Authenticity of the Ḥadīth: “The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) used to fast nine [days] from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah, the Day of ‘Āshūrā’, and three days from every month: the first Monday of the month, and two Thursdays.”

Some have asked about the authenticity of the narration attributed to some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) which states:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَصُومُ تِسْعًا مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، وَيَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وَثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ – أَوَّلَ اثْنَيْنِ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ وَخَمِيسَيْنِ

“The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) used to fast nine [days] from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah, the Day of ‘Āshūrā’, and three days from every month: the first Monday of the month, and two Thursdays.”

This ḥadīth is weak due to iḍṭirāb (irreconcilable differences). Some report this by way of Hunaydah ibn Khālid, from his wife, from some of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the status of Hunaydah himself is not known. While some have attributed him to being from the Ṣaḥābah, the most correct view is that he is from the Tābi’īn. Furthermore, his wife is not known.

Others report it by way of:

• Hunaydah directly from ‘Ā’ishah

• Hunaydah directly from Ḥafṣah. Aṭ-Ṭabarānī alluded to this report being munkar, and this is because it only comes by way of Abū Isḥāq al-Ashja’ī, and he is unknown.

• Hunaydah, from his mother – who is unknown in status, from Umm Salamah

There are also irreconcilable differences in the matn. In these reports, we will find the following attributed to the Prophet (ﷺ):

• He used to fast nine days from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah, ‘Āshūrā’, and three days from every month: the first Monday, and Thursday (without specifying the third day).

• He used to fast nine days from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah, ‘Āshūrā’, and three days from every month: the first Monday, and the two Thursdays.

• He used to fast nine days from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah, ‘Āshūrā’, and three days from every month: the first Monday of the month, Thursday, and another day (without specifying what day).

• He used to fast the ten days [from Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah], and three days from every month: Monday and Thursday (with no mention of ‘Āshūrā’ or specifying the third day).

And then we have the following same reports that make no mention of fasting Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah or ‘Āshūrā’, and we can see the differences in them as well:

• He used to fast three days from every month: the first Monday, then the Thursday, and then the Thursday that follows it.

• He used to command Umm Salamah to fast three days from every month: the first Monday of it and Thursday (without specifying the third day).

• He used to command Umm Salamah to fast three days from every month: Monday, Thursday, and Thursday.

• He used to command Umm Salamah to fast three days from every month: the first Monday, Friday, and Thursday.

• He used to command Umm Salamah to fast three days from every month: the first Monday of it, Thursday, and Monday.

• He used to command his wives to fast three days every month: the first Monday, Thursday, and the Thursday that follows it.

• He used to command (in general) to fast of three days from every month: the first Monday, Thursday, and a day that Umm Salamah could not recall.

• He used to command (in general) to fast three days every month: the first Thursday, Monday, and Monday.

The fact that each of these reports are from Hunaydah ibn Khālid indicate that it is not a maḥfūṭh narration, and the iḍṭirāb in it is clear making it an unusable report to rely on.

And Allāh (ﷻ) knows best.

Abu Ubadah
July 13, 2021/2 Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah 1442

Also check: There is nothing authentic concerning the Prophet ﷺ fasting the ten days of Ṫhūl-Ḥijjah