr reported that Marwan sent him to Umm Salama to
ask whether a person should observe fast who is in a state
of junub and the dawn breaks upon him, whereupon she said
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (was
at times) junbi on account of intercourse and not due to
sexual dream, and the dawn broke upon him, but he neither
broke the fast nor recompensed.
Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Harith b. Hisham
reported on the authority of 'A'isha and Umm Salama, the
wives of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him): The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) at times got up
in the morning in a state of junub on account of having a
sexual intercourse (with his wives during night) but not
due to sexual dreams in the month of Ramadan, and would
observe fast.
'A'isha reported that a person came to the Apottle of
Allah (may peace be upon him) asking for a fatwa
(religious verdict). She ('A'isha) had been overhearing it
from behind the curtain. 'A'isha added that he (the
person) had said: Messenger of Allah, (the time) of prayer
overtakes me as I am in a state of junub; should I observe
fast (in this state)? Upon this the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) said: (At times the time) of
prayer overtakes me while I am in a state of junub, and I
observe fast (in that very state), whereupon he said:
Messenger of Allah, you are not like us Allah has pardoned
all your sins, the previous ones and the later ones. Upon
this he (the Holy Prophet) said: By Allah, I hope I am the
most God-fearirg of you, and possess the best knowledge
among you of those (things) against which I should guard.
Sulaiman b. Yasar reported that he asked Umm Salama
whether a person (who gets up) in the morning in a state
of junub should observe fast. She said: The Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) (at times) got up in the
morning in a state of junub, not because of sexual dreams
(but on account of intercourse at night), and then
observed fast.
Chapter 14: SEXUAL INTERCOURSE IS COMPLETELY
FORBIDDEN DURING THE DAY IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that a
person came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon
him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I am undone. He (the
Holy Prophet) said: What has brought about your ruin? He
said: I have had intercourse with my wife during the month
of Ramadan. Upon this he (the Holy prophet) said: Can you
find a slave to set him free? He said: NO He (the Holy
Prophet again) said: Can you observe fast for two
consecutive months? He said: No. He (the Holy Prophet)
said: Can you provide food to sixty poor people?, He said:
No. He then sat down and (in the meanwhile) there was
brought to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) a
basket which contained dates. He (the Holy Prophet) said:
Give these (dates) in charity. He (the man) said: Am I to
give to one who is poorer than I? There is no family
poorer than mine between the two lava plains of Medina.
The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) laughed so
that his molar teeth became visible and said: Go and give
it to your family to eat.
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority
of Mubammad b. Muslim al-Zuhri with the same chain of
transmitters, and he said: There was brought an 'araq
containing dates, an 'araq being a huge basket. But in
this hadith no men- tion has been made of (the fact) that
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) laughed till
his molar teeth became visible.
Abu Huraira reported that a person had intercourse with
his wife during Ramadan (while fasting). He asked for the
religious verdict (about it) from the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him), whereupon he (the Holy Prophet)
said: Can you find a slave (to grant him freedom)? He
said: No. He (the Holy Prophet again) said: Can you afford
to observe fasts for two (consecutive) months? He said:
No. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then feed sixty poor men.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri
with the same chain of transmitters that a person broke
fast in Ramadan whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) commanded him to free a slave (as an
atonement), and the rest of the hadith is the same as
narrated by Ibn Uyaina.
Humaid b. 'Abd al-Rahman reported that Abu Huraira had
narrated to him that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him) commanded the person (who) broke the fast in
Ramadan to free a slave or observe fasts for two
(consecutive) months or feed sixty poor persons.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that a
person came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) and said: I am burnt, whereupon the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) said: How is it? He (the
person) said: I had intercourse with my wife during the
day in Ramadan. Upon this (the Holy Prophet) said: Give
charity, give charity. He (the person) said: There is
nothing with me. He commanded him to sit down, (In the
meanwhile) there were brought to him (to the Holy Prophet)
two baskets containing eatables, whereupon the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) told him to give them as
sadaqa.
'Abbad b. Abdullah b. Zubair narrated that he heard
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) saying: A person came
to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and he
then narrated the hadith. But (neither these words are
found):" Give charity, give charity" (nor) his words:"
during the day time".
Abbad b. Abdullah b. Zubair reported that he had heard
'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him), as saying: A person came to the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) in the mosque during (the
month of) Ramadan and said: Messenger of Allah, I am burnt
I am burnt, whereupon the Mes- senger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) asked him as to what the matter was. Upon
this he said: I had intercourse with my wife (in a state
of fasting) Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Give
charity. Upon this he said: Apostle of Allah, I swear by
God, there is nothing with me (to give in charity) as I do
not possess anything. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Sit
down. So he sat down and he was in this very state when
there came a person urging a donkey with a load of
eatables upon it. The Mes- senger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: Where is that burnt one who was just here?
Thereupon the person stood up. The Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) said: Give this (eatables brought by
the man) in charity. Upon this the person said: Messenger
of Allah, can there be anyone else (more deserving than
I)? By Allah. we are hungry, we have nothing with us. Upon
this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then eat (these
eatables).
Chapter 15: PERMISSIBILITY OF OBSERVING THE FAST
OR NOT OBSERVING IT IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN FOR A TRAVELLER
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) went out during
the month of Ramadan in the year of Victory (when Mecca
was conquered) and was fasting till he reached Kadid (a
canal situated at a distance of forty-two miles from
Mecca) and he then broke the fast. And it was the habit of
the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) to follow him in every new thing (or act). So
they followed him also (in this matter).
This hadith is narrated on the authority of Zuhri with
the same chain of transmitters. Yahya (one of the
narrators) said that Sufyan (the narrator) had stated: I
do not know whose statement it is:" It is the last word of
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) which is
accepted as (final as it abrogates the previous ones)."
It has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the
same chain of transmitters that breaking of fast (in a
journey) is the final of the two commands (whether one may
fast or one may break it), and it is the last command of
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) which is to
be accepted as final. Zuhri said: The Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) marched on Mecca on the morning of
14th of Ramadan (lit. when thirteen nights had passed).
A hadlth like this has been transmitted on the
authority of Ibn Shibab who said that they (the Compnions
of the Holy Prophet) followed the latest of his commands
and looked upon it as one abrogating (the previous ones)
and the most firm.
Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) journeyed
during the month of Ramadan in a slate of fasting till he
reached 'Usfan. He then ordered a cup containing drinking
water and he drank that openly so that the people might
see it, and broke the fast (and did not resume it) till he
reached Mecca. Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him)
said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) fasted and
broke the fast, so he who wished fasted and he who wished
to break it broke it.
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: Do not
condemn one who observes fast, or one who does not observe
(in a journey). for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) observed fast in a journey or he did not observe
it (too).
Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
went out to Mecca in Ramadan in the year of Victory, and
he and the people fasted till he came to Kura' al-Ghamim
and the people also fasted. He then called for a cup of
water which he raised till the people saw it, and then he
drank. He was told afterwards that some people had
continued to fast, and he said: These people are the
disobedient ones; these are the disobedient ones.
This hadith has been narrated by Ja'far with the some
chain of trans- mitters and he added: It was said to him
(to the Holy Prophet): There are people to whom fasting
has become unbearable and they are waiting how you do. He
(the Holy Prophet) then called for a cup of water when it
was afternoon. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported that in the course of a journey Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) saw a man, people crowding around
him and providing him a shade. Upon this he (the Holy
Prophet) said: What is the matter with him? They said: He
is a person observing fast. Whereupon the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It is no righteousness
that you fast on journey.
