8/3. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 686 — Avoid Fasting on the Day of Doubt
What Has Been Related About It Being Disliked To Fast The Day OF Doubt
Hadith About Fasting on the Day of Doubt
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 686
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 686
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْمُلاَئِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ صِلَةَ بْنِ زُفَرَ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ فَأُتِيَ بِشَاةٍ مَصْلِيَّةٍ فَقَالَ كُلُوا . فَتَنَحَّى بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ . فَقَالَ عَمَّارٌ مَنْ صَامَ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي يَشُكُّ فِيهِ النَّاسُ فَقَدْ عَصَى أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَنَسٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عَمَّارٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ وَبِهِ يَقُولُ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ وَمَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ وَالشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ كَرِهُوا أَنْ يَصُومَ الرَّجُلُ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي يُشَكُّ فِيهِ وَرَأَى أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِنْ صَامَهُ فَكَانَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ يَوْمًا مَكَانَهُ .
Silah bin Zufar Narrated from:
We Were With Ammar Bin Yasir When A Roasted Sheep Was Brought And He Said: 'Eat.' Someone Among The People Said: 'I Am Fasting.' So Ammar Said: 'Whoever Fasts On A Day In Which There Is Doubt, Then He Has Disobeyed Abul-Qasim (Pbuh).
[1] “Because the one who fasted the day of doubt did not fast a day of Ramaḍān with certainty, so if it appeared later that it was a day of Ramaḍān then he must make up for it by fasting a day in its place.” Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi .Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 686In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 5English translation : Vol. 2, Book 3, Hadith 686
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 686
This hadith about the day of doubt shows how serious it is to avoid guessing at the start of Ramadan. Silah bin Zufar says they were with Ammar bin Yasir when roasted sheep was brought. Ammar told the people to eat. One person said he was fasting. Ammar then said that whoever fasts on a day about which people are in doubt has disobeyed Abul-Qasim, meaning the Prophet. The teaching is direct. When the date is uncertain, a person should not treat that doubtful day as Ramadan. The hadith protects the proper boundary of the month and teaches Muslims not to act on doubt in this matter.
What we learn from this hadith
- A doubtful day before Ramadan should not be treated like confirmed Ramadan.
- Ammar’s response shows the matter was taken seriously.
- The hadith teaches Muslims to avoid building worship timing on uncertainty.
