The first Thursday of Rajab |
26 January 2023 • 2.6K views
To fast or not to fast?
✅ If you are someone who was already in the habit of fasting Mondays and Thursdays prior to Rajab, then don't let anyone stop you. Continue fasting, and may Allah reward you. Certainly, the most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are continual - even if they are small.
🚫 However, if you had no habit of fasting prior to this month, then don't let anyone fool you into prioritising fasting in this month. But rather, we advice you to continue eating & drinking, and may Allāh reward you for resisting. Perhaps you will recieve a greater reward for eating & drinking than if you were to fast.
عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بَعْدَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ يُكْثِرُ فِيهَا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ فَنَهَاهُ.
Sa'eed ibn Al-Musayyib rahimahullah once saw a man praying more than two rak’ah after dawn-break, making many rukoo' and sujood, so he forbade him.
فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ يُعَذِّبُنِي اللَّهُ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ؟
The man said, “O Abu Muḥammad (Sa’eed's Kunyah), is Allāh going to punish me for praying?”
This is the same question we get asked when forbidding people from exerting extra effort in worshipping Allah during Rajab;
Is Allah going to punish me for fasting?
Is Allah going to punish me for performing Umrah?
Is Allah going to punish me for offering sacrifice?
Is Allah going to punish me for.....?
So what was Sa’eed's response?
قَالَ رحمه الله: لَا وَلَكِنْ يُعَذِّبُكَ عَلَى خِلَافِ السُّنَّةِ.
He said rahimahullah, “No, but He will punish you for opposing the Sunnah.”
[Reported by Al-Bayhaqī in As-Sunan Al-Kubrā (43627)]
Sheikh Al-Albānī rahimahullah commented:
وهذا من بدائع أجوبة سعيد بن المسيب رحمه الله تعالى، وهو سلاح قوي على المبتدعة الذين يستحسنون كثيرا من البدع باسم أنها ذكر وصلاة، ثم ينكرون على أهل السنة إنكار ذلك عليهم ويتهمونهم بأنهم ينكرون الذكر والصلاة!! وهم في الحقيقة إنما ينكرون خلافهم للسنة في الذكر والصلاة ونحو ذلك.
“This is from the excellent answers given by Sa’eed ibn Al-Musayyib rahimahullah. It is a strong weapon against the people of innovation who recommend many different types of innovations in the name of them being dhikr and prayer. They then criticise the followers of the Sunnah for criticising them and accuse them of censuring dhikr and prayer, when in fact [Ahlus-Sunnah] are only criticising the opposition of the Sunnah in matters such as dhikr and prayer.”
[Al-Irwā Al-Ghalīl (2/236)]