'Amr b. al-Hasan is reported to have said that he heard
Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with both of them) as
saying that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
saw a man. The rest of the hadith is the same as mentioned
above.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters but with this
addition that he (the Holy Prophet) said:" Take advantage
of the concession of Allah Who Wanted it to you." When he
(one of the narrators) asked him (the other one, Yabya b.
Abi Kathar) he did not retain it in his mind.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported: We went out on an expedition with Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the 16th of Ramadan.
Some of us fasted and some of us broke the fast. But
neither the observer of the fast found fault with one who
broke it, nor the breaker of the fast found fault with one
who observed it.
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority
of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters by different
narrators (except this difference) that in the hadith
transmitted by Taimi and Umar b. Amir and Hisham (the date
of setting out is) 18th, and in the hadith transmitted by
Sa'id it is the 12th, and in the one transmitted by Shu'ba
it is the 17th or 19th.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported: We went out on an expedition with the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) during Ramadan and
neither the observer of the fast was found fault with for
his fasting, nor the breaker of the fast for breaking it.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported: We went out on an expedition with the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) during Ramadan. Some of
us observed the fast and some of us broke it. Neither the
observer of the fast had any grudge against one who broke
it, nor the breaker of the fast had any grudge against one
who had fasted They knew that he who had strength enough
(to bear its rigour) fasted and that was good, and they
also found that he who felt weakness (and could not bear
the burden) broke it, and that was also good.
Abu Nadra reported Abu Sa'id al. Khudri and Jabir b.
Abdullah as saying: We travelled with the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him). The observer of the fast
observed it, and the breaker of the fast broke it, but
none of them found fault with each other.
Humaid reported that Anas (Allah be pleased with him)
was asked about fasting during Ramadan while travelling.
He said: We travelled with the MesseDger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) during the month of Ramadan, but
neither the ob- server of the fast found fault with the
breaker of the fast, nor the breaker of the fast found
fault with the observer of the fast.
Abu Khalid al-Ahmar narrated from Humaid who said: I
went out and was fasting; they said to me: Break (lit go
back, repeat). He said that Anas reported that the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) used to set out on a journey and neither the observer
of the fast found fault with the breaker of the fast, nor
the breaker of the fast found fault with the observer of
the fast. (One of the narrators Humaid said): I met Ibn
Abi Mulaika who informed me the same thing on the
authority of 'A'isha.
Chapter 16: THE REWARD OF ONE WHO DOES NOT
OBSERVE FAST BECAUSE OF A RELIGIOUS DUTY
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey.
Some of us had been observing the fast and some of us had
not been fasting. We got down at a place on a hot day.
Most of us had the cloth for shelter. There were also
those amongst us who sheltered (themselves against the
rays of the) sun with the help of their hands. The
observers of the fast fell down (on account of weakness).
Those who had not observed it got up and pitched tents and
watered the mounts. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) said: The breakers of the fast have
taken away the reward today.
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was journeying
(along with his Companions). Some of them had observed the
fast whereas the others had broken it. Those who did not
fast girded up their loins and worked, but the observers
of the fast were too weak to work. Upon this he (the
Apostle of Allah) said: Today the breakers of the fast
have gone with the reward.
Qaza'a reported: I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah
be pleased with him) and he was surrounded (by people),
and when they dispersed I said to him: I am not going to
ask you about what these people were asking. I ask you
about fasting on a journey. Upon this he said: We
travelled with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) towards Mecca and we had been observing fast. We
halted at a place. There the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) said: You are nearing your enemy and breaking
of fast would give you greater strength, and that was a
concession (given to us). But some of us continued to
observe the fast and some of us broke it. We then got down
at another place and he (the Holy Prophet) said: You are
going to encounter the enemy in the morning and breaking
of the fast would give you strength, so break the fast. As
it was a point of stress, so we broke the fast. But
subsequently we saw ourselves observing the fast with the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey.
Chapter 17: CHOICE FOR OBSERVING FAST AND
BREAKING IT ON A JOURNEY
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Hamza
b. 'Amr al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) about fasting on a journey, and he (the Holy
Prophet) said: Fast if you like and break it if you like.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Hamza
b. Amr al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) thus: Messenger of Allah, I am a person
devoted much to fasting. Should I fast during the journey?
He (the Holy Prophet) said: Fast if you like and break it
if you like.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Hisham with the same chain of transmitters that Hamza
said: I am a person much used to fasting. Should I fast
during the journey? (The rest of the hadith is the same.)
Hamza b. 'Amr al-Aslami (Allah be pleased with him)
said: Messenger of Allah, I find strength in me for
fasting on a journey; is there any sin upon me (in doing
it)? Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) said: It is a concession from Allah. He who took
advantage of it, it is good for him, and he who preferred
to observe fast, there is no sin upon him. Harun (one of
the narrators) in his narration said: 'lt is a concession,
and he made no mention of" from Allah".
Abu Darda' (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We set
out during the month of Ramadan with the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) in such an intense heat that
one of us would place his hand over his head (in order to
protect himself) against the excessive heat, and none
among us was observing the fast, except the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) and 'Abdullah b. Rawaha.
Abu Darda' reported: We were with the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) on some of his journeys on
an intensely hot day so much so that a person would place
his hand on his head (in order to protect himself) against
excessive heat, and none amongst us was fasting but the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and Abdullah b.
Rawaha
Chapter 18: IT IS PREFERABLE FOR THE PILGRIM NOT
TO OBSERVE FAST IN 'ARAFAT ON THE DAY OF 'ARAFA
Umm al-Fadl bint- al-Harith reported that some people
argued about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) on the day of 'Arafa. Some of them said
that he had been fasting, whereas the others said that he
had not been fasting. I sent a cup of milk to him while he
was riding his camel at 'Arafa, and he drank it.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu
Nadr with the same chain of transmitters, but he did not
mention that he was mounting (riding on) his camel.
Umm al-Fadl (Allah be pleased with her) is reported to
have said that some people among the Companions of the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were in doubt
about fasting on the day of 'Arafa and we were with him on
that day. I (Umm al-Fadl) sent him a cup of milk and he
was halting at 'Arafa, and he drank that.
Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased
with him), reported from Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him), that people had doubt
about the fasting of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) on the day of 'Arafa. Maimuna sent him a cup of milk
and he was halting at a place and he drank it and the
people were seeing him.
Chapter 19: FASTING ON THE DAY OF 'ASHURA (10TH
OF MUHARRAM)
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the
Quraish used to fast on the day of 'Ashura in the
pre-Islamic days and the Messenger ot Allah (may peace be
upon him) also observed it. When he migrated to Medina, he
himself observed this fast and commanded (others) to
observe it. But when fasting during the month of Ramadan
was made obligatory he said: He who wishes to observe this
fast may do so, and he who wishes to abandon it may do so.
This hadith is narrated on the authority of Hisham with
the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention in
the first part of the hadith that the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) used to observe fast, and said
about the second part that he abandoned the (fast) of
Ashura, and he who wished observed the fast and who wished
otherwise abandoned it, and he did not hold it as the
words of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as
mentioned in the narration transmitted by Jarir.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported. In the
pre-Islamic days fast was observed on the day of Ashura,
but with the advent of Islam (its position was ascertained
as that of a voluntary fast). Then he who wished to fast
fasted, and he who liked to abandon it abandoned it.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had ordered to
observe fast (on 'Ashura) before the fasting in Ramadan
was made obligatory. But when it became obligatory, then
he who wished fasted on the day of Ashura, and he who
wished did not observe it (on that day).
