Another teacher likewise transmitted the report from Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Jabbār, adding the following detail:
He said, “I—together with another man—overtook him, meaning Mirdās ibn Nahīk; and when we lifted our swords against him, he declared, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.’ ”
Hishām al-Dastawāʾī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr told us; ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Thawbān told me that the freedman of Qudāmah ibn Maẓʿūn told him, and he in turn reported from the freedman of Usāmah:
“Usāmah used to ride out to an estate of his in Wādī al-Qurā, and on the journey he would fast on Mondays and Thursdays. I said to him, ‘You fast on Mondays and Thursdays while travelling, even though you have grown old and weak—have you not become too frail for this?’
He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and he said: “People’s deeds are presented (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays.” ⦗1⦘’ ”
Yūnus ibn Bukayr narrated to us: Ibn Isḥāq told us, from the grandson of Usāmah ibn Zayd, from his grandfather Usāmah, who said:
“I used to fast a month of every year, and I mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ. He said, ‘Why do you overlook Shawwāl?’
So whenever Usāmah had broken his Ramadan fast, he would rise the next morning fasting from the days of Shawwāl until he had completed….”
(1) A sound hadith when the supporting narrations and alternative chains are taken into account. It is reported by Ibn Saʿd, 4/71; Ahmad, 5/204, 205, 208; and by Abu Dawud (no. 2436, Book of Fasting) through the isnad: Musa b. Ismaʿil → Aban → Yahya → ʿUmar b. al-Hakam b. Thawban → the client (*mawla*) of Qudama b. Mazʿun → the client of Usama b. Zayd. Both mawlas are unknown narrators.
It is also transmitted by Ibn Khuzayma (no. 2119) through Abu Bakr b. ʿAyyash → ʿUmar b. Muhammad → Shurayḥbil b. Saʿd, from Usama who said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast on Monday and Thursday, saying: ‘On these two days the deeds are presented.’ ”
Another version is narrated from Abu Hurayra in al-Tirmidhi (no. 747) with the wording: “Deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, and I like my deed to be presented while I am fasting.” In its chain is Muhammad b. Rifaʿa, who was declared reliable only by Ibn Hibban; the remaining transmitters are trustworthy, so the isnad is fair (hasan) in light of the preceding evidence.
Muslim (no. 2565 [36], Book of Piety and Family Ties) records a related report from Abu Hurayra: “People’s deeds are presented twice every week—on Monday and on Thursday. Every believing servant is forgiven except one who harbours rancour toward his brother; it will be said: ‘Leave these two until they reconcile.’ ”