and enters ihram for ʿumrah at the end of Dhu al-Qaʿdah, knowing that he will not be able to obtain a sacrificial animal because he has no money, then he may fast.

If it is asked: How can he fast during ʿumrah when Allah says in the noble verse, “three days during Hajj” [al-Baqarah 2:196]?

The answer is the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him: “ʿUmrah has been incorporated into Hajj.” (1)

The three-day fast may be observed no later than the final day of the Days of Tashriq. Accordingly, if he has not fasted before then, he should fast the three days: the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth.

The evidence for this is the hadith of Aisha and Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, who said: “Permission was not granted to fast on the Days of Tashriq except to one who could not find a sacrificial animal.” (2) A Companion’s statement, “Permission was not granted,” “We were granted permission,” or the like, is considered to be implicitly traced back to the Prophet.

Issue: The jurists differed regarding the ruling on fasting on the festivals of the disbelievers.

It was said that it is disliked, because this lends the disbelievers strength, as they may say: “These Muslims venerate our festivals!”

And it was said that it is not disliked, because fasting is the opposite of breaking the fast, and breaking the fast involves happiness and joy. It is as though one were saying to the disbelievers: “You rejoice on this day, while we respond to you with fasting and abstinence.”

The more correct view is that it is disliked, and that we should not concern ourselves with the festivals of the disbelievers, except for the purpose of warning against them.