| Al-Qamar: (19) Indeed, We sent upon them...

(Indeed, We sent upon them a screaming wind) — an initiation of a sentence to clarify what was summarized previously. The Sarsar (screaming wind) is the cold wind, according to what is narrated from Ibn Abbas, Qatada, and al-Dahhak. It is also said: it is [a wind] with a loud sound. The completion of the discussion has passed in (Surah) Fussilat.

(In a day of continuous misfortune) — [The term "misfortune"] refers to that bad omen, because after they were destroyed, they remained in a state of torment in the Barzakh until they enter Hell on the Day of Resurrection. The meaning of "day" here is absolute time, due to the saying of the Almighty: (So We sent upon them a screaming wind in days of misfortune), and His saying, the Almighty: (We subjected them upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession). It is well-known that it was a Wednesday, at the end of Shawwal, in the sense that the commencement of the sending of the wind was on that day, so it does not contradict the verses of Fussilat and al-Haqqah.

It is permissible for "continuous" (mustamir) to be an adjective for the day, meaning a day that continued upon them until it destroyed them, or that it encompassed both their old and young until not a single soul remained of them, based on the continuation being in terms of time or in terms of persons. However, in the first case, it is necessary to use metaphor by intending the continuation of its misfortune, or by making "day" mean absolute time, because a single day did not continue; so reflect on this.

It is also permissible for "continuous" to mean "firm," or "intensely bitter"—which is a metaphor for its ugliness and the intensity of its terror, as it has no taste. It is also permissible for it to be an appositive (badal) or an explanatory clause (‘atf bayan), and it is as you can see. Al-Hasan read it as "yawma nahsin" (with tanwin on yawm and a kasra on the ha of nahs), making it an adjective for "day," thus it is necessary for "continuous" to be a second adjective for it.

Some have supported this verse with what Waki’ extracted in al-Ghurar, and Ibn Marduyah and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi from Ibn Abbas as a marfu’ (elevated) hadith: "The last Wednesday of the month is a day of continuous misfortune." Many people adopted this, treated it as an omen, and abandoned seeking their interests on that day, saying: "It is a Wednesday that does not rotate." Regarding this is his saying: "Your meeting for the early riser is an evil omen, and your face is a Wednesday that does not rotate." This is something that is not appropriate. As for the aforementioned hadith, in its chain of transmission is Maylamah ibn al-Salt; Abu Hatim said: "He is abandoned," and Ibn al-Jawzi judged it to be a fabrication. Ibn Rajab said: "It is a hadith whose elevation (to the Prophet) is not valid and is not agreed upon; for al-Tayyuri narrated it through another path as mawquf (stopped) at Ibn Abbas." Al-Sakhawi said: "All its paths are weak." They also weakened the report of al-Tabarani: "Wednesday is a day of continuous misfortune."

As for the verse, you have already known its meaning. Reports and traditions have come that suggest its praise. In Minhaj of al-Halimi and Shu’ab of al-Bayhaqi, it is mentioned that supplication is answered on Wednesday after the sun passes its zenith. Burhan al-Islam mentioned in Ta’lim al-Muta’allim from the author of al-Hidayah that nothing was begun on a Wednesday but that it was completed, and it was on that day that Allah the Almighty created light. For that reason, a group of scholars would specifically choose to start sitting for teaching on that day. Some considered planting trees on it to be recommended, due to the hadith of Ibn Hibban and al-Daylami from Jabir as a marfu’ report: "Whoever plants trees on a Wednesday and says: 'Glory be to the Resurrector, the Inheritor,' he shall receive their fruits."

Yes, reports and traditions have come suggesting the contrary. In al-Firdaws from Aisha as a marfu’ report: "Were it not that you would dislike it, I would order them not to travel on a Wednesday," and "The most beloved of days to me for setting out is Thursday," and its authenticity is not known to me. Abu Ya’la, Ibn ‘Adi, and Tammam in his Fawa'id extracted from Abu Sa’id as a marfu’ report: "Saturday is a day of guile and deception, Sunday is a day of planting and building, Monday is a day of travel and seeking provision, Tuesday is a day of iron and conflict, Wednesday is a day of neither taking nor giving, Thursday is a day for needs and entering upon the ruler, and Friday is a day for sermon and marriage." Al-Sakhawi critiqued this, saying its chain of transmission is weak.

Ibn Majah narrated from Ibn Umar as a marfu’ report, and al-Hakim extracted it through two other paths: "Leprosy and vitiligo do not appear except on a Wednesday." In some traditions, there is a prohibition against cutting nails on Wednesday, claiming it causes vitiligo. Some disliked visiting the sick on that day, and regarding this it was said: "No sick person was visited on Wednesday but that we buried him on Thursday."

It is narrated from someone that he said to his brother: "Go out with me for a need." He said: "It is Wednesday." He said: "On it, Yunus (Jonah) was born." He said: "Indeed, its blessing was apparent for him in the expansion of his place and the goodness of his clothing until Allah the Almighty saved him." He said: "And on it, Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him, was born." He said: "How excellent was what his brothers did, until his imprisonment and alienation were prolonged." He said: "And on it, the Chosen One, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was granted victory on the Day of the Confederates (Ahzab)." He said: "Yes, but after the eyes swerved and the hearts reached the throats."

