Question

Can you confirm the source of this Hadith?

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever fasts a day in the path of Allah ‘Azza Wa Jalla, Allah will distance Jahannam from him by a measure of one hundred years of travel.”

 

Answer

Imam Nasai (rahimahullah) has recorded this Hadith on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (radiyallahu ‘anhu).

(Sunan Nasai; Al Mujtaba, Hadith: 2254)

 

Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has recorded the following version:

Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id Al Khudri (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

‘Whoever fasts for one day in the path of Allah, will be distanced from Jahannam as far as a seventy (70) year [journey].’

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 2840)

 

‘Allamah Qurtubi (rahimahullah) states that that ‘seventy’ was used to show abundance (لأرادة التكثير كثيرا). Therefore, to illustrate this, on one occasion the number seventy was mentioned and on the other occasion, one hundred years was mentioned. The Hadith will therefore be understood to mean the person will be distanced a very great distance away from Jahannam.

(Refer: Fathul Bari, Hadith: 2840)

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

 

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

 

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

 

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar