The Book of Fasting

وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، - رضى الله عنهما - عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ فِي رَمَضَانَ ‏.‏

" During the month of Ramadan."

حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْوِصَالِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَإِنَّكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُوَاصِلُ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَأَيُّكُمْ مِثْلِي إِنِّي أَبِيتُ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا أَبَوْا أَنْ يَنْتَهُوا عَنِ الْوِصَالِ وَاصَلَ بِهِمْ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ رَأَوُا الْهِلاَلَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْ تَأَخَّرَ الْهِلاَلُ لَزِدْتُكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ كَالْمُنَكِّلِ لَهُمْ حِينَ أَبَوْا أَنْ يَنْتَهُوا ‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade (his Companions) from observing fast uninterruptedly. One of the Muslims said: Messenger of Allah, you yourself observe Saum Wisal, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Who among you is like me? I spend night (in a state) that my Allah feeds me and provides me drink. When they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) did not agree in abandoning the uninterrupted fast, then the Prophet (ﷺ) also observed this fast with them for a day, and then for a day. They then saw the new moon and he (the Holy Prophet) said: If the appearance of the new moon were delayed. I would have observed more (fasts) with you (and he did it) by way of warning to them as they had not agreed to refrain (from observing Saum Wisal)

وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ، قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي، زُرْعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْوِصَالَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا فَإِنَّكَ تُوَاصِلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّكُمْ لَسْتُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ مِثْلِي إِنِّي أَبِيتُ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي فَاكْلَفُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abstain from Saum-Wisal. They (his Companions) said: Messenger of Allah, but you observe Saum Wisal. Upon this he said: You are not like me in this matter, for I spend my night (in a state) that my Lord feeds me and provides me drink Devote yourselves to the deeds (the burden of which) you can bear.

"‏ فَاكْلَفُوا مَا لَكُمْ بِهِ طَاقَةٌ ‏"

" Take upon yourselves (the burden of the deeds) for which you have the strength to bear."

وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، - رضى الله عنه - عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ نَهَى عَنِ الْوِصَالِ ‏.‏ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade (his Companions) to observe Saum Wisal.

حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ، هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي فِي رَمَضَانَ فَجِئْتُ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَامَ أَيْضًا حَتَّى كُنَّا رَهْطًا فَلَمَّا حَسَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّا خَلْفَهُ جَعَلَ يَتَجَوَّزُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ رَحْلَهُ فَصَلَّى صَلاَةً لاَ يُصَلِّيهَا عِنْدَنَا ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْنَا لَهُ حِينَ أَصْبَحْنَا أَفَطِنْتَ لَنَا اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ذَاكَ الَّذِي حَمَلَنِي عَلَى الَّذِي صَنَعْتُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ يُوَاصِلُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَذَاكَ فِي آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ فَأَخَذَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يُوَاصِلُونَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يُواصِلُونَ إِنَّكُمْ لَسْتُمْ مِثْلِي أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَوْ تَمَادَّ لِيَ الشَّهْرُ لَوَاصَلْتُ وِصَالاً يَدَعُ الْمُتَعَمِّقُونَ تَعَمُّقَهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Did you perceive us during the night? Upon this he said: Yes, it was this (realisation) that induced me to do that which I did. He (the narrator) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to observe Saum Wisal at the end of the month (of Ramadan), and some persons among his Companions began to observe this uninter- rupted fast, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: What about such persons who observe uninterrupted fasts? You are not like me. By Allah. if the month were lengthened for me, I would have observed Saum Wisal, so that those who act with an exaggeration would (have been obliged) to abandon their exaggeration.

"‏ لَوْ مُدَّ لَنَا الشَّهْرُ لَوَاصَلْنَا وِصَالاً يَدَعُ الْمُتَعَمِّقُونَ تَعَمُّقَهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَسْتُمْ مِثْلِي - أَوْ قَالَ - إِنِّي لَسْتُ مِثْلَكُمْ إِنِّي أَظَلُّ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي ‏"

Had the month been lengthened for me I would have continued observing Saum Wisal, so that those who act with forced hardness would (have been obliged) to abandon it. You are not like me (or he said): I am not like you. I continue to do so (in a state) that my Lord feeds me and provides me drink.

"‏ إِنِّي لَسْتُ كَهَيْئَتِكُمْ إِنِّي يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي ‏"

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) forbade them (his Companions) to observe Saum Wisal out of mercy for them. They said: You (Holy Prophet) yourself observe it. Upon this he said: I am not like you. My Lord feeds me and provides me drink.

حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَبِّلُ إِحْدَى نِسَائِهِ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ تَضْحَكُ ‏.‏

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kissed one of his wives while he was fasting, and then she ('A'isha) smiled (as she narrated).

حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ أَسَمِعْتَ أَبَاكَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُقَبِّلُهَا وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ فَسَكَتَ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏

I said to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim: Have you heard from your father narrating from 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) that he kissed her while observing fast? He ('Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim) kept silence for a short while and then said:" Yes."