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the
Quraish used to observe fast on the day of Ashura during
the pre-Islamic days. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upog him) then commanded to fast on that day till
(fasting) in Ramadan became obligatory. Then the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who wished to
fast should do so. and he who wished to break it may do
so.
Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that (the Arabs of) pre-Islamic days used to observe fast
on the day of Ashura and the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) observed it and the Muslims too (observed it)
before fasting in Ramadan became obligatory. But when it
became obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: 'Ashura is one of the days of Allah, so he
who wished should observe fast and he who wished otherwise
should abandon it.
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) said that the
day of 'Ashura was mentioned before the Messenger of Allah
(may peace he upon him). Thereupon the Messenger of Allah,
(may peace be upon him) said: That was a day on which the
people of pre-Islamic days used to observe fast. So he who
amongst you likes to observe fast should do so, and he who
does not like it should abandon it.
Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) say about the day of Ashura: It is a day on
which the people of pre-Islamic days observed fast. So he
who liked to fast on this day should do so, and he who
liked to abandon it should abandon it. 'Abdullah (Allah be
pleased with him) did not observe fast except when it
coincided (with the days when he was in the habit of
observing voluntary fasts during every month).
Abdullah b. Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the day of 'Ashura was mentioned before the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he narrated a hadith
like one (narrated above).
'Abdullah b. Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the day of 'Ashura was mentioned before the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said: It is a day
when the people in the pre-Islamic days need to observe
fast, so he who wishes to observe fast should do so, and
he who wishes to abandon it should do so.
Abd al-Rahman b. Yazid said: When al-Ash'ath b. Qais
entered the house of 'Abdullah he was having his
breakfast. He ('Abdullah b. Umar) said: Abd Muhammad
(al-Asha'th), come near to the breakfast. Thereupon he
said: Is not today the day of 'Ashura? He ('Abd al-Rahman)
said: Do you know what the day of 'Ashura is? He said:
What is it? He said: It is a day on which the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe fast before
the (fasting) in the month of Ramadan (became) obligatory.
But when it became obligatory the (fasting of 'Ashura) was
abandoned (as compulsory). Abu Kuraib said: He (the Holy
Prophet) abandoned it.
This hadith has been narrated from Jarir on the
authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters
and he said (these words with a little bit of variation
from the previous hadith): When (fasting) in Ramadan was
(made) obligatory, he aban- doned it (the practice of
observing fast on Ashura).
Qais b Sakan reported that al-Ash'ath b. Qais went to
'Abdullah on the day of 'Ashura while he was eating. He
said: Abu Muhammad, come near and dine. Upon this he said:
I am fasting. Thereupon he said: We used to observe fast
and then (this practice) was abandoned.
'Alqama reported that Ash'ath b. Qais went to Ibn
Mas'udd while he was eating on the day of Ashura.
Thereupon he said: Abu Abd al-Rahman, it is the day of
'Ashura (and you are eating). Upon this he said: Fast was
observed on (this day) before the (fasting) in Ramadan was
made obligatory, but when it was made obligatory, (fasting
on the day of 'Ashura) was abandoned. So if you are not
fasting, then take food.
Jabir b Samura reported that the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) commanded us to observe fast on
the day of Ashura and exhorted us to do it and was
particular about it But when (fasting) in Ramadan was made
obligatory, he hence. forth neither commanded us nor
forbade us, nor was he so particular about it.
Abd al-Rahman reported that he heard Mu'awiya b. Abu
Sufyan delivering a sermon in Medina. i. e. when he came
there (for Hajj). He delivered a sermon on the day of
'Ashura and said: People of Medina, where are your
scholars? I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) say on this very day: It is the day of 'Ashura.
Allah has not made fasting on This day obligatory for you
but I am fasting. He who likes to observe fast among you
should do so, and he who likes not to observe it may not
observe it.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri
with the same chain of transmitters that be heard Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying on a similar
day: I am fasting today, so he who wishes to observe fast
should do so; but he did not make mention of the rest of
the hadith.
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
that when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came
to Medina, he found the Jews observing the fast on the day
of Ashura. They (the Jews) were asked about it and they
said: It is the day on which Allah granted victory to
Moses and (his people) Bani Isra'il over the Pharaoh and
we observe fast out of gratitude to Him. Upon this the
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: We have a
closer connection with Moses than you have, and he
commanded to observe fast on this day.
This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Bishr with the
same chain of trans- mitters (but with a slight variation)
that he (the Holy Prophet) inquired of them (Jews) about
it (fasting on the day of 'Ashura).
Ibn'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
arrived in Medina and found the Jews observing fast on the
day of 'Ashura. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) said to them: What is the (significance) of this day
that you observe fast on it? They said: It is the day of
great (significance) when Allah delivered Moses and his
people, and drowned the Pharaoh and his people, and Moses
observed fast out of gratitude and we also observe it.
Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said: We have more right, and we have a closer connection
with Moses than you have; so Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) observed fast (on the day of 'Ashura), and
gave orders that it should be observed.
Abu Musa (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The day
of 'Ashura was one which the Jews respected and they
treated it as Id. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: You also observe fast on this day.
Abu Musa reported that the people of Khaibar (most of
them were Jews) observed fast on tht day of 'Ashura and
they treated it as 'Id and gave their women ornaments and
beautiful dresstowear. The Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) said: You (only) observe fast on this day.
Ibn Abbas was asked about observing of fast on the day
of Ashura, whereupon he said: I do not know Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) singling out any day's
fast and considering it more excellent than another,
except this day (the day of Ashura) and this month,
meaning the month of Ramadan.
Hakam b. al-'Araj reported: I went to Ibn 'Abbas (Allah
be Pleased with both of them) and he was reclining using
his mantle as a pillow near the fountain of Zamzam. I said
to him: Tell me about fasting on Ashura. He said: When you
see the new moon of Muharram then count the (days) and
observe fast on the 9th. I said to him: Is it how the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed the
fast? He said: Yes.
Hakam b. 'Araj reported: I asked Ibn Abbas (Allah be
pleased with them) as he was reclining using his cloak as
a pillow near Zamzam about fasting on 'Ashura. The rest of
the hadith is the same.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that when the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) fasted on the day of 'Ashura and
commanded that it should he observed as a fast, they (his
Companions) said to him: Messenger of Allah, it is a day
which the Jews and Christians hold in high esteem.
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said: When the next year comes, God willing, we would
observe fast on the 9th But the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) died before the advent of the next
year.
Abdullah b 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) had said: If I live till the next
(year), I would definitely observe fast on the 9th, and
the narration transmitted by Abu Bakr is:" He meant the
day of Ashura."
Chapter 21: HE WHO ATE ON THE DAY OF ASHVRA
SHOULD ABSTAIN (FROM EATING) FOR THE REST OF THE DAY (AS A
MARK OF RESPECT)
Salama b. al-Akwa' (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent a
person of the tribe of Aslam on the day of 'Ashura and
commanded him to declare to the people to observe fast in
case they had not observed it, and to complete fast till
evening if they had taken food
Rubayyi' daughter of Mu'awwidh b. 'Afra' said that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent (a person)
on the morning of Ashura to the villages of Ansar around
Medina (with this message): He who got up in the morning
fasting (without eating anything) he should complete his
fast, and he who had had his breakfast in the morning, he
should complete the rest of the day (without food). The
Companions said; We henceforth observed fast on it (on the
day of 'Ashura) and, God willing, made our children
observe that. We went to the mosque and made toys out of
wool for them and when anyone felt hungry and wept for
food we gave them these toys till it was the time to break
the fast.
