Qudamah was alone in narrating it, demonstrating the falsity of his claim through some of the source citations by which he had supported it! This will come later in this series, Allah willing, in volume seven (no. 3181).

As for the other, I shall discuss it, Allah Most High willing, in the new edition of volume one of this series, no. 60.

15–963. (This religion will remain established...)

The following should be added at the end of p. 653, after the words, “And Allah knows best”:

Then another possibility occurred to me: perhaps the phrase “from Abu Khalifah” is a corruption of “my father, Khalifah, related to me.” For I found in al-Hafiz’s Tahdhib (8/301) that Fitr ibn Khalifah narrated from his father. Likewise, in Khalifah’s own biographical entry, it is mentioned that his son Fitr narrated from him. If this is sound, then the correct wording of the narration would be: “From Fitr ibn Khalifah: my father, Khalifah, related to me...” But this is complicated by the fact that al-Hafiz mentioned in the biographical entry of Abu Khalid al-Walibi that Fitr ibn Khalifah narrated from him—not from his father, Khalifah. The same is found in al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil (Narrator Criticism and Accreditation). Thus, the matter still requires further investigation. Whoever finds the answer, let him kindly provide it; we shall be grateful to him.

16–980. (Do not single out Friday night for prayer...)

An important note: Know that the Prophet’s statement in this hadith, “unless it is part of a fast that one of you observes,” should be explained by the wording in the hadith that follows: “...unless [one fasts] a day before it or a day after it.” It is reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim, as are the other narrations cited beneath it. They indicate that Friday is not to be fasted by itself. This is further confirmed by the corroborating report mentioned there with the wording: “Do not fast Friday alone.” A report with the same meaning is found in Sahih al-Bukhari, on the authority of Jabir (1984). Thus, al-Hafiz’s statement in al-Fath (4/234):

“It may be inferred from the exception that it is permissible to fast it for one whose customary fasting regimen happens to include it, such as one who fasts the White Days, or one who habitually fasts a particular day, such as the Day of Arafah, and it happens to fall on a Friday!”