Alhamdulillah, Allah (Subhanahu wa
Ta'ala) has blessed us to see another year.
The first month of this year is Muharram.
In this month is an excellent day—the day
of ‘Ashura—which falls on the 10th of
Muharram.

Allah's sacred month of Muharram is a blessed
and important month. It is the first month of
the Hijri calendar and is one of the four
sacred months concerning which Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, the number of months with
Allah is twelve months (in a year), so
it was ordained by Allah on the Day
when He created the heavens and the
earth; of them, four are sacred. That
is the right religion, so wrong not
yourselves therein …" [ Al-Qur'an 9:36]

Abu Bakarah (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet ( peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: "The year is twelve
months of which four are sacred, the three
consecutive months of Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-
Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which
comes between Jumadah and
Sha'ban." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 2958]

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu
‘alayhi wa Sallam) recommended that we
fast on this day, by his Sunnah. He also
indicated how we should observe the fast of
‘Ashura.

Hakam ibn Al-Arat (Radiyallahu 'anh)
relates: I went to Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu
'anh)… I said to him: Tell me about fasting
on ‘Ashura. He said, "When you seen the
new moon of Muharram count the (days)
and (begin to) observe fast on the 9th." I
said to him: "Is it how the Holy Messenger
of Allah (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam)
observed the fast?" He said, "Yes." [Sahih
Muslim]

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu 'anh) relates
that when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu
‘alayhi wa Sallam) said: "If I survive till
next year, I will definitely observe fast on
the 9th of Muharram (as well)."[Sahih
Muslim]

(Note: What the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu
‘alayhi wa Sallam) meant was that he
would also fast on the 9th as well as the
10th to which he was accustomed. We also
should try fasting on the 9th and the 10th
of Muharram.)

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu 'anh) reports
that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa Sallam) arrived in Madinah and found
the Jews observing fast on the day of
‘Ashura… They said: "It is the day of great
(significance) when Allah delivered Hazrat
Musa ('Alaihis-Salaam) and his people and
drowned Pharoah and his people, and
Sayyidina Musa ('Alaihis-Salaam) observed
fast out of gratitude. And we also observe
it." The Holy Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
‘alayhi wa Sallam) responded: "We have
more right, and we have closer
connection with Sayyidina Musa
('Alaihis-Salaam) than you have"; so
Allah’s Messenger (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa
Sallam) observed fast (on the day of
‘Ashura) and gave us orders to observe it.
[Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]

The 9th and 10th of Muharram will inshaAllah correspond with the 12th and 13th of November..

O’ Allah! Bless us to perform good deeds
and gain their reward on ‘Ashura. Make the
new year one of unity, cooperation and
success for Muslims in this city and around
the world. Ameen.

I was about opening a thread on this but you already did.

May Allah reward you for this timely reminder.

The number of views is still low, I hope as many Muslims as possible benefit from this.

However, permit me to add the following :

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The best of fasting after Ramadhan is fasting Allah's month of Muharram.' " [Reported by Muslim, 1982]

Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It expiates for all minor sins, i.e., it brings forgiveness of all sins except major sins." Then he said (may Allah have mercy on him): "Fasting the day of 'Arafah expiates for two years, and the day of 'Ashura' expiates for one year.

when is it? I mean what date using the gregorian calendar?

deols: when is it? I mean what date using the gregorian calendar?

The 9th and 10th of Muharram will
inshaAllah correspond with the 12th and
13th of November,2013

The most important thing is for us to fast on the 9th and 10th.

Al-Baqir:


Deols, you meant "innah wajdna alayha abahana"?
(That is what we met our fore-fathers doing?)

With that I say: "la haola wala quwata wala ilma illah billah".

Here's Abdullah Yusuf Ali:

"On the day of Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram,
Imam Hussain was surrounded by his enemies. He
was brave to the last. He was cruelly mutilated. His
sacred head was cut-off while in the act of prayer. A
mad Fun of triumph was celebrated over his
body...He had 45 wounds from the enemies swords
and javelin pierced through his bosom. After all that
agony, when his head was lifted up on a spear, his
face was the placid face of a man of God..." (Ref:
Imam Hussain and his matyrdom, by Abdullahi
Yusuf Ali -d. 1952, p.41)


"Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain(Hussainu minni wa ana minal Hussain); whoever hurt him hurt me" ~the prophet (saws) as reported by your sahih.

