Points derived from the ḥadith
1- The fast is forbidden on the two days of Fitr and Adḥā.
2- Any fast begun on either of those days is void and invalid, whether it is a make-up fast, a voluntary fast, or one vowed as an oath.
3- The rationale for the prohibition, as indicated in the report, is that the Festival of Fitr inaugurates the end of Ramadan; breaking the fast on that day distinguishes it and marks the limits of the obligatory fast. For the same reason the Prophet ﷺ also forbade fasting one or two days beforehand, so that the day might stand apart from all others. As for the Festival of Sacrifice, it is the day of ritual slaughter on which eating from the sacrifice has been enjoined. One should therefore hasten to comply by partaking of the wholesome provision Allah has granted; to turn away from the hospitality of the Most Generous would be ill-mannered and discourteous.
4- It is recommended for the preacher to address, in his sermon, legal matters appropriate to the time and occasion.
Hadith Eight
Abu Saʿīd al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade fasting on two days: the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Breaking the Fast. He also forbade the aṣ-ṣammāʾ wrap, a man’s huddling with his knees up in a single garment, and praying after the dawn prayer and after the afternoon prayer.”
Collected in full by Muslim; al-Bukhari recorded only the section on fasting. ⦗1⦘
Unfamiliar expressions
al-iḥtibāʾ: for a man to sit on his buttocks with his legs drawn up, wrapping a single cloth around them.
aṣ-ṣammāʾ: for a man to draw a cloak from his right side over his left arm and shoulder, then bring it back from behind over his right arm and shoulder, so that both are covered by a garment without openings.
Overall meaning
In this narration the Prophet ﷺ prohibited three matters: fasting on two specific days, wearing two particular styles of dress, and performing two units of prayer at certain times. The two days on which fasting is forbidden are the Festivals of Fitr and Sacrifice; the wisdom behind their prohibition has already been discussed.