Khalid b. Dhakwan reported: I asked Rubayyi' daugther
of Mu'awwidh about fasting on the day of 'Ashura.
Thereupon she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace he
upon him) sent his messenger to the villages of the Ansar,
and the rest of the hadith is the same (but with this
variation that one of the Companions) said:" We used to
make toys out of wool and took (them to the mosque) along
with us. When they (the children) asked us for food, we
gave them these toys to play with, and these made them
forgetful till they completed their fast."
Chapter 22: FORBIDDANCE TO OBSERVE FAST ON
'ID-UL-FITR AND 'ID-UL-ADHA
Abu Ubaid, the freed slave of Ibn Azhar, reported: I
observed Id along with Umar b. al-Khattab (Allah be
pleased with him). He came (out in an open space) and
prayed and (after) completing it addressed the people and
said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has
forbidden the observing of fast on these two days. One is
the day of Fitr (at the end of your fasts), and the second
one, the day when you eat (the meat) of your sacrifices.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade to
observe fast on these two days. 'Id-ul-Adha bi and
'Id-ul-Fitr.
Qaza'a related from Abu Sa'id. He said: I heard from
him (Abu Sa'id) a hadith which impressed me, and I said to
him: Did you hear it from the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him)? Thereupon he said: (Is it possible)
that (I should) say about the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) that which I have not heard? I heard
him saying: It is not proper to fast on two days, Adha and
Fitr (at the end) of Ramadan.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) forbade to observe fast on two days the day of Fitr
and the day of Sacrifice ('Id-ul-Adha).
Ziyad b. Jubair reported that a person came to Ibn
'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) and said: I had taken a
vow that I would fast on the day (but it accidentally)
synchronises with the day of Adha or the day of Fitr.
Thereupon Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said:
Allah, the Exalted, has commanded fulfilling of the vow,
but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has
forbidden the observance of fast on this day.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said that the
Prophet (may peace be upon him) forbade to observe fast on
two days-the day of Fitr and the day of Adha.
Nabaisha reported that Khalid said: I met Abu Malih and
asked him and he narrated it to me from the Apostle of
Allah (may peace be upon him). a hadith like one (narrated
above) with this addition:" And remembrance of Allah"
Ibn Ka'b b. Malik reported on the authority of his
father that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
sent him and Aus b. Hadathan during the days of Tashriq to
make this announcement: None but the believer would be
admitted into Paradise, and the days of Mina' are the days
meant for eating and drinking.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of
Ibrahim b. Tahman with the same chain of transmitters but
with this variation that he said: Both of them made the
announcement."
Chapter 23: DISAPPROVAL OF FASTING ON FRIDAY
ALONE
Muhammad b. 'Abbas b. Ja'far reported: I asked Jabir b.
'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with both of them) as he was
circumambulating the House (Ka'ba) whether the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) had forbidden the fasting
on Friday, whereupon he said: Yes, by the Lord of this
House.
Muhammad b. 'Abbas b. Ja'far reported that he asked
Jabir b. Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them), whether he
had heard like this from the Apostle of Allah (may peace
be upon him).
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported the
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: None
among you should observe fast on Friday, but only that he
observes fast before it and after it.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Do not
single out the night (preceding) Friday among the nights
for prayer and do not single out Friday among days for
fasting but only when anyone among you is accustomed to
fast (on dates) which coincide with this day (Friday).
Chapter 24: ABROGATION OF THE WORDS OF ALLAH:"
AND AS FOR THOSE WHO CAN FAST (BUT DO NOT) THE EXPIATION IS"
BY THE WORDS:" WHOSOEVER WITNESSES IT HE SHALL HAVE TO FAST
THE WHOLE MONTH" (ii. 184)
Salama b. Akwa' (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that when this verse was revealed:" And as for those who
can fast (but do not) expiation is the feeding of a needy
person" (ii. 183), (he who liked to observe fast did
observe it) and he who felt reluctant to observe it ate
and expiated till the verse was revealed which abro- gated
it.
Salama b. Akwa' reported: We, during the lifetime of
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), in one
month of Ramadan (observed fast according to our liking).
He who wished to fast lasted and he who wished to break
broke it and fed a needy person as an expiation 1544 till
this verse was revealed:" He who witnesses among you the
month (of Ramadan) he should observe fast during it" (ii.
184).
Chapter 25: PERMISSIBILIY OF COMPLETING THE
(MISSED) FASTS OF RAMADAN BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE
COMING RAMADAN
Abu Salama reported: I heard 'A'isha (Allah be pleased
with her) as saying: I had to complete some of the fasts
of Ramadan, but I could not do it but during the month of
Sha'ban due to my duties to the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) or with the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him).
This hadith is narrated on the authority of Yahya b.
Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters but with this
variation that he said that ('A'isha did not observe fast
but in Sha'ban) out of regard for the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him). (In another version, the words
are):" Yahya said: I think it was due to the regard for
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)."
This hadith is reported on the authority of Yahya with
the same chain of transmitters but no mention is made of
the duty to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him).
'A'isha reported: If one amongst us had to break fasts
(of Ramadan due to natural reasons, i. e. menses) during
the life of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
she could not find it possible to complete them so long
she had been in the presence of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) till Sha'ban commenced.
Chapter 26: COMPLETING OF THE FAST ON BEHALF OF
THE DEAD
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: If anyone
dies in a state (that he had to complete) some fasts, his
heir must fast on his behalf.
Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) and said: My mother has died, and fasts
of a month are due from her. Thereupon he said: Don't you
see that if debt was due from her, would you not pay it?
She said: Yes (I would pay on her behalf). Thereupon he
said: The debt of Allah deserves its payment more than
(the payment of anyone else).
Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: A man
came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and
said: Messenger of Allah, my mother has died (in a state)
that she had to observe fasts of a month (of Ramadan).
Should I complete (them) on her behalf? thereupon he (the
Holy Prophet) said: Would you not pay the debt if your
mother had died (without paying it)? He said: Yes. He (the
Holy Prophet) said: The debt of Allah deserves more that
it should he paid.
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: A
woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) and said: Messenger of Allah, my mother has died and
there is due from her a fast of vow; should I fast on her
behalf? Thereupon he said: You see that if your mother had
died in debt, would it not have been paid on her behalf?
She said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then observe
fast on behalf of your mother.
Abdullah b. Buraida (Allah be pleased with him)
reported on the authority of his father: When we were
sitting with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him), a woman came to him and said: I had gifted to my
mother a maid-servant, and now she (the mother) has died.
Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: There is a definite
reward for you and she (the maid-servant) has been
returned to you as an inheritance. She (that woman) again
said: Fasts of a month (of Ramadan) are due upon her;
should I observe them on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet)
said: Observe fasts on her behalf. She (again) said: She
did not perform Hajj, should I perform it on her behalf?
He (the Holy Prophet) said: Perform Hajj on her behalf.
