The Book of Fasting

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Qatada with the same chain of transmitters by different narrators (except this difference) that in the hadith transmitted by Taimi and Umar b. Amir and Hisham (the date of setting out is) 18th, and in the hadith transmitted by Sa'id it is the 12th, and in the one transmitted by Shu'ba it is the 17th or 19th.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We went out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during Ramadan and neither the observer of the fast was found fault with for his fasting, nor the breaker of the fast for breaking it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We went out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during Ramadan. Some of us observed the fast and some of us broke it. Neither the observer of the fast had any grudge against one who broke it, nor the breaker of the fast had any grudge against one who had fasted They knew that he who had strength enough (to bear its rigour) fasted and that was good, and they also found that he who felt weakness (and could not bear the burden) broke it, and that was also good.

Abu Nadra reported Abu Sa'id al. Khudri and Jabir b. Abdullah as saying: We travelled with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). The observer of the fast observed it, and the breaker of the fast broke it, but none of them found fault with each other.

Humaid reported that Anas (Allah be pleased with him) was asked about fasting during Ramadan while travelling. He said: We travelled with the MesseDger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during the month of Ramadan, but neither the ob- server of the fast found fault with the breaker of the fast, nor the breaker of the fast found fault with the observer of the fast.

Abu Khalid al-Ahmar narrated from Humaid who said: I went out and was fasting; they said to me: Break (lit go back, repeat). He said that Anas reported that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to set out on a journey and neither the observer of the fast found fault with the breaker of the fast, nor the breaker of the fast found fault with the observer of the fast. (One of the narrators Humaid said): I met Ibn Abi Mulaika who informed me the same thing on the authority of 'A'isha.

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey. Some of us had been observing the fast and some of us had not been fasting. We got down at a place on a hot day. Most of us had the cloth for shelter. There were also those amongst us who sheltered (themselves against the rays of the) sun with the help of their hands. The observers of the fast fell down (on account of weakness). Those who had not observed it got up and pitched tents and watered the mounts. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The breakers of the fast have taken away the reward today.

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was journeying (along with his Companions). Some of them had observed the fast whereas the others had broken it. Those who did not fast girded up their loins and worked, but the observers of the fast were too weak to work. Upon this he (the Apostle of Allah) said: Today the breakers of the fast have gone with the reward.

Qaza'a reported: I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) and he was surrounded (by people), and when they dispersed I said to him: I am not going to ask you about what these people were asking. I ask you about fasting on a journey. Upon this he said: We travelled with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) towards Mecca and we had been observing fast. We halted at a place. There the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: You are nearing your enemy and breaking of fast would give you greater strength, and that was a concession (given to us). But some of us continued to observe the fast and some of us broke it. We then got down at another place and he (the Holy Prophet) said: You are going to encounter the enemy in the morning and breaking of the fast would give you strength, so break the fast. As it was a point of stress, so we broke the fast. But subsequently we saw ourselves observing the fast with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Hamza b. 'Amr al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about fasting on a journey, and he (the Holy Prophet) said: Fast if you like and break it if you like.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Hamza b. Amr al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) thus: Messenger of Allah, I am a person devoted much to fasting. Should I fast during the journey? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Fast if you like and break it if you like.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters that Hamza said: I am a person much used to fasting. Should I fast during the journey? (The rest of the hadith is the same.)

Hamza b. 'Amr al-Aslami (Allah be pleased with him) said: Messenger of Allah, I find strength in me for fasting on a journey; is there any sin upon me (in doing it)? Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: It is a concession from Allah. He who took advantage of it, it is good for him, and he who preferred to observe fast, there is no sin upon him. Harun (one of the narrators) in his narration said: 'lt is a concession, and he made no mention of" from Allah".

Abu Darda' (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We set out during the month of Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in such an intense heat that one of us would place his hand over his head (in order to protect himself) against the excessive heat, and none among us was observing the fast, except the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and 'Abdullah b. Rawaha.

Abu Darda' reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on some of his journeys on an intensely hot day so much so that a person would place his hand on his head (in order to protect himself) against excessive heat, and none amongst us was fasting but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and Abdullah b. Rawaha

Umm al-Fadl bint- al-Harith reported that some people argued about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of 'Arafa. Some of them said that he had been fasting, whereas the others said that he had not been fasting. I sent a cup of milk to him while he was riding his camel at 'Arafa, and he drank it.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Nadr with the same chain of transmitters, but he did not mention that he was mounting (riding on) his camel.

This hadith has been narrated by Abu Nadr on the authority of Umair, the freed slave of Umm al-Fadl, through the same chain of transmitters.

Umm al-Fadl (Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have said that some people among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were in doubt about fasting on the day of 'Arafa and we were with him on that day. I (Umm al-Fadl) sent him a cup of milk and he was halting at 'Arafa, and he drank that.

Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), reported from Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), that people had doubt about the fasting of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the day of 'Arafa. Maimuna sent him a cup of milk and he was halting at a place and he drank it and the people were seeing him.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Quraish used to fast on the day of 'Ashura in the pre-Islamic days and the Messenger ot Allah (may peace be upon him) also observed it. When he migrated to Medina, he himself observed this fast and commanded (others) to observe it. But when fasting during the month of Ramadan was made obligatory he said: He who wishes to observe this fast may do so, and he who wishes to abandon it may do so.

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention in the first part of the hadith that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe fast, and said about the second part that he abandoned the (fast) of Ashura, and he who wished observed the fast and who wished otherwise abandoned it, and he did not hold it as the words of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as mentioned in the narration transmitted by Jarir.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported. In the pre-Islamic days fast was observed on the day of Ashura, but with the advent of Islam (its position was ascertained as that of a voluntary fast). Then he who wished to fast fasted, and he who liked to abandon it abandoned it.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had ordered to observe fast (on 'Ashura) before the fasting in Ramadan was made obligatory. But when it became obligatory, then he who wished fasted on the day of Ashura, and he who wished did not observe it (on that day).

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Quraish used to observe fast on the day of Ashura during the pre-Islamic days. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upog him) then commanded to fast on that day till (fasting) in Ramadan became obligatory. Then the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who wished to fast should do so. and he who wished to break it may do so.

Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that (the Arabs of) pre-Islamic days used to observe fast on the day of Ashura and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed it and the Muslims too (observed it) before fasting in Ramadan became obligatory. But when it became obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: 'Ashura is one of the days of Allah, so he who wished should observe fast and he who wished otherwise should abandon it.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah through the same chain of transmitters.

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) said that the day of 'Ashura was mentioned before the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him). Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, (may peace be upon him) said: That was a day on which the people of pre-Islamic days used to observe fast. So he who amongst you likes to observe fast should do so, and he who does not like it should abandon it.

Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say about the day of Ashura: It is a day on which the people of pre-Islamic days observed fast. So he who liked to fast on this day should do so, and he who liked to abandon it should abandon it. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) did not observe fast except when it coincided (with the days when he was in the habit of observing voluntary fasts during every month).