Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 798

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابٌ فِي المُحَافَظَةِ عَلَى الأَعْمَالِ

15. Chapter on Consistency in Good Deeds

وَيُؤْخَذُ مِنَ الحَدِيثِ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ المُؤَلِّفُ: أَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لِلإِنْسَانِ المُدَاوَمَةُ عَلَى فِعْلِ الخَيْرِ، وَأَلَّا يَدَعَ مَا نَسِيَهُ إِذَا كَانَ يُمْكِنُ قَضَاؤُهُ، أَمَّا مَا لَا يُمْكِنُ قَضَاؤُهُ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا نَسِيَهُ سَقَطَ، مِثْلَ سُنَّةِ دُخُولِ المَسْجِدِ الَّتِي تُسَمَّى تَحِيَّةَ المَسْجِدِ، إِذَا دَخَلَ الإِنْسَانُ المَسْجِدَ، وَنَسِيَ وَجَلَسَ وَطَالَتِ المُدَّةُ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقْضِيهَا؛ لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ سُنَّةٌ مُقَيَّدَةٌ بِسَبَبٍ، فَإِذَا تَأَخَّرَتْ عَنْهُ سَقَطَتْ سُنَّتُهَا، وَهَكَذَا كُلُّ مَا قُيِّدَ بِسَبَبٍ؛ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا زَالَ سَبَبُهُ لَا يُقْضَى، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ وَاجِبًا مِنَ الوَاجِبَاتِ كَالصَّلَاةِ المَفْرُوضَةِ، وَأَمَّا مَا قُيِّدَ بِوَقْتٍ فَإِنَّهُ يُقْضَى إِذَا فَاتَ؛ كَالسُّنَنِ الرَّوَاتِبِ؛ لَوْ نَسِيَهَا الإِنْسَانُ حَتَّى خَرَجَ الوَقْتُ فَإِنَّهُ يَقْضِيهَا بَعْدَ الوَقْتِ، كَمَا ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ.

The author’s hadith teaches us that one should remain consistent in performing good deeds. If you forget a deed that can be made up, you should do so. However, if it cannot be made up, the obligation lapses. Consider the prayer upon entering the mosque; if you enter, forget to pray, sit down, and a long time passes, you do not perform it later. This is because the prayer is tied to a specific occasion, and once that moment passes, the sunnah is no longer applicable. Any act tied to a specific cause ceases to be required once that cause is gone, unless it is an obligatory prayer. Conversely, acts tied to a specific time must be made up if missed, such as the regular sunnah prayers. If you forget them until the time has elapsed, you should perform them later, as established by the Prophet (peace be upon him).

وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ فَاتَ الإِنْسَانَ صِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ - الأَيَّامُ البِيضُ - فَإِنَّهُ يَقْضِيهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ صِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ وَاسِعًا؛ فَتَجُوزُ فِي أَوَّلِ الشَّهْرِ وَفِي وَسَطِهِ وَفِي آخِرِهِ، لَكِنَّ الأَفْضَلَ فِي الأَيَّامِ البِيضِ: الثَّالِثَ عَشَرَ وَالرَّابِعَ عَشَرَ وَالخَامِسَ عَشَرَ.

Similarly, if you miss the three days of fasting each month, you may make them up later. While you have flexibility to fast any three days during the month—whether at the beginning, middle, or end—the best days are the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (30 verbs · 37 nouns)

• أَخَذَ — to take
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• اِنْبَغَى — to be appropriate
• بَابٌ — chapter
• مُحَافَظَةٌ — preservation
• عَمَلٌ — deed