'Abdullah b. Buraida (Allah be pleased with him)
reported on the authority of his father: I was sitting
with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) ; the
rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation
that the (the narrator) said:" Fasts of two months."
Ibn Buraida (Allah be pleased with him) reported on the
authority of his father: A woman came to the Apostle of
Allah (may peace be upon him), and the rest of the hadith
is the same, but he said:" Fasting of one month." This
hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with
the same chain of transmitters in which it is said:"
Fasting of two months."
Buraida (Allah be pleased with him) reported a similar
hadith on the authority of his father that a woman came to
the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said:"
Fasting for one month."
Chapter 27: WHEN AN OBSERVER OF FAST IS INVITED
TO A FEAST, OR SOMEONE FIGHTS WITH HIM, HE SHOULD SAY:" I AM
FASTING"
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: If any
one of you is invited to a meal when he is fasting, he
should say:" I am fasting."
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: When
any one of you gets up in the morning in the state of
fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor do any
act of ignorance. And if anyone slanders him or quarrels
with him, he should say:" I am fasting, I am fasting."
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah, the Majestic and the Exalted,
said: Every act of the son of Adam is for him except
fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward
for it. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad,
the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah
than the fragrance of musk.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah the Exalted and Majestic said:
Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting.
It is (exclusively) meant for Me and I (alone) will reward
it. Fasting is a shield. When any one of you is fasting on
a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language, nor
raise the voice; or if anyone reviles him or tries to
quarrel with him he should say: I am a person fasting. By
Him, in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the breath of
the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah on the Day of
judgment than the fragrance of musk. The one who fasts has
two (occasions) of joy, one when he breaks the fast he is
glad with the breaking of (the fast) and one when he meets
his Lord he is glad with his fast.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every
(good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good
deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward.
Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the
exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will
give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and
food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one
who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets
his Lord, and the breath (of an observer of fast) is
sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.
Abu Huraira and Abu Sa'id (Allah be pleased with both
of them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) (as saying): Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said:
Fast (is exclusively) meant for Me and I would give its
reward. There are two (occasions) of joy for the observer
of fast. He feels joy when he breaks the fast and he is
happy when he meets Allah. By Allah in Whose Hand is the
life of Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is
sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. A hadith like
this is narrated on the authority of Abu Sinan with the
same chain of transmitters (and the words are):" As he
meets Allah, He rewards him, and he is happy."
Sahl b. Sa'd (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: In
Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through
which only the observers of fast would enter on the Day on
Resurrection. None else would enter along with them. It
would be proclaimed: Where are the observers of fast that
they should be admitted into it? -and when the last of
them would enter, it would be closed and no one would
enter it.
Abu Sa'id al Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day
in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this
day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the
extent of seventy years' distance.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: He who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah
He would remove his face from the Hell to the extent of
seventy years' distance.
Chapter 29: PERMISSIBILITY OF MAKING AN INTENTION
FOR VOLUNTARY FASTING BEFORE NOON AND PERMISSIBILITY OF
BREAKING VOLUNIARY FAST WITHOUT REASON
'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers (Allah be pleased
with her), reported that one day the Messenger of Allah
tpay peace be upon him) said to me: 'A'isha, have you
anything (to eat)? I said: 'Messenger of Allah, there is
nothing with us. Thereupon he said: I am observing fast.
She said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
went out, and there was a present, for us and (at the same
time) some visitors dropped in. When the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) came back, I said to him:
Messenger of Allah, a present was given to us, (and in the
meanwhile) there came to us visitors (a major Portion of
it has been spent on them), but I have saved something for
you. He said: What is it? I said: It is hais (a compound
of dates and clarified butter). He said: Bring that. So I
brought it to him and he ate it and then said: I woke up
in the morning observing fast. Talha said: I narrated this
hadith to Mujahid and he said: This (observing of
voluntary fast) is like a person who sets apart Sadaqa out
of his wealth. He may spend it if he likes, or he may
retain it if he so likes.
'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers (Allah be pleased
with her), reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him) came to me one day and said: Is there anything
with you (to eat)? I said: No. Thereupon he said: I shall
then be fasting. Then he came to us another day and we
said: Messenger of Allah, hais has been offered to us as a
gift. Thereupon he said: Show that to me; I had been
fasting since morning. He then ate it.
Chapter 30: EATING AND DRINKING (AND SEXUAL
INIERCOURSE) IN FORGETFULNESS DOES NOT BREAK THE FAST
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: If anyone forgets that he is fasting
and eats or drinks he should complete his fast, for it is
only Allah Who has fed him and given him drink.
Chapter 31: THE FAST OBSERVED BY THE APOSTLE OF
ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) BESIDES RAMADAN
Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to'A'isha (Allah be
pleased with her): Did the Apostle of Allah (may peace be
upon him) observe fast for full one month besides Ramadan?
She said: I do not know of any month in which he fasted
through- out, but that of the month of Ramadan and (the
month) in which he did not fast at all, till he ran the
course of his life.
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to 'A'isha (Allah
be pleased with her): Did the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) observe fast during a month? She said,
I do not know of any month in which he fasted throughout
except Ramedan and (the month) in which he did not fast at
all till he ran the course of his life. May peace be upon
him.
Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported. I asked 'A'isha (Allah be
pleased with her) about fasting of the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him). She said: He used to observe fast
(at times) so continuously that we said: He has fasted, he
has fasted. And (at times) he did not observe fast (for
days) and we began to say: He has abandoned fasting, he
has abandoned fasting. She said: I did not see him
observing fast throughout the whole of the month since he
arrived in Medina, but that of Ramadan.
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority
of Abdullah b. Shaqiq but in the chain of transmitters no
mention is made of Hisham and Muhammad.
'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers (Allah be pleased
with her), reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) used to observe fasts (so conti- nuously)
that we said that he would not break, and did not observe
(them) till we said that he would not fast: and I did not
see the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
completing the fast of a month, but that of Ramadan, and I
did not see him fasting more in any other month than that
of Sha'ban.
Abu Salama reported: I asked 'A'isha (Allah be pleased
with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him). She said: He used to observe fast (at
times so continuously) that we said: He has fasted (never
to break), and he did not observe fast till we said: He
has given up perhaps never to fast, and I never saw him
observing (voluntary fasts) more in any other month than
that of Sha'ban. (lt appeared as if) he observed fast
throughout the whole of Sha'ban except a few (days).
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not observe
fast in any month of the year more than in the month of
Sha'ban, and used to say: Do as many deeds as you are
capable of doing, for Allah will not become weary (of
giving you reward), but you would be tired (of doing good
deeds) ; and he also said: The deed liked most by Allah is
one to which the doer adheres constantly even if it is
small.
Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
did not fast throughout any month except during ramadan.
And when he observed fast (he fasted so continuously) that
one would say that he would not break (them) and when he
Abandoned, he abandoned (so continuously) that one would
say: By Allah, perhaps he would never fast.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu
Bishr with the same chain of transmitters (with a slight
variation of words and these are), that he (the narrator)
said:" During any month continuously since he came to
Medina."
'Uthman b. Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Sa'id b.
Jubair about fasting In Rajab, and we were then passing
through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn
'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) as saying: The
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe
fast (so continuously) that we (were inclined) to say that
he would not break (them) and did not observe them so
conti- nuously) that we (were inclined to say) that he
would not observe fast.
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe
fast till it was said that he had observed fast, he had
observed fast (perhaps never to break it), and he did not
fast till it was said that he had given up fast, he had
given up fast (perhaps never to observe it).
