Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (2/96)

Zād al-MaʿādIbn al-Qayyim

Several reasons have been given for his not fasting at ‘Arafah:

One is that not fasting gave him greater strength for supplication.

Another is that not fasting while travelling is preferable even when the fast is obligatory, so how much more so when it is voluntary.

Another is that the day fell on a Friday, and he had forbidden singling out Friday for fasting. He therefore wanted people to see that he was not fasting that day, reinforcing his prohibition against singling it out for fasting, even if one were fasting because it was the Day of ‘Arafah rather than because it was Friday.

Our teacher, may Allah be pleased with him, took a different approach (1): it is a festival day for those at ‘Arafah because they gather there, just as people gather on a festival day. This gathering is particular to those at ‘Arafah, not people elsewhere. He said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated this in the hadith related from him by the compilers of the Sunan collections (2): “The Day of ‘Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice, and the days of Minā are our festival, we people of Islam.” It is clear that it is a festival for those attending that gathering because they come together on that day. Allah knows best.

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It is reported that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, frequently fasted on Saturdays and Sundays, intending thereby to differ from the Jews and Christians, as related in the Musnad and Sunan al-Nasā’ī (3), on the authority of Kurayb

(1) See Sharh al-‘Umdah (3/469). (2) Abū Dāwūd (2419), al-Tirmidhī (773), and al-Nasā’ī (3004); also recorded by Ahmad (17379), from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him). It was graded authentic by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Khuzaymah (2100), Ibn Hibbān (3603), al-Hākim (1/434), and al-Albānī in Sahīh Abī Dāwūd—al-Umm (7/178). (3) Recorded by Ahmad (26750) and al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (2789), from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), and graded authentic by Ibn Khuzaymah (2167), Ibn Hibbān (3616), and al-Hākim (1/436). Its chain of transmission includes ‘Abd Allāh ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Alī and his father, both of whom are of unknown status; the transmission of this hadith hinges on them. See al-Da‘īfah (1099).

وقد ذُكر لفطره بعرفة عدَّة حِكَمٍ: منها: أنَّه أقوى على الدُّعاء. ومنها: أنَّ الفطر في السَّفر أفضل في فرض الصَّوم، فكيف بنفله. ومنها: أنَّ ذلك اليوم كان يوم جمعة، وقد نهى عن إفراده بالصَّوم، فأحبَّ أن يرى النَّاس فطره فيه تأكيدًا لنهيه عن تخصيصه بالصَّوم، وإن كان صومه لكونه يوم عرفة لا يوم الجمعة. وكان شيخنا ﵁ يسلك مسلكًا آخر (١) وهو أنَّه يوم عيدٍ لأهل عرفة لاجتماعهم فيه، كاجتماع النَّاس يوم العيد، وهذا الاجتماع يختصُّ من بعرفة دون أهل الآفاق. قال: وقد أشار النَّبيُّ ﷺ إلى هذا في الحديث الذي رواه أهل «السُّنن» (٢) عنه: «يوم عرفة ويوم النَّحر وأيَّام منًى: عيدُنا أهل الإسلام». ومعلومٌ أنَّ كونه عيدًا هو لأهل ذلك الجمع لاجتماعهم فيه. والله أعلم. فصل وقد روي عنه ﷺ أنه كان يصوم السَّبت والأحد كثيرًا، يقصد بذلك مخالفة اليهود والنَّصارى، كما في «المسند» و «سنن النَّسائي» (٣) عن كُريبٍ

(١) انظر: «شرح العمدة» (٣/ ٤٦٩). (٢) أبو داود (٢٤١٩) والترمذي (٧٧٣) والنسائي (٣٠٠٤)، ورواه أحمد (١٧٣٧٩)، من حديث عقبة بن عامر ﵁. وصححه الترمذي وابن خزيمة (٢١٠٠) وابن حبان (٣٦٠٣) والحاكم (١/ ٤٣٤) والألباني في «صحيح أبي داود - الأم» (٧/ ١٧٨). (٣) رواه أحمد (٢٦٧٥٠) والنسائي في الكبرى (٢٧٨٩) من حديث أم سلمة ﵂ وصححه ابن خزيمة (٢١٦٧) وابن حبان (٣٦١٦) والحاكم (١/ ٤٣٦). وفي إسناده عبد الله بن محمد بن عمر بن علي وأبوه، كلاهما مجهول، وعليهما مدار الحديث. انظر: «الضعيفة» (١٠٩٩).