Chapter on Merit of Fasting the Day of Doubt and Taking Precaution for Fasting the Month of Ramadan

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from a number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Bakr and Muhammad ibn Abi al-Sahban, from Hafs, from Umar ibn Salim and Muhammad ibn Ziyad ibn Isa, from Harun ibn Kharijah, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Count Shaban as twenty-nine days. Then, if it is cloudy, begin the morning fasting; and if it is clear, and you look carefully and do not see anything, then begin the morning not fasting.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ubays ibn Hisham, from al-Hasan ibn Abdullah, from Muhammad ibn Hakim, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘the day concerning which there is doubt, for the people claim that whoever fasts it is in the position of one who has broken the fast on a day from the month of Ramadan.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “They have lied. If it is a day from the month of Ramadan, then it is a day for which they were granted success, and if it is from other than it, then it is in the position of what has passed of the days.”

And from him, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus, from Samaah, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘the day concerning which there is doubt from the month of Ramadan, when one does not know whether it is from Shaban or from the month of Ramadan, so he fasted it as being from the month of Ramadan.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “It is a day for which he was granted success, and there is no making up upon him.”

And from him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Abi al-Suhban, from Muhammad ibn Bakr ibn Janah, from Ali ibn Shajarah, from Bashir al-Nabbal, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘fasting the day of doubt.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “Fast it, for if it is from Shaban, it is voluntary, and if it is from the month of Ramadan, then it is a day for which you were granted success.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from a number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Hamzah ibn Yala, from Zakariyya ibn Adam, from al-Kahili, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘the day concerning which there is doubt from Shaban.’ Imam عليه السلام said, “For me to fast a day from Shaban is more beloved to me than to break the fast on a day from the month of Ramadan.”

And from him, from a number of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Abi al-Suhban, from Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Ribat, from Said al-Araj, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “I fasted the day concerning which there is doubt, and it turned out to be from the month of Ramadan, so should I make it up?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No, it is a day for which you were granted success.”

As for what al-Husayn ibn Said narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham ibn Salim and Abu Ayyub, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him: (Imam عليه السلام was asked) regarding ‘a man who fasts the day concerning which there is doubt, from (month of) Ramadan.’ Imam عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “He must make it up, even if it was so.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Uthman ibn Isa, from Samaah, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “A man fasted a day while he did not know whether it was from the month of Ramadan or from other than it. Then a group came and testified that it was from the month of Ramadan. Some of the people among us said that it is not counted.” Imam عليه السلام said to me (narrator): “Rather, yes.” I (narrator) asked: “They said, ‘You fasted while you did not know whether this was from the month of Ramadan or from other than it.’” Imam عليه السلام said: “Rather, yes, so count it, for it is only something for which Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, granted you success. The day of doubt is only fasted from Shaban, and you do not fast it from the month of Ramadan, because it has been forbidden for a person to single himself out for fasting on the day of doubt. Rather, he intends from the night that he is fasting from Shaban. Then if it is from the month of Ramadan, it suffices for him by the grace of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, and by what He سبحانه وتعالى has expanded for His سبحانه وتعالى servants. Were it not for that, the people would perish.”

As for what al-Husayn ibn Said narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Jafar al-Azdi, from Qutaybah al-Asha, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, forbade fasting six days: the two Eids, the days of al-Tashriq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah), and the day concerning which there is doubt from the month of Ramadan.”

And from him, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari and others, from Abd al-Karim ibn Amr, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “I have made it binding upon myself that I fast until al-Qa’im (ajf), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى hasten his relief, rises.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Do not fast while traveling, nor on the two Eids, nor on the days of al-Tashriq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah), nor on the day concerning which there is doubt.”

Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Walid, from his father, from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasani, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad Kasula, from Sulayman ibn Dawud al-Shadhakuni, from Abd al-Razzaq, from Mamar, from Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, who said: I (narrator) heard Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام, peace be upon him, saying: “The day of doubt (yawm al-shakk) is a day concerning which we were commanded to fast and forbidden from fasting. We were commanded that a person fast it on the basis that it is from Shaban, and we were forbidden that a person fast it on the basis that it is from the month of Ramadan while he has not seen the crescent.”