Ruling on fasting the days of al-Tashreeq

I have the habit of fasting every Thursday and it so happened that I
fasted on Thursday 12th Dhu'l-Hijjah. On the Friday I heard that it is
not permissible to fast on the Days of al-Tashreeq and that Thursday
was the third of the days of al-Tashreeq. Is there any sin on me if I
fasted that day? Is it true that it is not permissible to fast on the
days of al-Tashreeq or should we avoid fasting only onthe first days
of Eid?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting on the two days of Eid is haraam, as indicated by the hadeeth
of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The
Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade fasting on
the day of al-Fitr and al-Nahr." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,1992; Muslim,
827. The scholars are unanimously agreed that fasting on these two
days is haraam.
It is also haraam to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq which are the
three days after Eid al-Adha (the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhu'l-Hijjah)
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The days of al-Tashreeq are days of eating, drinking and remembering
Allaah." Narrated by Muslim, 1141.
Abu Dawood (2418) narrated from Abu Murrah the freed slave of Umm
Haani that he entered with 'Abd-Allaahibn 'Amr upon his father 'Amr
ibn al-'Aas. He offered them food and said, "Eat." He said, "I
amfasting." 'Amr said: "Eat, for these are the days onwhich the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would
tell us not to fast and forbade us to fast, and these are the days of
al-Tashreeq."Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
But it is permissible to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq for a
pilgrimwho does not have a hadiy (sacrificial animal).It was narrated
that 'Aa'ishah and Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them) said:
No one was allowed to fast on the days of al-Tashreeq except one who
could not find a hadiy. Narrated by al-Bukhaari,1998.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: It is permissible for those who are doing
Hajj qiraan or tamattu', if they cannot find a hadiy, to fast these
threedays so that the Hajj season will not end before they fast. But
apart from that it is not permissible to fast on these days, even if a
person is obliged to fast for two consecutive months; he should not
fast on the day of Eid and the three days following it, but then he
should continue his fast.
Fataawa Ramadaan, p. 727.

What should one say when slaughtering the udhiyah?

Is there a specific du'aa' that I can recite when slaughtering the udhiyah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Sunnah for one whowants to slaughter the udhiyah is to say when
slaughtering it:
Bismillaah, wa Allaahu akbar, Allaahumma haadha minka wa laka, haadha
'anni (or if it is being offered on behalf of someone else, haadha'an
[fulaan]), Allaahumma taqabbal min [fulaan] wa aali [fulaan].
(In the name of Allaah, Allaah is most great. O Allaah, this is from
You and to You. This is on mybehalf (or if it is being offered on
behalf of someone else, This is on behalf of [So and so]). O Allaah,
accept (this sacrifice) from [So and so] and the family of [So and
so]) – here he should mention his name instead of [fulaan]or [So and
so].
What is obligatory here is to say Bismillaah; the rest is mustahabb
but is not obligatory.
Al-Bukhaari (5565) and Muslim (1966) narrated that Anas said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sacrificed
twohorned rams that were white speckled with black. He slaughtered
them with his own hand,said Bismillaah and Allaahu akbar, and put his
foot on their necks.
Muslim (1967) narrated from 'Aa'ishah that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered that a horned ram
be brought to him so that he could sacrificeit. He said, "O 'Aa'ishah,
give me the knife." Then he said, "Sharpen it on a stone." So she did
that, then he took it and took the ram, and he lay it down and
prepared to slaughter it. He said, "In the name of Allaah, O Allaah
accept (this sacrifice) from Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and
the ummah of Muhammad," then he sacrificed it.
Al-Tirmidhi (1521) narrated that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah said: I was
present with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
on the day of al-Adha at the prayer place. When he had finished his
khutbah he came down from his minbar and a ram was brought which the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
slaughtered with his own hand. He said, "In the name of Allaah, Allaah
is Most Great. This is on behalf of myself and on behalf of those of
my ummah who have not offered a sacrifice." Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
In some reports the words "O Allaah, this is from You and to You" are
added. See Irwa' al-Ghaleel, 1138, 1152.
Allaahumma minka (O Allaah, from You) means this sacrifice is a gift
andprovision that has reached me from You. Laka (to You) means, it
issincerely for You alone.
See al-Sharh al-Mumti', 7/492.

