Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade fasting on two days - the day of the Id al-Fitr and the day of the Id al-Adha.

Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari, told me, "Abu Bakr used to lead the people in prayer during the fatal illness of the Prophet till it was Monday. When the people aligned (in rows) for the prayer the Prophet lifted the curtain of his house and started looking at us and was standing at that time. His face was (glittering) like a page of the Qur'an and he smiled cheerfully. We were about to be put to trial for the pleasure of seeing the Prophet, Abu Bakr retreated to join the row as he thought that the Prophet would lead the prayer. The Prophet beckoned us to complete the prayer and he let the curtain fall. On the same day he died."

I was with Ibn `Umar when a man asked him, "I have vowed to fast every Tuesday or Wednesday throughout my life and if the day of my fasting coincided with the day of Nahr (the first day of `Id-al- Adha), (What shall I do?)" Ibn `Umar said, "Allah has ordered the vows to be fulfilled, and we are forbidden to fast on the day of Nahr." The man repeated his question and Ibn `Umar repeated his former answer, adding nothing more.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha, umm al-muminin, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to kiss certain of his wives when fasting," and then she laughed.

The Prophet (saws) commanded to apply collyrium mixed with musk at the time of sleep. He said: A man who is fasting should abstain from it.

Abu Dawud said: Yahya b. Ma'in said to me: This tradition about the use of collyrium is munkar (i.e. contradicts the sound traditions on the subject).

While I was walking with `Abdullah he said, "We were in the company of the Prophet and he said, 'He who can afford to marry should marry, because it will help him refrain from looking at other women, and save his private parts from committing illegal sexual relation; and he who cannot afford to marry is advised to fast, as fasting will diminish his sexual power."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Gabriel (saws) led me in prayer at the House (i.e. the Ka'bah). He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when the shadow of everything was as long as itself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had ended; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when food and drink become forbidden to one who is keeping the fast.

On the following day he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was as long as himself; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself; he prayed the sunset prayer at the time when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when about the third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when there was a fair amount of light.

Then turning to me he said: Muhammad, this is the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between two times.

The Prophet said (to his companions), "Do not fast Al-Wisal." They said, "But you fast Al-Wisail." He said, "I am not like you, for at night my Lord feeds me and makes me drink." But the people did not give up Al-Wisal, so the Prophet fasted Al-Wisal with them for two days or two nights, and then they saw the crescent whereupon the Prophet said, "If the crescent had delayed, I would have continued fasting (because of you)," as if he wanted to vanquish them completely (because they had refused to give up Al Wisal).

A man asked the Prophet (saws) whether one who was fasting could embrace (his wife) and he gave him permission; but when another man came to him, and asked him, he forbade him. The one to whom he gave permission was an old man and the one whom he forbade was a youth.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr that Asma bint Umays washed Abu Bakr as-Siddiq when he died. Then she went out and asked some of the muhajirun who were there, "I am fasting and this is an extremely cold day. Do I have to do ghusl?" They said, "No."

When the order of compulsory fasting of Ramadan was revealed, the people did not have sexual relations with their wives for the whole month of Ramadan, but some men cheated themselves (by violating that restriction). So Allah revealed: "Allah is aware that you were deceiving yourselves but He accepted your repentance and forgave you.." (3.187)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) had himself cupped when he was fasting.

Abu Dawud said: Wuhaib b. Khalid narrated a similar tradition from Ayyub through a different chain of narrators. Ja'far b. Rabi'ah and Hisham, that is, Ibn Hassan, narrated a similar tradition from 'Ikrimah on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas.

Two fasts and two kinds of sale are forbidden: fasting on the day of `Id ul Fitr and `Id-ul-Adha and the kinds of sale called Mulamasa and Munabadha. (These two kinds of sale used to be practiced in the days of Pre-Islamic period of ignorance; Mulamasa means when you touch something displayed for sale you have to buy it; Munabadha means when the seller throws something to you, you have to buy it.)

ahya related to me from Malik that he asked Ibn Shihab about the dhihar of a slave. He said, "It is like the dhihar of a free man."

Malik said, "He meant that the same conditions were applied in both cases."

Malik said, "The dhihar of the slave is incumbent on him, and the fasting of the slave in the dhihar is two months. "

Malik said that there was no ila for a slave who pronounced a dhihar from his wife. That was because if he were to fast the kaffara for pronouncing a dhihar, the divorce of the ila would come to him before he had finished the fast.

Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Apostle set out from Medina to Mecca and he fasted till he reached 'Usfan, where he asked for water and raised his hand to let the people see him, and then broke the fast, and did not fast after that till he reached Mecca, and that happened in Ramadan." Ibn `Abbas used to say, "Allah's Apostle (sometimes) fasted and (sometimes) did not fast during the journeys so whoever wished to fast could fast, and whoever wished not to fast, could do so."

