Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (2/99)

Zād al-MaʿādIbn al-Qayyim

fasts a day before it or a day after it (1).

This removes the difficulty perceived by those who say that fasting on Saturday is a form of venerating it, and thus accords with the People of the Book in venerating it, even though fasting on it differs from their practice. Such veneration occurs only when Saturday is singled out for fasting. There is no doubt that the hadith does not mention singling it out; fasting on it together with another day does not constitute venerating it. And Allah knows best.

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It was not his practice, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to fast continuously or to fast every day. Rather, he said: “Whoever fasts every day has neither fasted nor broken his fast” (2). He did not mean someone who fasts on days when fasting is forbidden, for he said this in response to someone who asked: “What about someone who fasts every day?” One would not say of someone who does something forbidden, “He has neither fasted nor broken his fast,” for this implies that his fasting and his not fasting are alike: he is neither rewarded nor punished. This is not the case with someone who undertakes a forbidden fast. Thus, this would not be an appropriate answer to a question about forbidden fasting.

Moreover, according to those who regard fasting every day as recommended, such a person has done both something forbidden and something recommended. In their view, he has fasted on the days when fasting is recommended and committed a forbidden act on the days when fasting is prohibited. In neither case can it be said: “He has neither fasted nor broken his fast.” Applying his statement to this case is therefore a clear error.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhārī (1985) and Muslim (1144/147) from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). (2) Narrated by Ahmad (16315) from ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr (may Allah be pleased with him), and graded authentic by Ibn Khuzaymah (2150) and al-Hākim (1/435). Muslim (1162/196) also narrated it from Abū Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him).

يصوم يومًا قبله أو يومًا بعده (١). وبهذا يزول الإشكال الذي ظنَّه من قال: إنَّ صومه نوعُ تعظيمٍ له، فهو موافقةٌ لأهل الكتاب في تعظيمه وإن تضمَّن مخالفتهم في صومه، فإنَّ التَّعظيم إنَّما يكون إذا أفرد بالصَّوم، ولا ريبَ أنَّ الحديث لم يجئ بإفراده، وأمَّا إذا صامه مع غيره لم يكن فيه تعظيمٌ. والله أعلم. فصل ولم يكن من هديه ﷺ سردُ الصَّوم وصيام الدَّهر، بل قد قال: «إنّ من صام الدَّهر لا صام ولا أفطر» (٢). وليس مراده بهذا من صام الأيَّام المحرَّمة، فإنَّه ذكر ذلك جوابًا لمن قال: أرأيتَ من صام الدَّهر؟ ولا يقال في جواب من فعل المحرَّم: لا صام ولا أفطر، فإنَّ هذا يُؤذِن بأنَّه سواءٌ فطرُه وصومُه، لا يثاب ولا يعاقَب، وليس كذلك من فعل ما حُرِّم عليه من الصِّيام. فليس هذا جوابًا مطابقًا للسُّؤال عن المحرَّم من الصَّوم. وأيضًا فإنَّ هذا عند من استحبَّ صوم الدَّهر قد فعل حرامًا ومستحبًّا، وهو عندهم قد صام بالنِّسبة إلى أيَّام الاستحباب، وارتكب محرَّمًا بالنِّسبة إلى أيَّام التَّحريم، وفي كلٍّ منهما لا يقال: ما صام ولا أفطر. فتنزيلُ قوله على ذلك غلطٌ ظاهرٌ.

(١) رواه البخاري (١٩٨٥) ومسلم (١١٤٤/ ١٤٧) من حديث أبي هريرة ﵁. (٢) رواه أحمد (١٦٣١٥) من حديث عبد الله بن الشخير- ﵁، وصححه ابن خزيمة (٢١٥٠) والحاكم (١/ ٤٣٥)، وهو عند مسلم (١١٦٢/ ١٩٦) من حديث أبي قتادة ﵁.