"You don't need to be a Shi'a (muslim) to cry for Imam Hussain (a.s), you just need a heart and sense of humanity"

Thanks

I didnt read any of your long posts..go straight to the point. Are you saying that we should not fast or what?

i just learnt on islamic channel now that the Saudi judicial supreme court made up of grand scholars from diff schools of thought decided that d ummulqura calender should not be followed for d month of Muharram and hence d new hijrah year is Tue.5th of Nov and Ashurah(10th of Muharram) is on Thur.14th Nov.

Al-Baqir:


Dear moderator,
How long is my "posts" (comment on this thread) this time around that within 2mins you cannot read?

I posed several questions and you've answered sincerely that the most important thing for you is to fast. Fine and I respect that sister!

Then I gave you quotations!

Forgive this "heretic" pls.

I dont read you shiites posts and I have told you guys why severally. so, again, what is your point?

zeezzy: i just learnt on islamic channel now that the Saudi judicial supreme court made up of grand scholars from diff schools of thought decided that d ummulqura calender should not be followed for d month of Muharram and hence d new hijrah year is Tue.5th of Nov and Ashurah(10th of Muharram) is on Thur.14th Nov.

I heard that too..that wednesday is 9th and thursday 10th.

Subhana Lah! Al-Baqir was here and succeeded polluting this thread.

@Al- Baqir, why not open your thread and stop displaying insecurity and desperation?

@Deols & zeeza, thanks for the information. I saw it on Islam channel now.

@xclusive43, going forward I advice that you ignore fruitless debate or you will receive very LONG epistle.

harmeenart:
Am to cry on 10th of muharram and try to experience what Imam Hussein went through?Does that make me have a heart?
If yes,is there any evidence from the prophet or the quran about it?
And why only imam hussien,companions who died during battles with the prophet arent even noticed.Even on the day the prophet died,you dont compel us to cry,Why?
May Allah guide us aright.Amin

You forgot to add the embarrassment on Muslims(not Islam) where adults beat each other with whip and metals till they bleed.

Expect a LONG article in reply.

Nobody should quote me o cos I'm allergic to reading long things.

snakova:
shiite

.....obviously.
They make it imperative to cry and hurt themselves for Hussein but I wonder how many times they shed tears from the remembrance of Allah. May Allah show us the right path.

Ashura is on thursday and one is expected to fast on that day and a day before or a day after i.e Wednesday & Thursday or Thursday and Friday.

i purposely ignored him. We are not here for debate... But I want you to go through this...

