Abu Dawud¹ stated, “This ḥadīth has been abrogated.”² He likewise transmitted—with his own chain³—that whenever Ibn Shihab was told of a prohibition on fasting Saturday, Ibn Shihab would reply, “That report is from Hims.”⁴ Al-Awzaʿi said, “I kept it hidden all along until I saw it spreading,”⁵ referring to the narration⁶ of Ibn Busr about fasting on Saturday. Abu Dawud further related that Malik declared, “It is a fabrication.”⁷

The majority of scholars therefore see no dislike in fasting on that day.

Most of our own colleagues⁸, however, understood⁹ from Ahmad’s words that the ḥadīth should be accepted but confined to fasting Saturday by itself. He was asked about that very ruling and answered with the ḥadīth, and an answer couched in a ḥadīth¹⁰ implies that it is to be followed. What he cited from Yahya¹¹ was only to clarify the doubt that had arisen. Consequently, these scholars deem it disliked to single Saturday out for fasting, acting on this ḥadīth because of the soundness of its chain, which obliges putting it into practice; they therefore interpret it as applying solely to isolated fasting, just as with fasting Friday alone or dedicating a fast exclusively to the month of Rajab.