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I have read on your website a number of fatwas which encourage people to fast the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah and say that doing so is Sunnah, but I have also read a hadeeth from 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) which says the following: Abu Bakr ibn Naafi' al-'Abdi told me: 'Abd ar-Rahmaan told us: Sufyaan told us, from al-A'mash, from Ibraaheem, from al-Aswad, from 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not fast the first ten days (of Dhu'l-Hijjah). Narrated by Muslim (2847). Does this mean that fasting the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah was something that was not known to some of the Sahaabah, including 'Aa'ishah, or does it mean that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to fast it sometimes and not at other times?

Praise be to Allah.

It is encouraged (mustahabb) to fast the first nine days of Dhu'l-Hijjah. This is the view of the majority of scholars, because of the report narrated by Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There are no days during which doing righteous deeds is more beloved to Allah than these days" – meaning the first ten days (of Dhu'l-Hijjah). They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even jihad for the sake of Allah? He said: Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out, offering himself and his wealth, and does not come back with any of that."

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (969), Abu Dawood (2438 – this version was narrated by him), at-Tirmidhi (757) and Ibn Maajah (1727).

Undoubtedly fasting is one of the best of righteous deeds, and it is included among the righteous deeds that are encouraged during these blessed days, according to this hadeeth.

With regard to the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not fast these ten days, which was narrated by Muslim, it is contradicted by the report narrated by Abu Dawood (2437) from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) from his wife, from one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, and may He be pleased with all of them), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to fast the first nine days of Dhu'l-Hijjah, the day of 'Ashoora' and three days of every month. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Its isnaad is saheeh, in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.

There are several scholarly opinions concerning this issue, including the following:

-1-

That 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of what she knew, and others said something different to what she said. The word of one who knows something is to be taken as proof rather than the word of the one who does not know, and that which is affirmed takes precedence over that which is negated.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning the contradiction between these two hadeeths: that which is affirmed takes precedence over that which is negated.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti' (6/154)

-2-

Words take precedence over actions; the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas reports words that he heard, whereas the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah reports actions (or the absence thereof). Hence the words take precedence because of the possibility that the action (or the absence thereof) was specific to a particular situation, or was due to a legitimate excuse, and the like.

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The words of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to this ummah are instructions to everyone. As for the actions that he did.

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