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them
both) said: “I never saw Allah’s Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) so keen to
fast any day and give it priority over any other
than this day, the day of `Ashura', and this
month, meaning Ramadan.” (Al-Bukhari, Hadith
1867) In another hadith we are told that
fasting the day of `Ashura' expiates the sins of
the previous year as theProphet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said, “Fasting the day
of `Ashura' (is of great merits), I hope that
Allah will accept it as anexpiation for (the
sins committed in) the previous
year” (Muslim).
Focusing more on the question in point, Dr.
MuzammilH. Siddiqi , former President of the
Islamic Society of North America, states:
Fasting the Day of `Ashura' is not to mourn
the martyrdom of imamHusain (may Allah be
pleased with him). We deeply respect Imam
Husain’s martyrdom,we honor his glorious act
of sacrifice for the sake of Islam. He gave us a
great example of truth, courage and piety. But
we also feel pain and grief in our hearts for his
assassination at the hand of some hypocrites
who took Islam as a pretext to commit their
crime.
They fought and killed Allah’s
Messenger’s beloved and blessed grandson and
his family. This was the most heinous and
shameful crime that was committed for the
sake of political power. This tragic event took
place in the year 61 AH or 680 CE. However,
the tradition of `Ashura' fasting is very ancient
and it goes back to a long time before imam
Husian.
It is reported in the Sahih of Imam Al-Bukhari
and other authentic collections of hadith that
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
and his Companions used to fast on the 10th
day of Muharram while they were in Makkah
(before the hijrah ).
It was a day on which people of Makkah used
to change the covering (kiswah ) of the Ka`bah.
Quraysh also used to fast on this day. (Al-
Bukhari, hadith 1489 and 1760)
After the hijrah when the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he
found that the Jews of Madinah also used to
observe this day with fasting. The Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) asked them
the reason of their fasting on this day. They
said, “This is a blessed day. On this day Allah
saved the Children of Israel from their enemy
(in Egypt) and so Prophet Musa fasted on this
day giving thanks to Allah.” The Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) said, “We have
more claim to Musa than you.” He fasted on
that day and commanded Muslims to fast on
this day. (Al-Bukhari, hadith 1865)
In another report it is mentioned that Jews of
Madinah used to hold a feast on this day. The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told
his Companions to fast instead. (Al-Bukhari,
hadith 1866)
`Ashura' fasting was obligatory (fard ) in the
beginning. In the second year of hijrah (624
CE) when Allah’s command came that Muslims
should fast the whole month of Ramadan, the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
then sent someone to announce to people that
fasting of `Ashura' had become voluntary
( nafl). This indicates that whosoever wishes to
fast, may fast and whosoever does not want to
fast, there will be no blame on him/her.
Imam At-Tirmidhi mentioned that ibn `Abbas
(may Allah be pleased with them both) used to
say that we should fast on two days: the 9th
and 10th of Muharram to distinguish ourselves
from the Jewish community. (At-Tirmidhi)
Ibn`Abbasalso quoted the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) as saying, “If I live
next year, I shall also fast on the 9th
day.” (Musnad Ahmad ibnHanbal, hadith2002)
There is a great reward in fasting the day of
`Ashura'. There are many hadiths that mention
its blessings and virtues. It is good to fast on
this day, although it is not obligatory.

Allah Almighty knows best.

I found the words
of Omid Safi , a professsor of Islamic Studies
at the University of North Carolina and
author of the new book Memories of
Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters , very
interesting in his description of the Shi’a
mourning ceremonies of Ashura, and the
ways Shi’as should mark the
day. He recently gave an interview for an
Iranian news agency, where he said:
“The mourning ceremonies of Ashura are of
course an important way in which we
demonstrate our love affection for Imam
Hossein, and through him, the Prophet. I
am committed to the notion that
identification with the redemptive suffering
of the imam is a key aspect of Shi’I piety.
And I would add two other elements: in the
mourning, we have to be sure to continue to
honor the sanctity of the human body,
which is after all the creation of God. So in
my own personal reckoning, I would prefer
to see taking stories to heart, shedding of
tears, and even the striking of one’s chest
gently with one’s hand. I would suggest
avoiding any action that would lead to
shedding of blood (using knives, etc.) or
leaving bruises (such as
chains). Furthermore, I would add that the
foremost way of honoring Imam Hossein is
not by sinking into the abyss of melancholy,
but rather “carving a tunnel of hope
through the great mountain of
despair.” What would best serve the cause
of Imam Hossein and Islam is not to sit in
mourning but rather to rise in protest, rise
majestically like Imam Hossein against all
the Yazids of the world today. The Yazids of
the world are sometimes individuals every
bit as devious as Shemr and Yazid of
yesteryears, but more often entities and
concepts like oppression, greed, occupation,
militarism, brutality, violence, and every
oppressive ideology that stands in the way
of affirming the dignity and integrity of
each and every member of humanity. May
all these Yazids, literal and metaphorical,
be upended on this and every Ashura, so
that we can realize the daily relevance of
the teachings of a beautiful and meaningful
Islam .”
And in his Facebook status update over the
weekend, Professor Safi wrote that beyond
being something just for Shi’as to mark,
Ashura has significance for all:
The martyrdom of Imam Hossein is indeed a
cosmic event whose significance is far
greater than merely a bloody battle or even
a massacre in the remote plains of 7th
century Iraq. It is a reminder that there is
real injustice in this world, and one has the
cosmic responsibility to rise up against it.
What happened “there” and then is also
projected against all time and space. The
question is not what Imam Hossein did in
the month of Muharram of the year 680 on
the plains of Karbala in Iraq, but rather
what are we doing today. Every day is
Ashura, Every place is Karbala."
I find his observations very interesting and
spiritual, in that he takes a significant
moment in Islamic history, something that
led to the split of Muslims into two main
sects – Sunnis and Shi’as – and reminds all
Muslims the martyrdom of Imam Hussein
was a “cosmic” event, and that instead of
spending our time in mourning, we should
all rise in protest against the injustices that
still plague this world.