AbuBakr ibn AbdurRahman reported on the authority of a Companion of the Prophet (saws): I saw the Prophet (saws) commanding the people while he was travelling on the occasion of the conquest of Mecca not to observe fast. He said: Be strong for your enemy. The Messenger of Allah (saws) fasted himself.

Narrated AbuBakr:

A man who narrated his tradition to me said: I have seen the Messenger of Allah (saws) in al-Arj pouring water over his head while he was fasting, either because of thirst or because of heat.

Umm al-Fadl (Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have said that some people among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were in doubt about fasting on the day of 'Arafa and we were with him on that day. I (Umm al-Fadl) sent him a cup of milk and he was halting at 'Arafa, and he drank that.

Zaid bin Thabit said, "We took the "Suhur" (the meal taken before dawn while fasting is observed) with the Prophet and then stood up for the (morning) prayer." I asked him how long the interval between the two (Suhur and prayer) was. He replied, 'The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty to Sixth 'Ayat."

Abu Dawud said: 'Alqamah was a Murji'i.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al- Hadi from Abu Murra, the mawla of Umm Hani, the sister of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, that Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As told him that he had visited his father Amr ibn al-As and found him eating. His father had invited him to eat, and when he replied that he was fasting, his father said, "These are the days on which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade us to fast, and told us to break the fast on them."

Malik said, "These days are the days of tashriq."

We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth. So Allah's Apostle said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri while he was giving his legal opinion to the people who bent down on him. So I waited to see hi when he was alone. When he became alone, I asked him about keeping fast while travelling. He said: we went out along with the Prophet (saws) in Ramadan in the year of conquest of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah (saws) fasted and we fasted until he reached a certain stage. He said: You have come near your enemy; the breaking of fast will bring you more strength. Then morning came when some of us fasted and other broke their fast. He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri) said: We then proceeded and alighted at a stage. He said: You are going to attack your enemy tomorrow morning ; breaking the fast will bring you more strength ; so break your fast (i.e. do not keep fast). This resolution (of breaking the fast) took place (due to the announcement) from the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Abu Sa'id said: Then I found myself keeping fast along with the Prophet (saws) before and after that.

Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), reported from Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), that people had doubt about the fasting of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the day of 'Arafa. Maimuna sent him a cup of milk and he was halting at a place and he drank it and the people were seeing him.

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe fast till it was said that he had observed fast, he had observed fast (perhaps never to break it), and he did not fast till it was said that he had given up fast, he had given up fast (perhaps never to observe it).

The Prophet forbade the fasting of `Id-ul-Fitr and `Id-ul-Adha (two feast days) and also the wearing of As-Samma' (a single garment covering the whole body), and sitting with one's leg drawn up while being wrapped in one garment. He also forbade the prayers after the Fajr (morning) and the `Asr (afternoon) prayers.

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) went out during the month of Ramadan in the year of Victory (when Mecca was conquered) and was fasting till he reached Kadid (a canal situated at a distance of forty-two miles from Mecca) and he then broke the fast. And it was the habit of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) to follow him in every new thing (or act). So they followed him also (in this matter).

On the days of the conquest of Mecca, when Mecca was captured, Fatimah came and sat on the left side of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and Umm Hani was on his right side. A slave-girl brought a vessel which contained some drink; she gave it to him and he drank of it. He then gave it to Umm Hani who drank of it. She said: Messenger of Allah, I have broken my fast; I was fasting. He said to her: Were you making atonement for something? She replied: No. He said: Then it does not harm you if it was voluntary (fast).

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would say, when she mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, used to kiss while fasting, "And who among you is more able to control himself than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?"

"I arrived upon the Messenger of Allah (saws) at Khaibar along with a group of the Ash'ari tribe. He gave us shared along with those that conquered it."

This Hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib. This is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge. Al-Awza'i said: "Whoever meets up with the Muslims before the horses, share is distributed, then he is given a share." And Buraid's (a narrator) Kunyah is Abu Buraidah and he is trustworthy. Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Ibn 'Uyainah and others report from him.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Hafs b. Ghiyath from Hisham.

A man came to the Prophet and said that he had been burnt (ruined). The Prophet asked him what was the matter. He replied, "I had sexual intercourse with my wife in Ramadan (while I was fasting)." Then a basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet and he asked, "Where is the burnt (ruined) man?" He replied, "I am present." The Prophet told him to give that basket in charity (as expiation).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would be overtaken by the dawn when he was in a state of sexual defilement. The narrator 'Abd Allah al-Adhrami said in his version: During Ramadan, due to sexual intercourse and no owing to a dream (i.e. nocturnal emission), and would fast.

Abu Dawud said: How brief is this sentence uttered by the narrator, this is, "he was overtaken by daw when he was in the state of sexual defilement"? The tradition says: The Prophet (saws) was overtaken by dawn in the state of sexual defilement when he was fasting.