Guidance of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers

I would like to know the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to offer
the Eid prayers in the prayer-place (musalla). There is no report of
his offering the Eid prayer in his mosque.
Al-Shaafa'i said in al-Umm: It was narrated that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on
the two Eids to the prayer-place in Madeenah, as did those (caliphs)
who came afterhim, unless there was anexcuse such as rain etc. The
people of other lands did likewise, apart from the people of Makkah.
He used to wear his mostbeautiful garments to goout to pray. He had a
suit(hullah) which he would wear for Eid and Jumu'ah (Friday prayer).
A hullah is a two-piece suit of the same kind of fabric.
He used to eat dates before going out on Eid al-Fitr, and he would eat
an odd number of them.
Al-Bukhaari (953) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) did not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten
some dates, and he would eat an odd number.
Ibn Qudaamah said: We do not know of any differing opinion concerning
the fact that it is mustahabb to eat early on the day of Eid al-Fitr.
The reason for eating before the prayer is so that no one will think
that it is essential to fast until the prayer has been offered.
And it was said that this was in order to hasten to obey the command
of Allaah Who enjoined breaking the fast after He enjoined fasting.
If no dates are available, he should have something else for
breakfast, even if it is only water, so that he can fulfil the Sunnah
in principle, which is to have something for breakfast before
prayingon Eid al-Fitr.
With regard to Eid al-Adha, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used not to eat anythinguntil he came back from the
prayer-place, then he would eat some of the meat of his sacrifice.
It was narrated that he used to do ghusl for both Eids. Ibn al-Qayyim
said: Two weak (da'eef) hadeeths have been narrated concerning this…
but it was proven from Ibn 'Umar, who was very keen to follow the
Sunnah, that he usedto do ghusl before goingout on the day of Eid.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to
the Eid prayer walking, and come back walking.
Ibn Maajah (1295) narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to
the Eid (prayer) walking and come back walking. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Tirmidhi (530) narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib said: It is Sunnah
to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. Classedas hasan by al-Albaani
inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Tirmidhi said: Most of the scholars followed this hadeeth and said
that it is mustahabb for a man to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking.
It ismustahabb for him not to ride unless he has an excuse.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reached
the prayer-place, he would begin the prayer with no adhaan or iqaamah,
andwithout saying "Al-salaatu jaami'ah (prayer is about to begin)."
The Sunnah is not to do any of these things.
And he did not offer any prayer in the prayer-place before or after
the Eid prayer.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would start
with the prayer, before the khutbah. He prayed two rak'ahs, with seven
consecutive takbeers in the first rak'ah, including takbeerat
al-ihraam (the takbeer with which the prayer begins), and a brief
pause between each two takbeers. There is no report of him saying any
particular dhikr between the takbeers, but it was narrated that Ibn
Mas'ood would praise Allaah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
But Ibn 'Umar, who was always keen to follow the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), used to raise his hands with each
takbeer.
When he had completed the takbeers, he would start to recite. He would
recite al-Faatihah then recite Qaf wa'l-Qur'aan il-majeed (Soorah Qaaf
50) in the first rak'ah and Aqtarabat il-saa'ah wa anshaqqa al-qamar
(Soorat al-Qamar 54) in the other. Sometimes he recited Sabbih isma
rabbika al-A'la (Soorat al-A'laa 87) and Hal ataaka hadeeth
al-ghaashiyah (Soorat al-Ghaashiyah 88). Both were narrated in
saheehreports, but no other soorahs are mentioned in saheeh reports.
When he had finished reciting he would say takbeer and bow. When he
had finished bowing and prostrating and had stood up again, he would
say five takbeers. When he had completed the takbeers he would start
to recite again. The takbeer was the first thing that he would do in
each rak'ah and his recitation was followed by rukoo' (bowing).
Al-Timridhi narrated from the hadeeth of Katheer ibn 'Abd-Allaah ibn
'Amr ibn 'Awf, from his father, from his grandfather, that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
recited takbeer in the Eid (prayer), seven times in the first rak'ah
before reciting Qur'aan and fivetimes in the second rak'ah before
reciting Qur'aan. Al-Tirmidhi said:I asked Muhammad – i.e.,al-Bukhaari
– about this hadeeth and he said: There is nothing more sound than
this concerning this topic. And I say likewise.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had
finished the prayer, he would move away and stand facing the people,
with the people sitting in their rows, and he would address them,
preaching and exhorting, with commands and prohibitions. If he wanted
to dispatch anyone on a mission he would do so, and if he wanted to
enjoin anything he would do that.
