[Wrasialat]

al-Salamu 'Aleykum,

Fast a day before 'Ashura or a day after?

Takhreej of the Hadith in which the Prophet SAWS says:

لئن بقيت لآمرن بصيام يوم قبله أو يوم بعده يعني يوم عاشوراء

Should I remain I would order the fasting of the day before it or the one after it meaning 'Ashura


al-Hameedi made Takhreej for it in his Musnad #485, he said: We are told by Suffian from ibn abi Layla from Dawoud bin 'Ali from his father from his grandfather that Rassul-Allah SAWS said: "Should I remain I would order the fasting of the day before it or the one after it meaning 'Ashura."

al-Beihaqi made Takhreej for it in his al-Sunan al-Kubra #8666 and in Shu'ab al-Eman (3/364 #3789) with his Isnad to al-Hameedi then with that same Isnad above to the prophet SAWS.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal made Takhreej for it in his Musnad #2154, he said: Hushaym said: ibn abi Layla told us from Dawoud bin 'Ali from his father from his grandfather ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet SAWS said the same as ab

al-Beihaqi made Takhreej for it in Shu'ab al-Eman #3790 with his Sanad to Hushaym from ibn abi Layla.

'Ali ibn al-Ju'ud bin 'Ubeid abu al-Hasan al-Jawhari made Takhreej for it in his Musnad #2411, he said: 'Ali told us: Shurayk told us from ibn abi Layla from 'Ataa from ibn 'Abbas: "In the day of 'Ashuraa, fast before it and after it, to contradict the Jews."

According to these narrations the chains of transmission all rely on Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Rahman bin abi Layla, he narrates it once from Dawoud bin 'Ali bin 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas from his father from his grandfather, it is Marfu'u to the Prophet SAWS.

Then ibn abi Layla narrates it from 'Ataa from 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas.

This Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Rahman bin abi Layla al-Ansari al-kufi, judge abu 'Abdul-Rahman has an extremely bad memory as al-Hafith ibn Hajar said in al-Taqreeb #6081.

al-Dhahabi said about him: "He's not much".

And so the Isnad is extremely weak.

There is also another route without ibn abu Layla by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi in Talkhees al-Mutashabih #296, he said: abu al-Hasan 'Ali bin Haroun in al-Nahrawan told us: Muhammad bin Yahya bin 'Umar bin 'Ali bin Harb al-Taee told us: 'Ali bin Harb told us: abu 'Amir al-'Aqadi told us: ibn abi Thiib told us from al-Qassem bin 'Abbas from 'Abdullah bin 'Umayr servant of ibn 'Abbas that ibn 'Abbas said: the Prophet SAWS said: "If I remain till the following then I shall fast 'Ashura a day before and a day after it."

And 'Abdullah ibn 'Umayr is the servant of umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith as ibn Hibban said in al-Thiqat and ibn Sa'ad in al-Tabaqat (5/287), He narrates from ibn 'Abbas (ra) and he is Thiqah(trustworthy) like in al-Jarh wal-Ta'adeel (5/124 #567), ibn abi Hatam said: abu Zara'ah was asked about him once, he said: Thiqah from the people of Madinah, ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat #3828.

And Muhammad bin Yahya bin 'Umar bin 'Ali bin Harb al-Taee from his father's gradfather, al-Khateeb said: I heard abu Hazim al-'Abdari mention him, he said: I only know that he is Thiqah and I do not know anyone who criticized him. ibn al-Furat said: He wasn't good in narrating. Lisan al-Meezan (5/428).

The Sheikh of al-Khateeb whom he narrated from: abu al-Hasan 'Ali bin Haroun his condition is unknown. al-Khateeb made a Tarjamah for him in Tareekh Baghdad but never mentioned his condition

Based on the above the addition of "and a day after it" is very weak unlike the part that says "a day before it" as this was established in other authentic narrations.

Salam aleykum,