Asalam alaykum warahmahtullahi wabarakatuh , just curious , it is obvious that some muslims don't support the idea of fasting on the 10th, and the reason given is because that date also marks the unjust killing of imam Hussein, so I ask, what would u rather have us do on that day?
*Al-baqir this is directed at u, but anyone that has sometin benficial to say can reply

Please spear me the horror

How can Sahih be fabricated.....
Read this once again
Allah's sacred month of Muharram is a blessed
and important month. It is the first month of
the Hijri calendar and is one of the four
sacred months concerning which Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the number of months with
Allah is twelve months (in a year), so
it was ordained by Allah on the Day
when He created the heavens and the
earth; of them, four are sacred. That
is the right religion, so wrong not
yourselves therein … " [ Al-Qur'an 9:36]

Abu Bakarah (may Allah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet ( peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: "The year is twelve
months of which four are sacred, the three
consecutive months of Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-
Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which
comes between Jumadah and
Sha'ban." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 2958]
Muharram is so called because it is a sacred
(muharram) month and to confirm its sanctity.
Allah's words (interpretation of the meaning):
" ... so wrong not yourselves therein … "
mean do not wrong yourselves in these sacred
months, because sin in these months is worse
than in other months. It was reported that Ibn
'Abbas said that this phrase referred to all the
months, then these four were singled out and
made sacred, so that sin in these months is
more serious and good deeds bring a greater
reward.
Qatadah said concerning this phrase that
wrongdoing during the sacred months is more
serious and more sinful that wrongdoing at any
other time. Wrongdoing at any time is a
serious matter, but Allah gives more weight to
whichever of His commands He will. Allah has
chosen certain ones of His creation. He has
chosen from among the angels Messengers and
from among mankind Messengers. He chose
from among speech the remembrance of Him
(dhikr). He chose from among the earth the
mosques, from among the months Ramadhan
and the sacred months, from among the days
Friday and from among the nights Laylatul-
Qadr , so venerate that which Allah has told us
to venerate. People of understanding and
wisdom venerate the things that Allah has told
us to venerate. [Summarized from the Tafsir of
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him.
Tafsir of Surah at-Tawbah , ayah 36]

The Virtue of Observing More Nafil Fasts
During Muharram

Abu Hurayrah ( may Allah be pleased with him )
said: "The Messenger of Allah ( peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The best
of fasting after Ramadhan is fasting Allah's
month of Muharram.' " [Reported by Muslim,
1982]
The phrase "Allah's month" , connecting the
name of the month to the name of Allah in a
genitive grammatical structure, signifies the
importance of the month. Al-Qari said: "The
apparent meaning is all of the month of
Muharram." But it was proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
never fasted any whole month apart from
Ramadhan , so this hadith is probably meant to
encourage increasing one's fasting during
Muharram, without meaning that one should
fast for the entire month.
It was reported that the Prophet ( peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast
more in Sha'ban. It is likely that the virtue of
Muharram was not revealed to him until the
end of his life, before he was able to fast
during this month. [ Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Sahih
Muslim]
Allah Chooses Whatever Times and Places
He Wills
Al-'Izz ibn 'Abdus-Salam ( may Allah have mercy
on him) said: "Times and places may be given
preferred status in two ways, either temporal
or religious/spiritual. With regard to the latter,
this is because Allah bestows His generosity on
His slaves at those times or in those places, by
giving a greater reward for deeds done, such
as giving a greater reward for fasting in
Ramadhan than for fasting at all other times,
and also on the day of 'Ashura' , the virtue of
which is due to Allah's generosity and kindness
towards His slaves on that day … " [Qawa'id al-
Ahkam , 1/38]