There was no minbar on which he would stand, and the minbar of
Madeenah was not brought out. Rather he would address them standing on
the ground. Jaabir said: I attended Eid prayer with the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with
the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan and no iqaamah, then he
stood, leaning on Bilaal, and enjoined us to fear and obey Allaah. He
preached to the people and reminded them, then he went over to
thewomen and preached tothem and reminded them. Agreed upon.
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on
the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place. He would start
with the prayer, then he would go and stand facing the people, with
the people sitting in their rows… This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started all
his khutbahs with praise of Allaah. It is not narrated even in one
hadeeth that he started the khutbah of Eid with takbeer. Rather Ibn
Maajah narrated in his Sunan (1287) that Sa'd al-Qaraz, the muezzin of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say the
takbeer between thetwo sermons and he used to say takbeer a great deal
throughout the khutbah of Eid. This was classed as da'eef by
al-Albaani in Da'eef Ibn Maajah. Although the hadeeth is da'eef, it
doesnot indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to beginhis khutbah with takbeer.
It says in Tamaam al-Mannah: Although it does not indicate that it is
prescribed to begin the Eid khutbah with takbeer, its isnaad is da'eef
and includes one man who is da'eef (weak) and another whois majhool
(unknown), so it is not permissible toquote it as evidence thatit is
Sunnah to say takbeer during the khutbah.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
People differed as to how the khutbah on Eid and on the occasion of
prayers for rain (istisqa')should begin. It was saidthat they should
begin with takbeer and it was said that the khutbah of istisqa' should
begin with prayers for forgiveness, and it was said that they should
begin with praise. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: this is
thecorrect view. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to beginall his khutbahs with praise of Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a
concession allowing those who attended the Eid prayers either to sit
and listen to the khutbah, or to leave.
Abu Dawood (1155) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa'ib said: I
attended Eid (prayer) with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), andwhen he had finished the prayer
he said: "We are going to deliver the khutbah, so whoever wants to sit
and listen to the khutbah, let him do so, and whoever wants to leave,
let him go." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to vary
his route on the day of Eid. He would go by one route and come back by
another.
Al-Bukhaari narrated (986) that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah said: On the
day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would vary his route.

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Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Rarely can one find a closer bond between two persons such as existed
between Muhammad the son of Abdullah and Abu Sufyanthe son of
al-Harith. (ThisAbu Sufyan of course was not the same as Abu Sufyan
ibn Harb, the powerful Quraysh chieftain.)
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith was born about the same time as the
blessedProphet. They resembledeach other a great deal. They grew up
together and for a time lived in the same household. AbuSufyan was a
cousin of the Prophet. His father, al-Harith, was the brother of
Abdullah; both were sons of Abd al-Muttalib.
Abu Sufyan was also a foster-brother of the Prophet. He was for a
short time nursed by the lady Halimah who looked after the young
Muhammad in the toughand bracing atmosphereof the desert.
In their childhood and youth, Abu Sufyan and Muhammad were close and
intimate friends. So close were they, that one might naturally have
expected Abu Sufyan to have been among the first to respond to the
call of theProphet, peace be upon him, and follow wholeheartedly the
religion of truth. But thiswas not to be, at least not for many, many
years.
From the time the Prophet made public his call to Islam and first
issued the warning to members of his clan about the dangers of
continuing in their existing state of unbelief, injustice and
immorality, the fire of envy and hatred eruptedin the breast of Abu
Sufyan. The bonds of kinship snapped. Where once there was love and
friendship, there was now revulsion and hate. Where once there was
brotherhood, there was now resistance and opposition.
Abu Sufyan at this time was renowned as one ofthe best fighters and
horsemen of the Qurayshand one of their most accomplished poets. He
used both sword and tongue in the battle against the Prophet and his
mission. All his energies were mobilizedin denouncing Islam
andpersecuting the Muslims.In whatever battle the Quraysh fought
against the Prophet and whatever torture and persecution they meted
out to the Muslims Abu Sufyan had a part to play. He composed and
recited verses attacking and vilifying the Prophet.
