Usool al Hadith - Forever Islam

farewell Hajj as well as on other occasions. 102. Tarjeeh (Preference)If harmonization is not possible, then preference (tarjeeh) is given to one text overthe other. Preference may be based on inequality of isnaad or inequality ofcontent (matn). As regards the chain of narrators, those agreed upon by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim are given precedence over saheeh hadeeths found in theother books. The Saheeh hadeeths, in general, are given preference over theHasan hadeeths. With respect to the content, the literal is preferred to themetaphorical, and the clear (sareeh) is given preference over the implicit(kinaayah). Affirmative evidence takes priority over the negative. Prohibitiontakes precedence over permissibility. 11 For example, the Prophet (r) forbadefasting on Saturdays except in Ramadaan 12 and he recommended fasting on thedays of ‘Arafah 13 and ‘Aashooraa. 14 Based on this principle, if either day falls ona Saturday, one should not fast based on the obvious meaning. 15.3. Naskh (Abrogation)If neither of the above methods of harmonizing and preferring are possible, theonly other recourse is that of abrogation (naskh). Naskh literally means removal10 ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib prayed the noon prayer and then sat down in the wide courtyard of theMasjid of Kufah in order to deal with the affairs of the people until ‘Asr prayer. Water was thenbrought to him and he drank some of it and made wudoo with the remainder. He then stood up anddrank the remaining water while standing and said: “Some people dislike to drink water standing,but the Prophet (r) did as I have just done.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 358, no. 520)11 Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, pp. 360-3.12 As-Sammaa’ bint Busr as-Sulamee quoted the Prophet (r) as saying: “Don’t fast on Saturdaysexcept what has been made obligatory on you. And if one you can only find a grape skin or a pieceof from a tree, he should chew on it.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, p. 665, no. 2415 andauthenticated in al-Irwaa, no. 960)13 He was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and he replied: “It expiates the sins of the pastyear and the coming year.” He was then asked about fasting on the day of ‘Aashooraa, and heresponded: “It expiates the sins of the past year.” (Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 568, no. 2603)14 Sahih Al-Bukhaaree, vol. 3, p. 123, no. 219-220 and Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 550-1, no. 2518.15 Most scholars considered fasting on Saturdays permissible based on the following hadeethcollected by Ibn Khuzaimah. Umm Salamah related that Allaah’s Messenger (r) used to fast onSaturdays and Sundays more than on any other days, and he used to say, “They are festive daysfor the polytheists, and I want to act contrary to them.” Authenticated in Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, vol. 3, p. 318, no. 2167.