Chapter 32: FORBIDDANCE TO OBSERVE PERPETUAL FAST
AND EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING FAST ON ALTERNATE DAYS
'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As reported that the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) was informed that he
could stand up for (prayer) throughout the night and
observe fast every day so long as he lived. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Is it you
who said this? I said to him: Messenger of Allah. it is I
who said that. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah may peace
be upon him) said: You are not capable enough to do so.
Observe fast and break it; sleep and stand for prayer, and
observe fast for three days during the month; for every
good is multiplied ten times and this is like fasting for
ever. I said: Messenger of Allah. I am capable of doing
more than this. Thereupon he said: Fast one day and do not
fast for the next two days. I said: Messenger of Allah, I
have the strength to do more than that. The Holy Prophet
(may peace be upon him), said: Fast one day and break on
the other day. That is known as the fasting of David
(peace be upon him) and that is the best fasting. I said:
I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: There is
nothing better than this. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be
pleased with them) said: Had I accepted the three days
(fasting during every month) as the Messeinger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) had said, it would have been more
dear to me than my family and my property.
Yahya reported: I and 'Abdullah b. Yazid set out till
we came to Abu Salama. We sent a messenger to him (in his
house in order to inform him about our arrival) and he
came to us. There was a mosque near the door of his house,
and we were in that mosque, till he came out to us. He
said: If you like you may enter (the house) and, if you
like, you may sit here (in the mosque). We said: We would
rather sit here and (you) relate to us. He (Yahya) then
narrated that 'Abdullah b Amr b. al-'As (Allah be pleased
with them) told him: I used to observe fast
uninterruptedly and recited the (whole of the) Qur'an
every night. It (the uninterrupted fasting and recital of
the Qur'in every night) was mentioned to the Apostle of
Allah (may peace be upon him) or he sent for me, and I
went to him and he said to me: I have been informed that
you fast continuously and recite (the whole of the Qur'An)
every night. I said: Apostle of Allah, it is right, but I
covet thereby nothing but good, whereupon he said: It
suffices for you that you should observe fast for three
days during every mouth. I said: Apostle of Allah, I am
capable of doing more than this. He said: Your wife has a
right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your
body has a right upon you; so observe the fast of David,
the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him), for he was the
best worshipper of Allah. I said: Apostle of Allah, what
is the fast of David? He said: He used to fast one day and
did not fast the other day. He (also) said: Recite the
Qur'an during every month. I said: Apostle of Allah, I am
capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite
it in twenty days; recite it in ten days. I said: I am
capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite
it every week, and do not exceed beyond this, for your
wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon
you, your body has a right upon you. He ('Amr b. 'As)
said: I was hard to myself and thus I was put to hardship.
The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had told me:
'You do not know you may live long (thus and bear the
hardships for a long time), and I accepted that which the
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had told me. When
I grew old I wished I had availed myself of the conces-
sion (granted by) the Apostle of Allah (may-peace be upon
him). This hadith has been narrated by Yahya b. Abu Kathir
with the same chain of transmitters and he made this
addition after these words: During every month, (fasting)
for three days, there is for you ten times for every good
and that is perpetual fasting (for three days would bring
a reward for full thirty days). I said: What is the fast
of the Apostle of Allah, David? He said: Half of the age
(observing fast on alternate days for the whole life). And
in the hadith no mention has been made of the recital of
the Qur'an, and he did not say: Your visitor has a right
upon you, but (instead) he said: Your son has a right upon
you.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be pleased with them)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said to me: Recite the whole of the Qur'An during every
nonth. I said: I find power (to recite it) in a shorter
period. He said: Then recite it in twenty nights. I said:
I find power (to recite it in a shorter period even than
this), whereupon he said: Then recite it in seven (nights)
and do not exceed beyond it.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As (Allah be pleased with
them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) said: 'Abdullah, don't be like so and so who
observed prayer during the whole night and then abandoned
it (altogether).
Abdu'llah b. 'Amr b. 'As (Allah be pleased with them)
reported: It was conveyed to the Apostle of Allah (may
peace be upon him) that I observe fast succes- sively and
pray during the whole night. He sent for me or I met him
and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It has been conveyed to me
that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and
pray during the whole night. Don't do that. for there is
share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for
your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep
and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and
there is a reward for you (for other) nine (days besides
the tenth day of the fast). I said: Apostle of Allah, I
find myself more powerful than this. He said: Then observe
the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Amr) said:
Apostle of Allah, how did David observe fast? He (the Holy
Prophet) said: He used to fast one day and break it on the
other day, and he did not run (from the battlefield) as he
encountered (the enemy). He said: Apostle of Allah, who
can guarantee this for me (will I also encounter the enemy
dauntlessly)? 'Ata', the narrator of the hadith, said: I
do not know how there (crept in) the matter of perpetual
fast. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him),
however, said: He who observed perpetual fast did not fast
at all; he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at
all, he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all.
This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Juraij with the same
chain of transmitters. Imam Muslim has narrated this
hadith on the authority of Abu 'Abbas al-Sa'ib b. Farrukh
and he was a trustworthy and reliable (narrator) among the
people of Mecca.
Abdullah b. Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said to me: 'Abdullah b. Amr, you fast continuously and
stand in prayer for the whole of night. If you do like
that, your eyes would be highly strained and would sink
and lose sight. There is no (reward for) fasting (for him)
who fasts perpetually. Fasting for three days during the
month is like fasting, the whole of the month. I said: I
am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said:
Observe the fast of David. He used to fast one day and
break (the other) day. And he did not turn back in the
encounter.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
said to me: I have been informed that you stand for prayer
the whole of night and fast during the day. I said: I do
that, whereupon he said: If you did that you in fact
strained heavily your eyes and made yourself weak. There
is a right of your eyes (upon you) and a right of your
self (upon you) and a right of your family (upon you).
Stand for prayer and sleep. observe fasts and break
(them).
'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: With Allah the best fasting is that of David and
the best prayer is that of David (peace be upon him) for
he slept half of the night and stood for prayer for the
third of it and (then) slept the sixth part of it and he
observed fast one day and broke on the other.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) as saying: The best fasting in the
eye of Allah is that of David, for he fasted for half of
the age (he fasted on alternate days), and the best prayer
in the eye of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, is that of
David (peace be upon him), for he slept for half of the
night and then stood for prayer and then again slept. He
prayed for one-third of the night after midnight. He (the
narrator) said: I asked 'Amr b. Dinar whether 'Amr b. Aus
said that he stood for prayer one-third of the night after
midnight. He said: Yes.
Abu Qatada reported that Abu al Malih informed me: I
went along with your father to 'Abdullah b. Amr, and he
narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) was informed about my fasting and he came to me,
and I placed a leather cushion filled with fibre of
date-palms for him. He sat down upon the ground and there
was that cushion between me and him, and he said to me:
Does three days' fasting in a month not suffice you? I
said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more
fasts). He said: (Would) five (not suffice for you)? I
said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more
fasts) He said: (Would) seven (fasts) not suffice you? I
said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more
fasts). He (the Holy Prophet) then said: (Would) nine
(fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am
capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) eleven
(fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am
capable of observing more fasts than these). Thereupon the
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: There is no
fasting (better than) the fasting of David which comprises
half of the age, fasting a day and not fasting a day.