'Ashura' in History

Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him )
said: "The Prophet ( peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) came to Madinah and saw
the Jews fasting on the day of 'Ashura' . He
said, 'What is this?' They said, 'This is a
righteous day, it is the day when Allah saved
the Children of Israel from their enemies, so
Musa fasted on this day.' He said, 'We have
more right to Musa than you,' so he fasted on
that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast
on that day." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 1865]
"This is a righteous day" – in a report narrated
by Muslim, [the Jews said:] "This is a great day,
on which Allah saved Musa and his people, and
drowned Pharaoh and his people." "Musa
fasted on this day" – a report narrated by
Muslim adds: " … in thanksgiving to Allah, so
we fast on this day." According to a report
narrated by al-Bukhari: " … so we fast on this
day to venerate it." A version narrated by
Imam Ahmad adds: "This is the day on which
the Ark settled on Mount Judi, so Nuh fasted
this day in thanksgiving," and "commanded
[the Muslims] to fast on that day" – according
to another report also narrated by al-Bukhari:
"He said to his Companions: 'You have more
right to Musa than they do, so fast on that
day.' "
The practice of fasting on 'Ashura' was known
even in the days of Jahiliyyah, before the
Prophet's mission. It was reported that 'A'ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her ) said: "The
people of Jahiliyyah used to fast on that day …
"
Al-Qurtubi said: "Perhaps Quraysh used to fast
on that day on the basis of some past law,
such as that of Ibrahim, upon whom be
peace."
It was also reported that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to
fast on 'Ashura' in Makkah, before he migrated
to Madinah. When he migrated to Madinah, he
found the Jews celebrating this day, so he
asked them why, and they replied as described
in the hadith quoted above. He commanded
the Muslims to be different from the Jews, who
took it as a festival, as was reported in the
hadith of Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with
him), who said: "The Jews used to take the day
of 'Ashura' as a festival [according to a report
narrated by Muslim: the day of 'Ashura' was
venerated by the Jews, who took it as a
festival. According to another report also
narrated by Muslim: the people of Khaybar
(the Jews) used to take it as a festival and their
women would wear their jewellery and symbols
on that day]. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) said: 'So you [Muslims]
should fast on that day.' " [Reported by al-
Bukhari] Apparently the motive for
commanding the Muslims to fast on this day
was the desire to be different from the Jews,
so that the Muslims would fast when the Jews
did not, because people do not fast on a day
of celebration. [Summarized from the words of
al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar – may Allah have mercy on
him – in Fath al-Bari Sharh 'ala Sahih al-
Bukhari ]
Fasting on 'Ashura' was a gradual step in the
process of introducing fasting as a prescribed
obligation in Islam. Fasting appeared in three
forms. When the Messenger of Allah ( peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) came to
Madinah, he told the Muslims to fast on three
days of every month and on the day of
'Ashura' , then Allah made fasting obligatory
when He said (interpretation of the meaning): "
… observing the fasting is prescribed for
you … " [ Al-Qur'an 2:183] [Ahkam al-Qur'an
by al-Jassas, part 1]
The obligation was transferred from the fast of
'Ashura' to the fast of Ramadhan , and this one
of the proofs in the field of Usul al-Fiqh that it
is possible to abrogate a lighter duty in favour
of a heavier duty.
Before the obligation of fasting 'Ashura' was
abrogated, fasting on this day was obligatory,
as can be seen from the clear command to
observe this fast. Then it was further
confirmed later on, then reaffirmed by making
it a general command addressed to everybody,
and once again by instructing mothers not to
breastfeed their infants during this fast. It was
reported from Ibn Mas'ud that when fasting
Ramadhan was made obligatory, the obligation
to fast 'Ashura' was lifted, i.e., it was no longer
obligatory to fast on this day, but it is still
desirable (mustahabb).

