Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/474)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

until he said to him: “Fast one day and do not fast the next; that is the best fast, and it was the fast of David.” Regarding the night prayer, he said to him: “Sleep for half the night, stand in prayer for a third of it, then sleep for a sixth of it. That is the best manner of standing in prayer, and it was David’s manner of standing in prayer.” (1) This is because such fasting gives the soul a degree of freedom and the body a degree of strength, since he fasts one day and does not fast the next. Likewise, if one sleeps for half the night, then stands for a third of it, and then sleeps for a sixth of it, the fatigue from standing for that third will be relieved by his sleeping for the sixth, so that he begins the day invigorated.

However, this—fasting one day and not fasting the next—is conditional upon its not causing him to neglect what Allah has made obligatory upon him. If it causes him to neglect what Allah has made obligatory, then it is prohibited, for an obligatory duty cannot be neglected for the sake of a voluntary act. Thus, if it were the case that, when this man fasted one day and did not fast the next, he missed the congregational prayer in the mosque because he became tired at the end of the day and was unable to reach the mosque, we would say to him: Do not do this. Neglecting an obligation is more serious than neglecting a recommended act. This is merely recommended; you incur no sin by leaving it, so leave it.

Likewise, if this occupied him to the neglect of providing for his family—that is, if it caused him to cease buying, selling, and working as needed to support his family—we would say to him: Do not do this, for fulfilling an obligation is more important than performing a voluntary act. Similarly, if this fasting resulted in his failing to fulfill the duties of his employment, it would be prohibited.

Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both, remained committed to this until he grew old, and then wished that he had accepted the Prophet’s concession, peace and blessings be upon him, to fast three days of every month. Yet he strove hard, may Allah have mercy on him, and so he would fast fifteen consecutive days

(1) Its source has been cited previously, p. 459.

حتى قال له: صم يوماً وأفطر يوماً فذلك أفضل الصيام، وهو صيام داود، وقال له في القيام: نم نصف الليل، وقم ثلث الليل، ونم سدس الليل، فذلك أفضل القيام وهو قيام داود» (١)؛ لأن هذا الصيام يعطي النفس بعض الحرية، والبدن بعض القوة؛ لأنه يصوم يوماً ويفطر يوماً، وكذلك القيام إذا نام نصف الليل، ثم قام ثلثه، ثم نام سدسه، فإن تعبه في قيام الثلث سوف يزول بنومه السدس، فيقوم في أول النهار نشيطاً. ولكن هذا، أي: صوم يوم وفطر يوم، مشروط بما إذا لم يضيع ما أوجب الله عليه، فإن ضيع ما أوجب الله عليه كان هذا منهياً عنه؛ لأنه لا يمكن أن تضاع فريضة من أجل نافلة، فلو فرض أن هذا الرجل إذا صام يوماً وأفطر يوماً، تخلف عن الجماعة في المسجد، لأنه يتعب في آخر النهار، ولا يستطيع أن يصل إلى المسجد، فنقول له: لا تفعل؛ لأن إضاعة الواجب أعظم من إضاعة المستحب، فهذا مستحب لا تأثم بتركه فاتركه. كذلك لو انشغل بذلك عن مؤونة أهله، أي: انقطع عن البيع والشراء والعمل الذي يحتاجه لمؤونة أهله، فإننا نقول له: لا تفعل؛ لأن القيام بالواجب أهم من القيام بالتطوع، وكذلك لو أدى هذا الصيام إلى عدم القيام بواجب الوظيفة كان منهياً عنه. وقد التزم عبد الله بن عمرو ﵄ بذلك حتى كبر فتمنى أنه قبل رخصة النبي ﷺ أن يصوم من كل شهر ثلاثة أيام، حتى اجتهد ﵁ فصار يصوم خمسة عشر يوماً

(١) سبق تخريجه ص (٤٥٩).