Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/472)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

The best of it is to fast one day and not fast the next …

His statement, “The best of it is to fast one day and not fast the next,” means that the best voluntary fast is to fast one day and not fast the next.

If someone were to ask: Why did the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, not do this, when he was the one who proclaimed what is best, and he was the most fearful of Allah and most mindful of Him? We would say: because the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, was occupied with other acts of worship greater than fasting: calling people to Allah, and other duties that required his attention. Thus, the virtue of the call to prayer is authentically reported from him, and that the callers to prayer will have the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection (1). Yet he did not personally perform it, because he was occupied with other noble acts of worship and was unable to watch the sun as it rose, reached its zenith, and the like.

Likewise, concerning the man who entered and prayed alone, he said: “Who will give charity to this man?” One of his Companions then stood and prayed with him (2). No one should therefore say: Why did he not stand himself, since it was an act of charity and he was the foremost of people in doing good? The answer is that he was occupied with what was more important: teaching the people, speaking to them, winning their hearts, and the like.

In short, it should not be assumed that when the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, encouraged an act and explained that it was best, yet did not perform it himself, this reflected any shortcoming on his part—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Rather, he was occupied with what was more deserving and more important. This is why, when he was asked about fasting one day and not fasting for two days, he said: “Would that we were able to do that.” (3) That is, he was not

(1) Narrated by Muslim, in al-Salah (Prayer), chapter on the merit of the adhan and Satan’s fleeing upon hearing it, no. 387, on the authority of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. (2) Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 3:64; Abu Dawud, in al-Salah (Prayer), chapter on holding a congregational prayer in the mosque, no. 574; and al-Tirmidhi, in al-Salah (Prayer), chapter on congregational prayer in a mosque where prayer has already been performed, no. 2220, on the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri. Al-Tirmidhi graded it hasan (sound), and al-Albani authenticated it in al-Irwa, 2:316. (3) Its sourcing has previously been given in the hadith of Abu Qatadah; see p. 468.

وَأَفْضَلُهُ صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَفِطْرُ يَوْمٍ ............. قوله: «وأفضله صوم يوم وفطر يوم» أي: أفضل صوم التطوع صوم يوم، وفطر يوم. فإذا قال قائل: لماذا لم يفعله الرسول ﷺ، والرسول ينشر الأفضل وهو أخشانا لله وأتقانا له؟ قلنا: لأن الرسول ﷺ يشتغل بعبادات أخرى أجل من الصيام، من الدعوة إلى الله، والأعمال الأخرى الوظيفية التي تستدعي أن يفعلها، ولهذا ثبت عنه فضل الأذان، وأن المؤذنين أطول الناس أعناقاً يوم القيامة (١)، ومع ذلك لم يباشره؛ لأنه مشغول بعبادات أخرى جليلة لا يتمكن من مراقبة الشمس في طلوعها، وزوالها وما أشبه ذلك، وقال في الرجل الذي دخل وصلى وحده: من يتصدق على هذا؟ فقام بعض أصحابه فصلى معه (٢)، فلا يقول قائل: لماذا لم يقم هو لأنها صدقة، وهو أسبق الناس إلى الخير؟ فالجواب لأنه مشتغل بما هو أهم، من تعليم الناس، والتحدث إليهم وتأليفهم وما أشبه ذلك، المهم أنه لا يُظن أن الرسول ﷺ إذا ندب إلى فعل شيء وبين أنه أفضل ولم يفعله هو، فهو قصور منه ـ صلوات الله وسلامه عليه ـ، ولكن اشتغاله بما هو أولى وأهم، ولهذا لما سئل عن صوم يوم وإفطار يومين؟ قال: «ليت أنا نقوى على ذلك» (٣)، يعني أنه ما

(١) أخرجه مسلم في الصلاة/ باب فضل الأذان وهرب الشيطان عند سماعه (٣٨٧) عن معاوية بن أبي سفيان ﵄. (٢) أخرجه الإمام أحمد (٣/ ٦٤)؛ وأبو داود في الصلاة/ باب في الجمع في المسجد (٥٧٤)؛ والترمذي في الصلاة/ باب ما جاء في الجماعة في مسجد قد صلي فيه مرّة (٢٢٢٠) عن أبي سعيد الخدري ﵁ وحسنه الترمذي وصححه الألباني في «الإرواء» (٢/ ٣١٦). (٣) سبق تخريجه من حديث أبي قتادة ﵁ ص (٤٦٨).