Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/180)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and His Messenger have restricted.” Allah has left unrestricted His saying: “Three days during Hajj and seven when you have returned.” [al-Baqarah 2:196] He did not stipulate that they be consecutive. If Allah has not stipulated this, then imposing such a condition places a restriction upon Allah’s servants within the law of Allah. Just as we have no right to make unrestricted what Allah has restricted, neither do we have the right to restrict what Allah has left unrestricted. Indeed, restricting what Allah has left unrestricted is more serious than making unrestricted what He has restricted, because restricting what Allah has left unrestricted conflicts with the aims of Islam, namely ease and facilitation. What is unrestricted is easier than what is restricted.

Accordingly, we say: It is permissible to fast the three days either consecutively or separately, unless fasting them consecutively is necessitated by the requirement to fast them during Hajj. This is the case when one fasts them during the Days of Tashriq, for then they must be consecutive.

A comparable case is making up missed fasts of Ramadan: it is permissible to make them up consecutively or separately. However, if only as much of Sha‘ban remains as the number of Ramadan fasts he owes, then consecutive fasting becomes obligatory, since it cannot be delayed until after the next Ramadan.

Question: If someone delays fasting the three days during Hajj until his Hajj has ended, without an excuse, must he offer an expiation? The correct view is that no expiation is required. It is remarkable that the jurists, may Allah have mercy on them, say that an expiation is required, when in the first place he does not possess an expiatory offering; rather, fasting became obligatory for him precisely because he could not find a sacrificial animal. We say that it must be performed during Hajj; yet if it is delayed—especially when there is an excuse—it is to be made up, just as Ramadan fasts are made up.

“And seven when he returns to his family . . .”

His statement, “and seven when he returns to his family,” means: to his homeland, due to the saying of Allah Most High: “And seven when you have returned.” [al-Baqarah 2:196] The verse does not qualify the return as a return to one’s family, but the exegetes interpreted it in this way: when you return

ورسوله»، فالله ﷿ أطلق ﴿ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٩٦] ولم يقيدها بكونها متتابعة، وإذا لم يقيدها الله، فإن تقييدها تضييق على عباد الله في شريعة الله، وإذا كان ليس لنا الحق أن نطلق ما قيده الله، فليس لنا الحق ـ أيضاً ـ أن نقيد ما أطلقه الله، بل تقييد ما أطلقه الله أشد من إطلاق ما قيده الله؛ لأن تقييد ما أطلقه الله مخالف لمقاصد الدين الإسلامي، وهو التيسير والتسهيل، فإن المطلق أسهل من المقيد. وعلى هذا فنقول: يجوز أن يصوم الأيام الثلاثة متتابعة ومتفرقة، ما لم يكن تتابعها من ضرورة صومها في الحج، وذلك إذا صامها في أيام التشريق فهنا لا بد أن تكون متتابعة. ونظير ذلك قضاء رمضان فيجوز قضاء رمضان متتابعاً ومتفرقاً، لكن إذا بقي من شعبان مقدار ما عليه من رمضان وجب التتابع، ضرورة أنه لا يمكن تأخيره إلى ما بعد رمضان الثاني. مسألة: من أخر صيام ثلاثة الأيام التي في الحج حتى انتهى حجه لغير عذر، فهل تلزمه الفدية؟ الصحيح لا تلزمه، وعجباً لأمر الفقهاء ﵏ أن يقولوا تلزمه الفدية، وهو أصلاً ما عنده فدية وهو أيضاً لما عدم الهدي صار الصيام واجباً في حقه، فنقول: إنه يجب أن يكون في الحج وإذا تأخر ولا سيما إذا كان لعذر فإنه يقضى كرمضان. وَسَبْعَة إِذا رَجَعَ إِلى أَهْلِهِ ................. قوله: «وسبعة إذا رجع إلى أهله»، أي: إلى بلده لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٩٦] والآية لم تقيد الرجوع بالرجوع إلى الأهل، ولكن المفسرين فسروها بذلك إذا رجعتم