(3) Likewise cited on p. 29, through the chain of transmission of Ubayd Allah ibn Iyad ibn Laqit from his father, from her. The isnad is sound, and Layla is a Companion, as stated in al-Taqrib and other works. Ibn Hajar also attributes the report in Fath al-Bari, 4/164, to al-Tabarani, and both Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn Abi Hatim include it in their Tafsirs with a sound chain terminating in Layla. Shaykh al-Islam comments: “The prohibition of continuous fasting (wisal) is explained by the fact that it is the fast observed by the Christians. It is exactly as the Messenger of Allah said, and it seems to form part of the monasticism they invented.” (4) Reported by Muslim, 3/151; al-Bayhaqi, 4/287; and others. Shaykh al-Islam, p. 41, writes: “‘Ashura is an excellent day that expiates the sins of the preceding year. The Messenger of Allah fasted it, ordered people to fast it, and encouraged it. Then, shortly before his death, when he was told that the Jews and Christians venerate that day, he commanded that we differ from them by adding another day to it and firmly intended to do so. For this reason the scholars—among them Imam Ahmad—recommended fasting both Tasu‘a (the ninth) and ‘Ashura (the tenth), and this is the rationale given by the Companions as well. Sa‘id ibn Mansur reports … from Ibn ‘Abbas: ‘Fast the ninth and the tenth; differ from the Jews.’” I say: its chain is sound according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim; al-Bayhaqi also recorded it (4/287), and a similar wording is found as a marfu‘ report with a weak isnad.