395 — “A woman must not observe a voluntary fast on any day outside Ramadan while her husband is present, except with his permission.”

Al-Darimi recorded it in his Sunan (2/12): Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us; Sufyan narrated to us from Abu al-Zinad, from al-A‘raj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said it.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting Muslim’s criteria. All its narrators are trustworthy and among his narrators.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim also recorded the hadith through routes from Sufyan, but without the words, “a voluntary fast on any day outside Ramadan.” This is an authentic, established addition, and it is for this reason that I have included the hadith here. It has also been transmitted through two other routes from Abu Hurayrah with similar wording. The chain of one of them is authentic, while the other is good. It also has a more complete supporting report from the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, which explains the occasion on which it was uttered and contains other benefits that ought to be considered. Its text is as follows. He said, may Allah be pleased with him:

“A woman came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while we were with him, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my husband, Safwan ibn al-Mu‘attal, strikes me when I pray, makes me break my fast when I fast, and does not perform the Fajr prayer until the sun has risen.’ Safwan was present with him, so he asked him about what she had said. He replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, as for her statement that I strike her when she prays: she recites two suras, thereby keeping me waiting, although I have forbidden her to do so.’ He said: ‘One surah would suffice people.

‘As for her statement that I make her break her fast: she goes out and fasts, while I am a young man and cannot restrain myself.’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said that day: ‘A woman must not fast except with her husband’s permission.’

‘As for her statement, “I do not pray until the sun has risen”: we are a household known for