'Abdullah b. Amr (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had
said to him: Observe fast for a day and there would be
reward for you for the rest (of the days). He said: I am
capable of doing more than this. He then said: Observe
fast for two days, and there would be reward for you for
the rest (of the days). He said: I am capable of doing
more than this. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe fast
for three days and there would be reward for you for the
rest of the days. He said: I am capable of doing more than
this, whereupon he said: Observe fast for four days and
there would be reward for you for the rest of the days. He
said: I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon he
said: Then observe fast (which is the) best in the eye of
Allah, the fast of David (peace be upon him) ; he used to
observe fast one day and break on the other day.
'Abdullah b. 'Amr (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said
to me! 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, it has been conveyed to me that
you observe fast during the day and stand in prayer during
the whole night. Don't do that, for your body has a share
of its own in you, your eye has a share of its own in you,
your wife has a share of her own in you. Observe fast and
break it too. Fast for three days in every month and that
is a prepetual fasting. I said! Messenger of Allah, I have
got strength enough (to do more than this), whereupon he
said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him).
Observe fast one day and break it (on the other) day. And
he ('Abdullah b. 'Amr) used to say: Would that I had
availed myself of this concession.
Chapter 33: EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING FAST FOR
THREE DAYS DURING EVERY MONTH. AND FASTING ON THE DAY OF
'ARAFA AND 'ASHURA AND MONDAY AND THURSDAY
Mu'adha al-'Adawiyya reported that she asked 'A'isha,
the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him),
whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
observed fasts for three days during every month. She
said: Yes I said to her: Which were (the particular) days
of the month on which he observed fast? She said: He was
not particular about the days of the month on which to
observe fast.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to
him (or he said to another person and he was listening to
it): O, so and so, did you observe fast in the middle of
the month? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Messenger of
Allah) said: When you break it, then observe fast for two
days.
Abu Qatada reported that a person came to the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: How do you
observe fast? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) felt annoyed. 1560 When 'Umar (Allah be pleased with
him) noticed his annoyance, he said: We are well pleased
with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life,
and with Muhammad as our Prophet. We seek refuge with
Allah from the anger of Allah and that of His Messenger.
'Umar kept on repeating these words till his (the
Prophet's) anger calmed down. Then Umar said: Messenger of
Allah. what is the position of one who perpetually
observes fasts? Thereupon he said: He neither fasted nor
broke it, or he said: He did not fast and he did not break
it. He said: What about him who observes fast for two days
and breaks one day. There- upon he said: Is anyone capable
of doing it? He ('Umar) said: What is the position of him
who observes fast for a day and breaks on the other day?
Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: That is the fast of
David (peace be upon him). He ('Umar) said: What about him
who observes fast one day and breaks it for two days.
Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: I wish, I were
given strength to observe that. Thereafter he said: The
observance of three days' fast every Month and that of
Ramadan every year is a perpetual fasting. I seek from
Allah that fasting on the day of 'Arafa may atone for the
sins of the preceding and the coming years. and I seek
from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for
the sins of the preceding year.
Abu Qatada al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) was asked about his fasting. The Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) felt annoyed. Thereupon 'Umar
(Allah be pleased with him) said: We are pleased with
Allah as the Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life, with
Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for
willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment.
He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he
said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not
fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about
fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (the Holy
Prophet) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He
was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two
days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength
to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and
breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the
fasting of my brother David (peace be upon him). He was
then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It
was the day on which I was born. on which I was
commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to
me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month
and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual
fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th
of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins
of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked
about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram),
whereupon be said: It expiates the sins of the preceding
year. (Imam Muslim said that in this hadith there is a)
narration of Imam Shu'ba that he was asked about fasting
on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imam Muslim) did not
mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in
reporting).
This hadith has been narrated by Ghailan b. Jarir with
the same chain of transmitters, but with one variation,
that there has been made mention of Monday and not of
Thursday.
Abu Qatada Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that Allah's Massenger (may peace be upon him) was asked
about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the
day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) having said to
him or to someone else: Did you fast in the middle of
Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet)
said: If you did not observe fast, then you should observe
fast for two days.
Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that Allah's Apostle (way peace heupon him) said. to a
person: Did you observe any fast in the middle of this
month (Sha'ban)? He said: No. Thereupon the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Fast for two days
instead of (one fast) when you have completed (fasts of)
Ramadan.
'Imran b. Husain (Allah be pleased with them) reported
that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to
a person: Did you observe fast in the middle of this
month. i. e. Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he said to
him: When it is the end of Ramadan, then observe fast for
one day or two (Shu'ba had some doubt about it) but he
said: I think that he has said: two days.
Abu Haraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The
most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month.
al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is
prescribed is prayer during the night.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that
he (the Messenger of Allah) was asked as to which prayer
was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which
fast was most excellent after the month of Ramadan. He
said: Prayer offered in the middle of the night and the
most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of
Ramadan is the fast in God's month al-Muharram.
A hadith like this has been reported from the Apostle
of Allah (may peace be upon him) by 'Abd al-Malik with the
same chain of transmitters in connection with fast.
Chapter 36: EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING FAST FOR SIX
DAYS IN THE MONTH OF SHAWWAL AFTER RAMADAN
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then
followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if
he fasted perpetually.
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that
some persons among the Companions of the Apostle of Allah
(may peace be upon him) were shown Lailat- ul-Qadr while
sleeping in the last week (of Ramadan). Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I see that your
dreams agree regarding the last week; so he who wants to
seek it should seek it in the last week (during the
night).
Salim reported on the authority of his father that a
person saw Lailat-ul- Qadr on the 27th (of Ramadan).
Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: I
see that your dreams agree regarding the last ten (nights
of Ramadan). So seek it on an odd number (of these ten
nights).
Salim b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that his father
said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: So far as Lailat-ul-Qadr is concerned. some
persons among you have seen it (in a dream) in the first
week and some persons among you have been shown that it is
in the last week; so seek it in the last ten (nights).
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Seek it
(Lailat-ul-Qadr) in the last (ten nights). If one among
you shows slackness and weakness (in the earlier part of
Ramadan), it should not be allowed to prevail upon him in
the last week.
Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who is
anxious to seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) should seek it in the
last ten (nights of Ramadan).
'Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Seek the time of Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last (ten
nights), or he said: in the last nine (nights).
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I was
shown Lailat-ul-Qadr; then some members of my family awoke
me up, then I was caused to forget it. So seek it in the
last week. Harmala said: (The Holy Prophet did not say:" I
was made to forget," but he stated):" But I forgot it."
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
spent in devotion (in i'tikaf) the middle ten nights of
the month of Ramadan, and when twenty nights were over and
it was the twenty-first night, he went back to his
residence and those who were along with him also returned
(to their respective residences). He spent one month in
devotion. Then he addressed the people on the night he
came back (to his residence) and commanded them as Allah
desired (him to command) and then said: I used to devote
myself (observe i'tikaf) during these ten (nights). Then I
started devoting myself in the last ten (nights). And he
who desires to observe i'tikaf along with me should spend
the night) at his place of i'tikaf. And I saw this night
(Lailat-ul-Qadr) but I forgot it (the exact night) ; so
seek it;In the last ten nights on odd numbers. I saw (the
glimpses of that dream) that I was prostrating in water
and mud. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: It rained on the
twenty-first night and the water dripped (from the roof)
of the mosque at the place where the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) observed prayer. I looked at him
and as he completed the dawn prayer, (I found) his face
was wet with mud and water.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) devoted (himself to prayer) in the middle (ten
nights) of Ramadan. The rest of the hadith is the same
except for these words:" That he adhered to his place of
i'tikaf and his forehead was besmeared with mud and
water."
