The illogical drama prohibiting nafl fasting on Friday

[Ruhi_Rose]

As-Salam Alaykum and peace dear everyone.  As we know, fard (obligatory) fasting is only during the 30 days of the 9th Islamic month of Ramadan.  Other than that, if any one wants to observe nafl (extra) fasts, it is purely a personal choice and one can observe nafl fasts on any month and any day of the week.  This is completely in conformity with the ideology of the Noble Quran.

But Abu Hurairah made it ample clear many times that he neither read the Noble Quran nor respected it.  For no rhyme or reason other than to sate his own perpetual desire for falsifications, he forged the following hadith many years after the passing of the Prophet (pbuh).

Al-Bukhaari (1985) and Muslim (1144) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “No one of you should fast on Friday, unless he fasts (a day) before it or after it.”   

A 13th century imam named Al-Nawawi who was supposed to be a hadith master, did nothing all his life other than dwelling and getting fixated on hadith, supported Abu Hurairah's forgery claiming majority of the companions agreed with this view.  However, Abu Hurairah seems to be the only source though his contemporaries and friends also committed similar massive forgeries and were no different.

Abu Hurairah gave no reasons for his forged narration, as usual.  If you ask any of our jurists for a reason why nafl fasting is forbidden on Fridays, they simply quote the hadith and go no further.  They have no answers and thus get offended if you ask questions.     

According to Islam Q&A supervised by M. Shaykh Saalih al-Munajid  the reason for this prohibition is because on Fridays we have to attend the Jum'aah salah in congregation and so it's a busy day.   But needless to say, this reason makes no sense.  As anyone can assess, Jum'aah prayer is NO obstacle in the way of a nafl fast, should anyone desire to observe it on that day.  After all, in Ramadan we do fast on Fridays throughout the month.  Islam Q&A  then quotes Verse 62:10 “Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Salaah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah (by working), and remember Allaah much”   But again, this Verse has absolutely no connection with prohibiting nafl fast on Friday.  Verse 62:10 simply informs us that after the Jum'aah prayer has ended, we are allowed to go back to work.

After the Friday prohibition of nafl fasts, our jurists still wouldn't give up on their worthless fabrications and leave people alone.  They jumped in to prohibit nafl fasting on Saturdays as well, unless you combine it with Friday or Sunday.  The reason cited is that since the Jews observe Sabbath (or whatever is their religious occasion) on Saturday, therefore Muslims shouldn't pick Saturday for nafl fasting.  What a thoroughly crazy perception!  I ask myself, aren’t intentions important for these people at all?   Let the Jews or anyone else do whatever they wish on any day.  That has absolutely no bearing on the devotions of a Muslim towards Allah Almighty on Saturday or any day for that matter.   This Saturday story comes from some 19th century Wahabi shaykh of Saudi Arabia named Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraahim.  This perspective also clashes with the hadith forgery claiming the Prophet (pbuh) told people to fast on 10th Muharram and then also decided to fast on 9th Muharram.  Quoting that false narration in Bukhari collection in which Bukhari even forgot to pick a narrator. 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) entered Medina in the first year of Hijra and noticed the Jews fasting. He asked one of his companions: “Why are the Jews fasting?”. His companion replied: “The Jews are remembering when Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the children of Israel were saved from the Pharaoh”. The prophet said: “I have a greater right on Moses than what they do. Therefore, my people will fast on Ashura in the same way they are fasting on Ashura”. One of the companions exclaimed: “O Messenger of Allah, but we are going to be copying the Jews” and the prophet then replied: “You are right, from now on we will fast on the 9th and 10th”.  (Al-Bukhari, hadith 1865).  This heavily forged hadith tries to show that the Prophet (pbuh) did not have any logical perception and that the so-called companions kept guiding and reminding him. 

The above narration is among the worst of forgeries one can imagine.  First of all, the Prophet (pbuh) never ever said anything of the sort.  Secondly, whether it is fasting on the 10th day or both 9th and 10th, it amounts to following the footsteps of the Jews which contradicts the Shaykh Ibn Ibrahim's fatwa of prohibiting nafl fast on Saturday because that is a religious day for Jews as well.  Thirdly, the real motive behind this forgery of fasting on 9th and 10th in commemoration of the Exodus is to distract and downplay the tragedy of Karbala.  Furthermore, 10th of Muharram claimed to be the day of Exodus is itself a solid lie.  For completely unveiling this myth of Exodus occurring on 10th Muharram, please read the post:  Did the Prophet (pbuh) fast on 10th Muharram?

