Chapter on Fasting on the Day of Doubt

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 2|Book 2|Chapter 16
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

Volume 2, Book 2, Chapter 16

Chapter on Fasting on the Day of Doubt

10 hadiths · 3 commentaries
سُئِلَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْيَوْمِ اَلْمَشْكُوكِ فِيهِ فَقَالَ «لَأَنْ أَصُومَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَعْبَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُفْطِرَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ».
Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام was asked about the day of doubt (the day when it is uncertain whether it is the last day of Sha'ban or the first day of Month of Ramadan). Imam عليه السلام said: "Fasting one day from Sha'ban is more beloved to me than breaking my fast for one day in the Month of Ramadan."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
لِأَنَّ أَمِيرَ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «لَأَنْ أُفْطِرَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَصُومَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَعْبَانَ أَزِيدُهُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ».
Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام, said: "Breaking my fast on one day in the Month of Ramadan is more beloved to me than fasting one day from Sha'ban and adding it to the Month of Ramadan."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ سَأَلَ بَشِيرٌ اَلنَّبَّالُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ اَلشَّكِّ فَقَالَ «صُمْهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ كَانَ تَطَوُّعاً وَ إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَيَوْمٌ وُفِّقْتَ لَهُ».
Bashir al-Nabbal asked Abu Abdullah عليه السلام about fasting on the day of doubt. Imam عليه السلام said: "Fast it. If it turns out to be from Sha'ban, it is a voluntary fast, and if it turns out to be from Month of Ramadan, then it is a day you were fortunate to have fasted."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 96
وَ سَأَلَهُ عَبْدُ اَلْكَرِيمِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو فَقَالَ: إِنِّي جَعَلْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي أَنْ أَصُومَ حَتَّى يَقُومَ اَلْقَائِمُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ «لاَ تَصُمْ فِي اَلسَّفَرِ وَ لاَ فِي اَلْعِيدَيْنِ وَ لاَ فِي أَيَّامِ اَلتَّشْرِيقِ وَ لاَ اَلْيَوْمِ اَلَّذِي يُشَكُّ فِيهِ ».
Abd al-Karim ibn Amr asked Imam عليه السلام: "I have made a vow upon myself to fast until the Qa'im عليه السلام rises." Imam عليه السلام said: "Do not fast during travel, on the two Eids, on the days of Tashriq, or on the day of doubt."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي اَلْيَوْمِ اَلَّذِي يَشُكُّ فِيهِ اَلنَّاسُ فَقَالَ «يَا غُلاَمُ اِذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ أَ صَامَ اَلْأَمِيرُ أَمْ لاَ» فَذَهَبَ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَقَالَ لاَ فَدَعَا بِالْغَدَاءِ فَتَغَدَّيْنَا مَعَهُ.
It is narrated from Isa ibn Abi Mansur, who said: "I was with Abu Abdullah عليه السلام on the day when people were uncertain (whether it was the first of Month of Ramadan or not). Imam عليه السلام said: 'O boy, go and see whether the Amir (ruler) has fasted or not.' The boy went and returned, saying: ''No, he has not fasted.' Then Imam عليه السلام called for lunch, and we ate with him."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لَوْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ تَارِكَ اَلتَّقِيَّةِ كَتَارِكِ اَلصَّلاَةِ لَكُنْتُ صَادِقاً».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "If I were to say that abandoning taqiyyah (dissimulation) is like abandoning prayer, I would be truthful."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لاَ دِينَ لِمَنْ لاَ تَقِيَّةَ لَهُ ».
Imam عليه السلام said: "There is no religion for the one who has no taqiyyah (dissimulation)."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى عَبْدُ اَلْعَظِيمِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ اَلْحَسَنِيُّ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: «اَلصَّوْمُ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ وَ اَلْفِطْرُ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ وَ لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ صَامَ قَبْلَ اَلرُّؤْيَةِ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ وَ أَفْطَرَ قَبْلَ اَلرُّؤْيَةِ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ» قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ فَمَا تَرَى فِي صَوْمِ يَوْمِ اَلشَّكِّ فَقَالَ «حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ جَدِّي عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «لَأَنْ أَصُومَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَهْرِ شَعْبَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُفْطِرَ يَوْماً مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ».
Abd al-Azim ibn Abdullah al-Hasani narrated from Sahl ibn Sa'd, who said: "I heard al-Ridha عليه السلام say: 'Fasting is based on the sighting [of the crescent], and breaking the fast is based on the sighting [of the crescent]. Whoever fasts before sighting the crescent for the sake of sighting, or breaks the fast before sighting the crescent for the sake of sighting, is not one of us.'" I said to him: "O son of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, what is your view on fasting the day of doubt?" Imam عليه السلام said: "My father narrated to me from my grandfather, from his forefathers عليه السلام, who said that Amir al-Mu'minin عليه السلام said: 'Fasting one day of Sha'ban is more beloved to me than breaking my fast for one day in Month of Ramadan.'"
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
سُئِلَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَسْلَمَ فِي اَلنِّصْفِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ فَقَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَصُومَ إِلاَّ مَا أَسْلَمَ فِيهِ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ مَا قَدْ مَضَى مِنْهُ ».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked about a man who converted to Islam in the middle of the Month of Ramadan: What is required of him in terms of fasting? Imam عليه السلام said: "He is only required to fast the days remaining from when he became Muslim, and he is not obligated to make up the days that have already passed."
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى صَفْوَانُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ اَلْعِيصِ بْنِ اَلْقَاسِمِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ أَسْلَمُوا فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ قَدْ مَضَى مِنْهُ أَيَّامٌ هَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَصُومُوا مَا مَضَى مِنْهُ أَوْ يَوْمَهُمُ اَلَّذِي أَسْلَمُوا فِيهِ فَقَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَضَاءٌ وَ لاَ يَوْمُهُمُ اَلَّذِي أَسْلَمُوا فِيهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونُوا أَسْلَمُوا فِيهِ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ اَلْفَجْرِ ».
Safwan ibn Yahya narrated from Al-'Is ibn al-Qasim, who said: "I asked Abu Abdullah عليه السلام about a group of people who converted to Islam during the Month of Ramadan after some days had passed. Are they required to fast the days that have passed, or the day they embraced Islam? Imam عليه السلام said: 'They are not required to make up the missed days or to fast on the day they embraced Islam, unless they embraced Islam before the break of dawn on that day.'"
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh