8/34. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 732 — Voluntary Fasting Choice
What Has Been Related About Breaking The Voluntary Fast
Voluntary Fasting Hadith: Trustee Over Himself
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 732
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 732
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ سِمَاكَ بْنَ حَرْبٍ يَقُولُ أَحَدُ ابْنَىْ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ حَدَّثَنِي فَلَقِيتُ، أَنَا أَفْضَلَهُمَا، وَكَانَ، اسْمُهُ جَعْدَةَ وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ هَانِئٍ جَدَّتَهُ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ جَدَّتِهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا فَدَعَى بِشَرَابٍ فَشَرِبَ ثُمَّ نَاوَلَهَا فَشَرِبَتْ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمَا إِنِّي كُنْتُ صَائِمَةً . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الصَّائِمُ الْمُتَطَوِّعُ أَمِينُ نَفْسِهِ إِنْ شَاءَ صَامَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَ " . قَالَ شُعْبَةُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَأَنْتَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ قَالَ لاَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو صَالِحٍ وَأَهْلُنَا عَنْ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ . وَرَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ فَقَالَ عَنْ هَارُونَ ابْنِ بِنْتِ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ عَنْ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ . وَرِوَايَةُ شُعْبَةَ أَحْسَنُ . هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ فَقَالَ " أَمِينُ نَفْسِهِ " . وَحَدَّثَنَا غَيْرُ مَحْمُودٍ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ فَقَالَ " أَمِيرُ نَفْسِهِ أَوْ أَمِينُ نَفْسِهِ " . عَلَى الشَّكِّ وَهَكَذَا رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ " أَمِينُ أَوْ أَمِيرُ نَفْسِهِ " عَلَى الشَّكِّ . قَالَ وَحَدِيثُ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ مَقَالٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمْ أَنَّ الصَّائِمَ الْمُتَطَوِّعَ إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَلاَ قَضَاءَ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُحِبَّ أَنْ يَقْضِيَهُ . وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ .
Simak bin Harb Narrated from:
A Person From The Offspring Of Umm Hani Narrated To Me - I Met One Of The Most Virtuous Among Them, And His Name Was Ja'Dah, And Umm Hani Was His Grandmother - He Narrated To Me From His Grandmother That The Messenger Of Allah Entered Upon Her And Asked For Some Drink, And He Drank. Then He Offered It To Her And She Drank It. Then She Said: "O Messenger Of Allah! I Was Fasting." So The Messenger Of Allah Said: "The One Fasting A Voluntary Fast Is The Trustee For Himself; If He Wishes He Fasts, And If He Wishes He Breaks."Shu'Bah (One Of The Narrators) Said: "I Said To Him (Ja'Dah), 'Did You Hear This From Umm Hani?' He Said: 'No Abu Salih And Our Family Informed Us Of It From Umm Hani.'"
[1] Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi.Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 732In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 51English translation : Vol. 2, Book 3, Hadith 732
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 732
This voluntary fasting hadith gives a clear phrase: the one fasting a voluntary fast is the trustee over himself. If he wishes, he fasts, and if he wishes, he breaks. The setting is Umm Hani receiving a drink from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, drinking, and then saying she had been fasting. The narration teaches that voluntary fasting has room for choice. The Arabic text also notes discussion about the wording, “trustee” or “commander” of himself, and says the chain has some criticism. It then records that some people of knowledge acted on the meaning that if a voluntary fasting person breaks the fast, no makeup is required unless he wants to make it up. The explanation should keep that careful wording.
What we learn from this hadith
- A voluntary fasting person has more choice than one in an obligatory fast.
- The report describes the person as trusted over his or her own voluntary fast.
- The chain discussion in the text calls for careful presentation.
- Making up such a fast is mentioned as optional by some scholars in the note.