The Virtues of Fasting 'Ashura'

Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them
both ) said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so
keen to fast any day and give it priority over
any other than this day, the day of 'Ashura' ,
and this month, meaning
Ramadhan ." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 1867]
The meaning of his being keen was that he
intended to fast on that day in the hope of
earning the reward for doing so. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: "For fasting the day of 'Ashura', I hope
that Allah will accept it as expiation for the
year that went before." [Reported by Muslim,
1976] This is from the bounty of Allah towards
us: for fasting one day He gives us expiation
for the sins of a whole year. And Allah is the
Owner of Great Bounty.

Which Day is 'Ashura' ?

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him )
said: " 'Ashura' and Tasu'a' are two elongated
names [the vowels are elongated] as is stated
in books on the Arabic language. Our
companions said: 'Ashura' is the tenth day of
Muharram and Tasu'a' is the ninth day. This is
our opinion, and that of the majority of
scholars. This is the apparent meaning of the
ahadith and is what we understand from the
general wording. It is also what is usually
understood by scholars of the language." [ Al-
Majmu' ])
'Ashura' is an Islamic name that was not known
at the time of Jahiliyyah . [Kashshaf al-Qina' ,
part 2, Sawm Muharram]
Ibn Qudamah ( may Allah have mercy on him)
said: " 'Ashura' is the tenth day of Muharram.
This is the opinion of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib and
al-Hasan. It was what was reported by Ibn
'Abbas, who said: 'The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
commanded us to fast 'Ashura' , the tenth day
of Muharram.' [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, who
said, a sahih hasan hadith ] It was reported that
Ibn 'Abbas said: 'The ninth,' and reported that
the Prophet ( peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him ) used to fast the ninth. [Reported by
Muslim] 'Ata' reported that he said, 'Fast the
ninth and the tenth, and do not be like the
Jews.' If this is understood, we can say on this
basis that it is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast
on the ninth and the tenth, for that reason.
This is what Ahmad said, and it is the opinion
of Ishaq."

It is Mustahabb (Encouraged) to Fast
Tasu'a' with 'Ashura'

'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas ( may Allah be pleased with
them both ) said: "When the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
fasted on 'Ashura' and commanded the
Muslims to fast as well, they said, 'O
Messenger of Allah, it is a day that is
venerated by the Jews and Christians.' The
Messenger of Allah ( peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said, 'If I live to see the
next year, in sha Allah, we will fast on the
ninth day too.' But it so happened that the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) passed away before the
next year came." [Reported by Muslim, 1916]
Ash-Shafi'i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaq
and others said: "It is mustahabb to fast on
both the ninth and tenth days, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) fasted on the tenth, and intended to fast
on the ninth."
On this basis it may be said that there are
varying degrees of fasting 'Ashura' , the least of
which is to fast only on the tenth and the best
of which is to fast the ninth as well. The more
one fasts in Muharram, the better it is.
The Reason Why it is Mustahabb to Fast on
Tasu'a'
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him )
said: "The scholars – our companions and
others – mentioned several reasons why it is
mustahabb to fast on Tasu'a' :
"The intention behind it is to be different
from the Jews, who only venerate the
tenth day. This opinion was reported
from Ibn 'Abbas …

"The intention is to add another day's fast
to 'Ashura' . This is akin to the prohibition
on fasting a Friday by itself, as was
mentioned by al-Khattabi and others.
"To be on the safe side and make sure
that one fasts on the tenth, in case there
is some error in sighting the crescent
moon at the beginning of Muharram and
the ninth is in fact the tenth."
The strongest of these reasons is being
different from the People of the Book. Shaykh
ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: "The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade
imitating the People of the Book in many
ahadith, for example, his words concerning
'Ashura' : 'If I live until the next year, I will
certainly fast on the ninth day.' " [Al-Fatawa al-
Kubra, part 6, Sadd adh-Dhara'i' al-Mufdiyyah
ila'l-Maharim ]
Ibn Hajar (may Allah be pleased with him) said
in his commentary on the hadith "If I live until
the next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth
day" and "What he meant by fasting on the
ninth day was probably not that he would limit
himself to that day, but would add it to the
tenth, either to be on the safe side or to be
different from the Jews and Christians, which
is more likely. This is also what we can
understand from some of the reports narrated
by Muslim." [ Fath, 4/245]