Finally, Shaykh Saalih al-Munajid getting too embarrassed by his inability to present logical explanations, has the audacity to demand questioners not to ask for the reasons of forged ahadith and nonsensical fatwas, and going to the depth of impropriety to defend their own ignorance by completely misinterpreting the Quranic Verse 33:36.  I quote Shaykh Munajid's website as follows.    

Quote:
It should be clear to you that defining the reason behind it is something concerning which the scholars exercised ijtihaad, and you have seen that al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) regarded as mistaken the views which tried to explain why it is forbidden to single out Fridays for fasting.  Hence the Muslim should submit to the rule of sharee’ah, whether he understands the reason and wisdom behind it or not. He should accept and submit to the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error” [al-Ahzaab 33:36].
Unquote:

Analogically, this is a bit like a thief stealing and then demanding their thievery to be respected based on their pretenses and misinterpretations.  Shame on this guy.  They forget, ALLAH The Greatest is watching.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Walaikum Salam, sis ..

 

.. I quote Shaykh Munajid's website as follows.   


Quote:
It should be clear to you that defining the reason behind it is something concerning which the scholars exercised ijtihaad, and you have seen that al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) regarded as mistaken the views which tried to explain why it is forbidden to single out Fridays for fasting.  Hence the Muslim should submit to the rule of sharee’ah, whether he understands the reason and wisdom behind it or not. He should accept and submit to the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error” [al-Ahzaab 33:36].
Unquote: 

People who talk as such only reflect their own guilty conscience and dishonesty. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

Wa'salam.  Their purpose of “Ijtihaad” is only to strengthen the culture of forgeries.

Today being the 29th of Dhul Qaddah and Hajj starting after the next two days, the traditionalists grab the opportunity not only to reiterate the forgeries but also create new ones.  I have also been hearing much on banning nafl fasting on Friday unless combined with Thursday or Saturday.  And then the same prohibition on Saturday.  So I wonder, What if Arafah comes on a Friday?  Will those not performing Hajj but desiring to offer nafl fast on that day not supposed to fast simply because it's a Friday? 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

 They say if Arafah comes on a Friday, non-pilgrims are allowed to fast even if they didn't fast on Thursday and don't intend to fast on Saturday .. calmly contradicting their own claims.  The problem with our jurist community - with the help of mind boggling falsehoods from hadith - is that they say and declare whatever they like, being too brainless as well as careless even to catch their own contradictions and absurdities.

[N. Truth Seeker]

😅

[Zainab_M]

Walaikum As-Salaam.   

Actually Shaykh al-Munajjid has gotten quite confused and lost for words to defend this utter senselessness of prohibiting Friday nafl fasts.  If it is prohibited because Friday is a busy day with lots to do, then joining it with Thursday or Saturday won't change that.  He responds to that claiming that if during a busy Friday of nafl fast the person isn't able to perform enough additional worships or dhikr, it will be compensated by the person's fasting and prayers the day before or after.  Even a middle-school kid wouldn't speak such hocus-pocus.
 
Another foolish reason given by the same category of jurists as al-Munajjid is disallowing single nafl fasts on Friday is to prevent the possibility of making Friday too important a day with "extreme veneration."  Totally illogical argument.  With that in mind, if someone fasts on Thursday and Friday, or Friday and Saturday, the possibility of that "extreme veneration" is still there.  Not to mention, a nafl fast on Friday does not in any way interfere with the fard Jum'aah salah.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Completely devoid of sense.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Not to forget, "Ijtahad" among our jurists is another word for consolidating a fib.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Exactly.  Munajjid is actually saying that there is consensus among the "independent thinking" of jurists that their myths and tales should not be questioned.

[Ruhi_Rose]

That's precisely what he is saying, and it's an ancient approach within their circles.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

They jumped in to prohibit nafl fasting on Saturdays as well, unless you combine it with Friday or Sunday.  The reason cited is that since the Jews observe Sabbath (or whatever is their religious occasion) on Saturday, therefore Muslims shouldn't pick Saturday for nafl fasting.

From that absurd perspective, nafl fasting on Sundays should also be disallowed because that is the religious day for Christians.   These people really have zero common sense. 

[Ruhi_Rose]

Abu Huraira forgot to weave a tale out of Sunday ..

[N. Truth Seeker]

😄   ..