Al-Manawi narrated from al-Bahr that his reports, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the misfortune of the last Wednesday of the month are from the category of tatayyur (omens), and necessarily, it is not from the religion, but rather an act of the Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyyah). It is not based on the statement of the astrologers that it is the day of Mercury and that it is a day of misfortune among the misfortunes or fortune among the fortunes, for that is a false statement. It is possible that it is from the category of frightening and warning, meaning: beware of that day because of the torment that descended on it and the destruction that occurred in it, and renew repentance to Allah the Almighty on it, fearing that the same misery that happened to those before you might befall you. This is like what he said when he came to the Hijr (the valley of Thamud): "Do not enter upon these who are being punished unless you are weeping," and so on.

It was also narrated from some of them that he said: "Omens are hated with a legal hatred, unless the Lawgiver has permitted one who has been struck by something on the last Wednesday regarding his interests to abandon dealing on it—not by way of taking an omen and believing that it harms or benefits without the permission of Allah the Almighty, but by way of permitting abstention on it for one whose soul dislikes it. It is not an imitation of taking omens, but an establishment of a concession in refraining from it for whoever wishes, with the obligation to believe that nothing harms anything."

It is narrated from al-Halimi that he said: "We know by the explanation of the Shari’ah that some days are of misfortune, and misfortune is countered by fortune. If the former is proven, the latter is also proven. So from the days, some are of misfortune and some are of fortune, like people, some of whom are miserable and some happy. However, the claim that days and planets are miserable or fortunate by their own choice, at certain times or for certain people, is false. The statement that the planets might be causes for beauty and ugliness, good and evil—while all of it is the act of Allah alone—is something in which there is no harm."

Then al-Manawi said: "The conclusion is that abstaining on Wednesday by way of taking an omen and believing the astrologers is forbidden, intensely forbidden, since all days belong to Allah; they do not harm or benefit by themselves. Without that, there is no harm or obstruction in it. Whoever takes an omen, his misfortune will befall him, and whoever is certain that nothing harms or benefits except Allah the Almighty, nothing of that will affect him, as it is said: 'Know that there is no omen except for the one who takes an omen, and that is destruction.'" End quote.

I say: All days are equal, and there is no specialization of that to Wednesday. There is not a single hour that is not fortunate for one person and miserable for another, in consideration of what Allah the Almighty brings about in it of agreeable and disagreeable things, good and evil. Every one of the days is described by both matters due to the difference in consideration. If Wednesday is deemed miserable due to the occurrence of an incident in it, then every day should be deemed miserable, for "He merges the night into the day and the day into the night," only to bring about incidents. It has been said: "Know that the days are children of one, and these nights are all sisters."

It is narrated that the torment of Thamud was on a Sunday, and it has been related in a tradition—I think it is authentic—"We seek refuge with Allah the Almighty from the day of Sunday, for it has an edge sharper than a sword." If it were authentic, perhaps it is regarding a specific Sunday known through revelation as to what would happen on it. Some have claimed that it is among the tested things that never failed, that whenever the fourteenth day of the lunar month falls on a Sunday and something is done in it, it is not completed—but this is not proven.

It is mentioned in al-Firdaws from a hadith of Ibn Mas’ud: "Allah the Almighty created diseases on Tuesday, and on it, Iblis was sent down to Earth, and on it, Hell was created, and on it, Allah the Almighty empowered the Angel of Death over the souls of the children of Adam, and on it, Qabil (Cain) killed Habil (Abel), and on it, Musa and Harun (Moses and Aaron), peace be upon them, passed away, and on it, Ayyub (Job) was afflicted." If this hadith is authentic, it does not indicate its misfortune; the extent of it is that what happened, happened on it. Yet other things have occurred on it that are good. In a narration by Muslim: "He created the provision—that is, what one lives by—on Tuesday." If you trace history, you will find great incidents on all the days. It suffices for this subject that the incident of ‘Ad covered the days of the week, for the Almighty said: (We subjected them upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession). If misfortune is due to that, tell me, which day of the week was free from it?

The matter of misfortune, as I see it, is like the matter of assigning each day to a specific action, as many people claim. They mention in that regard two lines of poetry attributed by al-Hafiz al-Dimyati to Ali—may Allah ennoble his countenance: "So take the day (Saturday) truly for hunting, if you wish without doubt. And on (Sunday) building, for in it Allah began the creation of the heaven. And on (Monday) if you travel in it, you will return with success and wealth. And whoever wants cupping, (Tuesday) for in its hours is the shedding of blood. And if a person drinks medicine one day, then the best day is (Wednesday). And on (Thursday) fulfillment of needs, for Allah permits fulfillment. And on (Friday) marriage and wedding, and the pleasures of men with women." This knowledge is not known except to a prophet or the sons of the prophets, and I do not think it is authentic.

The utmost I can say is: "What Allah wills occurs, and what He does not will, does not occur." I do not introduce time or anything else into that. Yes, some times have a virtue that cannot be denied, such as the day of Friday, the month of Ramadan, and so on. Some have the opposite, such as times when prayer is disliked. But this is one matter, and the point of contention is another. So preserve that, and may Allah the Almighty oversee your guidance. And the saying of the Almighty: [End of snippet]