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) observed i'tikaf (confined himself for devotion and
prayer) in the first ten (days) of Ramadan; he then
observed i'tikaf in the middle ten (days) in a Turkish
tent with a mat hanging at its door. He (the Holy Prophet)
took hold of that mat and placed it in the nook of the
tent. He then put his head out and talked with people and
they came near him, and he (the Holy Prophet) said: I
observed i'tikaf in the first ten (nights and days) in
order to seek that night (Lailat-ul-Qadr). I then observed
i'tikaf in the middle ten days. Then (an angel) was sent
to me and I was told that this (night) is among the last
ten (nights). He who among you likes to observe i'tikaf
should do so; and the people observed it along with him,
and he (the Holy Prophet) said: That (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was
shown to me on an odd (night) and I (saw in the dream)
that I was prostrating in the morning in clay and water.
So in the morning of the twenty-first night when he (the
Holy Prophet) got up for dawn (prayer). there was a
rainfall and the mosque dripped, and I saw clay and water.
When he came out after completing the morning prayer (I
saw) that his forehead and the tip of his nose had
(traces) of clay and water, and that was the twenty-first
night among the last ten (nights).
Abu Salama reported: 'We discussed amongst ourselves
Lailat-ul-Qadr. I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be
pleased with him) who was a friend of mine and said to
him: Would you not go with us to the garden of date trees?
He went out with a cloak over him. I said to him: Did you
hear the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) making
mention of Lailat-ul-Qadr? He said: Yes, (and added) we
were observing i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and
came out on the morning of the twentieth and the Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) addressed us and said: I
was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr, but I forgot (the exact night)
or I was caused to forget it, so seek it in the last ten
odd (nights), and I was shown that I was prostrating in
water and clay. So he who wanted to observe i'tikaf with
the Messenger of Allah (inay peace be upon him) should
return (to the place of i'tikaf). He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri)
said: And we returned and did not find any patch of cloud
in the sky. Then the cloud gathered and there was (so
heavy) a downpour that the roof of the mosque which was
made of the branches of date-palms began to drip. Then
there was prayer and I saw the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) prostrating in water and clay till I
saw the traces of clay on his forehead.
This badith has been reported on the authority of Yahya
b. Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters (with a
slight variation of these words): I saw the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) after he had completed (the
prayer) and there was a trace of clay on his forehead and
tip (of the nose).
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)
observed i'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan to seek
Lailat-ul-Qadr before it was made manifest to him. When
(these nights) were over, he commanded to strike the tent.
Then it was made manifest to him that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was
in the last ten nights (of Ramadan), and commanded to
pitch the tent (again). He then came to the people and
said: O people, Lailat-ul-Qadr was made manifest to me and
I came out to inform you about it that two persons came
contend- ing with each other and there was a devil along
with them and I forgot it. So seek it in the last ten
nights of Ramadan. Seek it on the ninth, on the seventh
and on the fifth. I (one of the narrators) said: Abu
Sa'id, you know more than us about numbers. He said: Yes,
indeed we have better right than you. I said: What is this
ninth, seventh, and fifth? He said: When twenty-one
(nights are over) and the twenty-second begins, it is the
ninth, and when twenty-three (nights) are over, that which
follows (the last night) is the seventh, and when
twenty-five nights are over, what follows it is fifth. Ibn
Khallad said: Instead of the word Yahliqan (contending),
he said Yakhtasiman, (they are disputing).
'Abdullah b. Unais reported Allah's Messenger (may
peace beupon him) as saying: I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr;
then I was made to forget it, and saw that I was
prostrating in water and clay in the morning of that
(night). He (the narrator) said: There was a downpour on
the twenty-third night and the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) led us in prayer, and as he went back,
there was a trace of water and clay on his forehead and on
his nose. He (the narrator) said: 'Abdullah b. Unais used
to say that it was the twenty-third (night).
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) and Ibn Numair
reported Allah's Mes- senger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Look for (and in the words of Waki, seek)
Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Zirr b. Habaish reported: I thu asked Ubayy b. Ka'b
(Allah be pleased with him): Your brother (in faith) Ibn
Mas'ud says: He who stands (for the night prayer)
throughout the year would find Lailat-ul-Qadr, whereupon
he said: May Allah have mercy upon him; (he said these
words) with the intention that people might not rely only
(on one night), whereas he knew that it (Lailat-ul-Qadr)
is in the month of Ramadan and it is the twenty-seventh
night. He then took oath (without making any exception, i.
e. without saying Innsha Allah) that it was the
twenty-seventh night. I said to him: Abu Mundhir, on what
ground do you say that? Thereupon he said: By the
indication or by the sign which the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) gave us, and that is that on that
day (the sun) would rise without having any ray in it.
Zirr b. Hubaish reported that Ubayy b. Ka'b (Allah be
pleased with him) said about Lailat-ul-Qadr: By Allah, I
know well about it. Shu'ba said: To the best of my
knowledge it was the twenty-seventh night for which the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded us to
stand for prayer. Shu'ba doubted these words: That it was
the night for which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) commanded us to stand for prayer. And (he
further) said: This was narrated to me by a friend of mine
from him (the Holy Prophet).
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We
were talking about Lailat-ul-Qadr in the presence of the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said: He
who amongst you remembers (the night) when the moon arose
and it was like a piece of plate (at the fag end of the
month in a state of waning).
Chapter 38: OBSERVING OF I'TIKAF IN THE LAST TEN
DAYS OF RAMADAN
Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported
that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to
observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.
Abdullah b. Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of
Ramadan. Nafi' said: Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him)
showed me the place in the mosque where the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe i'tikaf.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe
i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) used to observe
i'tikif in the last ten days of Ramadan till Allah called
him back (to his heavenly home). Then his wives observed
i'tikaf after him.
Chapter 39: WHEN SHOULD A PERSON ENTER THE PLACE
OF I'TIKAF AS HE INTENDS TO OBSERVE IT
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that when
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) decided to
observe i'tikaf, he prayed in the morning and then went to
the place of his i'tikaf, and he commanded that a tent
should be pitched for him, and it was pitched. He (once)
decided to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of
Ramadan. Zainab (the wife of the Holy Prophet) commanded
that a tent should be pitched for her. It was pitched
accordingly. And some other wives of Allah's Apostle (may
peace be upon him) commanded that tents should be pitched
for them too. And they were pitched. When the Messenger of
Allah (may peace he upon him) offered the morning prayer,
he looked and found (so many) tents. Thereupon he said:
What is this virtue that these (ladies) have decided to
acquire? He commanded his tent to be struck and abandoned
i'tikaf in the month of Ramadan and postponed it to the
first ten days of Shawwal.
This hadith has been reported through another chain of
transmitters, and there it is mentioned that. 'A'isha,
Hafsa and Zainab (Allah be pleased with them) pitched the
tents for i'tikaf.
Chapter 40: ONE SHOULD EXERT MORE (IN DEVOTION
AND PRAYER) IN THE LAST TEN DAYS OF RAMADAN
'A'Isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that when
the last ten nights began Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion),
wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe prayer
(with more vigour).
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to exert
himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a
greater extent than at any other time.