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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam Aleikum!

I wish to ask whether its permissible to fast on saturday; the day after Juma? In my country we celebrated Eid on a friday. I was asking whether its permissible to start fasting the 6 days of shawaal on saturday? Is it acceptable to fast the day of Arafat if it falls on saturday?

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Answer:

Fast on Saturdays

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I wish to ask whether its permissible to fast on saturday;the day after Juma?

Umar ibn Khattab (r.a.) said:: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) has forbidden fasting on these two days (Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha). Concerning the Ed of breaking the fast, it is for you to break your fast [of Ramadan]. On the Eid of sacrifice, you should eat from what you sacrifice."

related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, atTirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah.

Amr al-Ashari reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: "Verily, Friday is an Eid for you, so do not fast on it unless you fast the day before or after it."

Related by al-Bazzar.

Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) counseled: "He who wants to [fast] voluntarily should fast on Thursday instead of Friday, for Friday is a day of eating, drinking, and remembrance."

Related by Ibn Abu Shaibah.

All the scholars of all schools of thought in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers from fasting on the two days of Eid, and on a Friday unless and until the person fasts a day before (Thursday) or a day after (Saturday) along with it.

There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars and jurists in Islam regarding the permissibility of fasting on Saturdays because there are conflicting ‘hadiths’ to both arguments:

Busr as-Salmi related from his sister as-Sama that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Do not fast on Saturdays unless it is an obligatory fast. [You should not fast] even if you do not find anything [to eat] save some grape peelings or a branch of a tree to chew on."

Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim.

Umm Salamah (r.a.), the wife of the Prophet (saws) said: "The Prophet (saws) used to fast more often on Saturdays and Sundays than on the other days. He (saws) would say: 'They are the Eids of the polytheists (the Jews and Christians), and I love to differ from them.'"

Related by Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, al-Hakim, and Ibn Khuzaimah.

The Hanafiyyah, Shaf'iyyah, and Hanbaliyyah school of thought are of the opinion that it is disliked to fast on Saturday by itself due to the preceding evidence, but the Maliki school of thought assign more weight to the narration by Hadrat Umm-Salamah (r.a.) and are of the opinion that there is no harm in fasting on Saturdays. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Your Question: In my country we celebrated Eid on a friday. I was asking whether its permissible to start fasting the 6 days of shawaal on saturday?

Even if one were to assign more weight to the above quoted narration of Hadrat Busr and agree with the opinion of the scholars of the stature of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafei, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal regarding the dislike of fasting on Saturdays….the dislike is to single out the day of Saturday alone for fasting. If one wishes to observe the voluntary six-fasts of Shawwal and start fasting on the day after Eid (which in this case happened to be Saturday) there is absolutely no harm.

Your Question: Is it acceptable to fast the day of Arafat if it falls on saturday?

If the blessed day of Arafah were to fall even on a Friday (or Saturday or any other day), the dislike or prohibition of fasts of Fridays would not apply and it would be preferred for the believers who are not actually on the Hajj pilgrimage to observe the fast of Arafah, regardless of which day of the week it happens to fall upon.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2419 (part) Narrated by Abu Qatadah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “….. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming year.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan