Fiqh-us-Sunnah - 3.122
Hadith 3.122.1
Prohibited to single out Saturday as a day of fasting
Busr as-Salmi related from his sister as-Sama' that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, 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."
This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim. Al-Hakim said that it is sahih according to the conditions of Muslim, while at-Tirmidhi called it hassan. AtTirmidhi said that what is disliked here is for a person to exclusively choose Saturday as a day of fasting, as it is the day that the Jews honor.
In contradiction with the preceding report, Umm Salamah claims: "The Prophet used to fast more often on Saturdays and Sundays than on the other days. He would say: 'They are the 'ids of the polytheists, and I love to differ from them.' " This is related by Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, al-Hakim, and Ibn Khuzaimah who called it sahih.
The Hanafiyyah, Shaf'iyyah, and Hanbaliyyah say it is disliked to fast on Saturday by itself due to the preceding evidence. Malik differs from them, but the hadith is proof against him.
Hadith 3.122.A
Forbidden to fast on the 'day of doubt'
'Ammar ibn Yasir said: "Whoever fasts the 'day of doubt has disobeyed Abu alQasim [the Prophet]." This is related by an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah.
Of its status, at-Tirmidhi says: "It is a hassan sahih hadith. Most of the knowledgeable people act in accordance with it. It is the opinion of Sufyan ath-Thauri, Malik ibn Anas, 'Abdullah ibn alMubarak, ash-Shaf'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. They all hate that one fasts on a 'day of doubt.' Most of them believe that if one fasts on such a day and it turns out to be Ramadan, then that day still has to be made up later. If such a day occurs during one's regular fasting period, then it is permissible to fast on such a day."
As related by "the group," Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "Do not precede Ramadan by fasting the day or two before it unless it is a day on which the person usually fasts."
About this hadith, at-Tirmidhi says: "The hadith is hassan sahih and the scholars act in accordance with it.
They dislike that a person should hasten Ramadan by fasting on the day before it. If a person usually fasts on a day and 'the day of doubt' occurs on that day, then there is no problem with his fasting on that day, in their opinion."
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