Furthermore, this ḥadīth states that Friday is ours just as Saturday is the Jews’ and Sunday is the Christians’; the preposition “for” (li-) here denotes exclusive allocation. Such wording implies division: when one says, “These three garments—or these three servants—this one is mine, this one is Zayd’s, and this one is ʿAmr’s,” it necessarily follows that each item is reserved for the one to whom it is assigned, with no share for anyone else. Accordingly, if we were to join them in their festival on Saturday, or in the festival on Sunday, we would be contravening this ḥadīth. If this applies to the weekly festival, it applies equally to the annual festival, for there is no difference between the two. Indeed, if it applies to a festival reckoned by the Arab calendar, then how much more to the non-Muslim festivals of foreign peoples that are dated only by the Roman-Coptic, Persian, Hebrew, or similar systems.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also said:

“Although they were given the Scripture before us and we received it after them, this is the day over which they differed, so Allah guided us to it.”

Here, the particle bi-yad (“although/whereas”) means “because,” as in the statement reported from him: “I am the most eloquent of the Arabs, although I am from Quraysh and was suckled among Banū Saʿd ibn Bakr.”

The meaning, and Allah knows best, is that we are the last in creation yet the first in