For twenty years almost this rancor consumed hissoul. His three others
brothers - Nawfal, Rabiah and Abdullah, had all accepted Islam but not
he.
In the eighth year after the Hijrah, however, shortly before the
Islamic liberation of Makkah, Abu Sufyan's position began to shift, as
he explains: "When the movement of Islam became vigorous and
well-established and news spread of the Prophet's advance to liberate
Makkah, the world caved in on me. I felt trapped. 'Where shall I go?'
I asked myself. 'And with whom?' To my wife and children, I said:
'Get ready to leave Makkah. Muhammad's advance is imminent. I shall
certainly be killed. Ishall be given no quartershould the Muslims
recognize me.'
'Now,' replied my family,'you must realize that Arabs and non-Arabs
have pledged their obedience to Muhammad and accepted his religion.
You are still bent on opposing him whereas you might have been
thefirst to support and help him.'
They continued trying toinfluence me to re-consider my attitude to
Muhammad's religion and to re-awaken in me affection towards him.
Eventually God opened my heart to Islam. I got up and said to my
servant, Madhkur: 'Get ready a camel and a horse for us.' I took my
son Jafar with me and we galloped with great speed towards al-Abwa
between Makkah and Madinah. I had learnt that Muhammad had camped
there. As I approached the place, I covered my face so that no one
could recognize and kill me before I could reach the Prophet and
announce my acceptance of Islam directly to him.
Slowly, I proceeded on foot while advance groups of Muslims headed
towards Makkah. I avoided their path out of fear that oneof the
Prophet's companions would recognize me. I continued in this
fashionuntil the Prophet on his mount came into my view. Coming out
into the open, I went straightup to him and uncovered my face. He
looked at me and recognized me. But, he turned his face away. I moved
to face him once again. He avoided looking at me and again turned away
his face. This happened repeatedly.
I had no doubt - as I stood there facing the Prophet that he would
have been pleased with my acceptance of Islam and that his
companionswould have rejoiced at his happiness. When, however, the
Muslims saw the Prophet, peace be on him, avoiding me, they too looked
at me and shunned me. Abu Bakr met me and violently turned away. I
looked at Umar ibn al-Khattab, my eyes pleading for his compassion,
but I found him even more harsh than Abu Bakr. In fact, Umar went on
to incite one of the Ansar against me.
'O enemy of God,' lashed out the Ansari, 'you are the one who
persecuted the Messenger of God, peace be on him, and tortured his
companions. You carriedyour hostility towards the Prophet to the ends
of the earth'.
The Ansari went on censuring me in a loud voice while other Muslims
glared at me in anger. At that point, I saw my uncle, al-Abbas, and
went to him seekingrefuge.
'O uncle,' I said. 'I had hoped that the Prophet, peace be on him,
would be happy about my acceptance of Islam because of my kinship
tohim and because of my position of honor among my people. You know
what his reaction has been. Speak to him then on my behalf that he may
be pleased with me.'
'No, by God,' replied my uncle. 'I shall not speak to him at all after
I have seen him turning away from you except if an opportunity
presents itself. I do honor the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be
on him, and I stand in awe of him.'
'O uncle, to whom then will you abandon me?' I pleaded.
'I do not have anything for you except what you have heard,' he said.
Anxiety and grief took hold of me. I saw Ali ibn Talib soon after and
spoke to him about my case. His response was the same as that of my
uncle. I went back to my uncle and said to him: 'O uncle, if you
cannot soften the heart of the Prophet towards me, then at least
restrain that man from denouncing me and inciting others against me.'
'Describe him to me,' said my uncle. I described the man to him and he
said: 'That is Nuayman ibn al-Harith an-Najjari.' He sent for Nuayman
and said to him: 'O Nuayman! Abu Sufyan is the cousin of the Prophet
and my nephew. If the Prophet is angry with him today, he will be
pleased with him another day. So leave him...' My uncle continued
trying to placate Nuayman until the latter relented and said: 'I shall
not spurn him anymore.'
