Abu Ubaid, the freed slave of Ibn Azhar, narrates: I was present with Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) on Eid. He came and led the prayer, then after finishing the prayer, he delivered a sermon to the people and then said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting on these two days of Eid: the day when you break your fasts, that is, Eid al-Fitr, and the other day when you eat from your sacrifices, that is, Eid al-Adha. Abu Ubaid said: Then I performed Eid with Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). He came and led the prayer, then after finishing, he delivered a sermon and said to the people: Today two Eids have come together for you, the Eid prayer and the day of Jumu'ah. Whoever among the people of the outlying villages wishes to wait for Jumu'ah may do so, and whoever wishes to return home may go; I have given him permission. Abu Ubaid said: Then I performed the prayer with Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) while Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was under siege. He (Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) came and led the prayer, then after finishing, he delivered a sermon.

And with the same chain of narration, it is narrated from (Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade fasting on the two days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

And with this chain of narration, (it is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would begin to fast continuously until we would say that he will not break his fast, and he would begin to break his fast until we would say that he will not fast. I did not see the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, fast an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fast more in any month than in Sha'ban.

When our master Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with them both) performed Hajj, on the day of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram), he said from the pulpit: O people of Madinah! Where are your scholars? I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say about this day that this is the day of Ashura, Allah has not made its fasting obligatory upon you. I am fasting; whoever wishes may fast, and whoever wishes may not fast.

And with this same chain (it is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) that in the days of ignorance, the Quraysh used to fast on the day of Ashura, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, also used to fast it before his prophethood. Then when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Madinah, he himself fasted on this day and also ordered others to fast. Then when Ramadan was made obligatory, its fasts became obligatory and the fast of Ashura was abandoned. So whoever wishes may fast on this day, and whoever wishes may leave it, that is, not fast.