"When the Prophet reached al-Jahfah (aboutfour days journey from
Makkah), I sat down at the door of his tent. My son Jafar stood beside
me. As he was leaving his tent, the Prophet sawme and averted his
face. Yet, I did not despair of seeking his pleasure. Whenever he
camped at a place, I would sit at his door and my son Jafar would
stand in front of me... I continued in this fashion for some time. But
the situation becametoo much for me and I became depressed. I saidto
myself:
'By God, either the Prophet, peace be on him, shows he is pleasedwith
me or I shall take my son and go wandering through the land until we
die of hunger and thirst.'
When the Prophet came to hear of this, he relented and, on leaving his
tent, he looked more gently towards me then before. I so much hoped
that he would smile."
Eventually the Prophet relented and told Abu Sufyan, "There is now
noblame on you." He entrusted the newcomerto Islam to Ali ibn Abi
Talib saying: "Teach yourcousin how to perform wudu and about the
Sunnah. Then bring him back to me." When Ali returned, the Prophet
said:
"Tell all the people that the Messenger of God is pleased with Abu
Sufyanand that they should be pleased with him."
Abu Sufyan continued:"The Prophet then entered Makkah and I too
entered in his entourage. He went to the Sacred Mosque and I also
went, trying my bestto remain in his presence and not separate from
him on any account...
Later, at the Battle of Hunayn, the Arabs put together an
unprecedented force against the Prophet, peace be on him... They were
determined to deala mortal blow to Islam and the Muslims.
The Prophet went out to confront them with a large number of his
companions. I went out with him and when I saw the great throngs
ofmushrikin, I said: 'By God, today, I shall atone for all my past
hostility towards the Prophet. peace be on him, and heshall certainly
see on my part what pleases God and what pleases him.'
When the two forces met, the pressure of the mushrikin on the Muslims
was severe and the Muslims began to lose heart. Some even began to
desert and terrible defeat stared us in the face. However, theProphet
stood firm in the thick of battle astride his mule "Ash-Shahba" like a
towering mountain, wielding his sword and fighting for himself and
those around him... I jumped from my horse and fought beside him. God
knows that I desired martyrdom beside the Messenger of God. My uncle,
al-Abbas, took the reins of the Prophet's mule and stood at his side.
I took up my position on the other side. With my right handI fended
off attacks against the Prophet and with my left I held on to my
mount.
When the Prophet saw my devastating blows onthe enemy, he asked my
uncle: 'Who's this?' 'This is your brother and cousin. Abu Sufyan ibn
al-Harith. Be pleased with him. O Messenger of God.'
'I have done so and God has granted forgiveness to him for all the
hostility he has directed against me.'
My heart soared with happiness. I kissed his feet in the stirrup and
wept. He turned towardsme and said: 'My brother! Upon my life! Advance
and strike!'
The words of the Prophet spurred me on and we plunged into
thepositions of the mushrikin until they were routed and fled in every
direction."
After Hunayn, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith continued to enjoy the good
pleasure of the Prophet and the satisfaction of being in his noble
company. But he never looked the Prophet directly in the eye nor
focussed his gaze on his face out of shame and embarrassment for his
past hostility towards him.
Abu Sufyan continued tofeel intense remorse for the many and dark days
he had spent trying to extinguish the light of God and refusing to
follow His message. Henceforth, his days and nights he would spend
reciting the verses of theQuran seeking to understand and follow its
laws and profit by its admonitions. He shunned the world and its
adornments and turned to God with every fibre of his being. Once the
Prophet. peace be on him, saw him entering the mosque and asked his
wife: "Do you know who is this, Aishah?" "No, O Messenger of God." she
replied. This is my cousin. Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith. See, he is the
first to enter the masjid and the last to leave. His eyes do not leave
his shoelace."
When the Prophet, peace be on him, passed away, Abu Sufyan felt
intense grief and wept bitterly.
During the caliphate of Umar, may God be pleased with him, Abu Sufyan
felt his end drawing near. One day people saw him in al-Baqi, the
cemetery not far from the Prophet's mosque wheremany Sahabah are
buried. He was digging and fashioning a grave. They were surprised.
Three days later, Abu Sufyan was lying stretched out at home His
family stood around weeping but he said:"Do not weep for me. By God, I
did not commit any wrong since I accepted Islam." With that, he passed
away.

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