Ruling on Fasting Only on the Day of
'Ashura'

Shaykh ul-Islam said: "Fasting on the day of
'Ashura' is an expiation for a year, and it is
not makruh to fast only that day … " [Al-
Fatawa al-Kubra , part 5] In Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, it says: "There is nothing
wrong with fasting only on 'Ashura' ." [Part 3,
Bab Sawm at-Tatawwu' ]

Fasting on 'Ashura' even if it is a Saturday
or a Friday

At-Tahawi ( may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"The Messenger of Allah ( peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) allowed us to fast on
'Ashura' and urged us to do so. He did not say
that if it falls on a Saturday we should not
fast. This is evidence that all days of the week
are included in this. In our view – and Allah
knows best – it could be the case that even if
this is true (that it is not allowed to fast on
Saturdays), it is so that we do not venerate
this day and refrain from food, drink and
intercourse, as the Jews do. As for the one who
fasts on a Saturday without intending to
venerate it, and does not do so because the
Jews regard it as blessed, then this is not
makruh … " [ Mushkil al-Athar, part 2, Bab
Sawm Yawm as-Sabt ]
The author of Al-Minhaj said: "It is disliked
(makruh ) to fast on a Friday alone … But it is
no longer makruh if you add another day to it,
as mentioned in the sahih report to that effect.
A person may fast on a Friday if it coincides
with his habitual fast, or he is fasting in
fulfilment of a vow, or he is making up an
obligatory fast that he has missed, as was
stated in a sahih report."
Ash-Sharih said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj: "If it
coincides with his habitual fast – i.e., such as
if he fasts alternate days, and a day that he
fasts happens to be a Friday, if he is fasting in
fulfilment of a vow, etc." – this also applies to
fasting on days prescribed in Shari'ah , such as
'Ashura' or 'Arafah. [Tuhfat al-Muhtaj , part 3,
Bab Sawm al-Tatawwu' ]
Al-Bahuti (may Allah have mercy on him ) said:
"It is makruh to deliberately single out a
Saturday for fasting, because of the hadith of
'Abdullah ibn Bishr, who reported from his
sister: 'Do not fast on Saturdays except in the
case of obligatory fasts' [reported by Ahmad
with a jayyid isnad and by al-Hakim, who said:
according to the conditions of al-Bukhari], and
because it is a day that is venerated by the
Jews, so singling it out for fasting means being
like them … except when a Friday or Saturday
coincides with a day when Muslims habitually
fast, such as when it coincides with the day of
'Arafah or the day of 'Ashura' , and a person
has the habit of fasting on these days, in which
case it is not makruh, because a person's habit
carries some weight." [Kashshaf al-Qina' , part
2, Bab Sawm al-Tatawwu' ]

What Should be Done if there is Confusion
about the Beginning of the Month?

Ahmad said: "If there is confusion about the
beginning of the month, one should fast for
three days, to be sure of fasting on the ninth
and tenth days." [Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah,
part 3 – as-Siyam – Siyam 'Ashur']
If a person does not know when Muharram
began, and he wants to be sure of fasting on
the tenth, he should assume that Dhul-Hijjah
was thirty days – as is the usual rule – and
should fast on the ninth and tenth. Whoever
wants to be sure of fasting the ninth as well
should fast the eight, ninth and tenth (then if
Dhul-Hijjah was twenty-nine days, he can be
sure of having fasted Tasu'a' and 'Ashura' ).
But given that fasting on 'Ashura' is mustahabb
rather than wajib, people are not commanded
to look for the crescent of the new moon of
Muharram as they are to do in the case of
Ramadhan and Shawwal .

Fasting 'Ashura' – For What Does it Offer
Expiation?

Imam an-Nawawi ( may Allah have mercy on
him) said: "It expiates for all minor sins, i.e.,
it brings forgiveness of all sins except major
sins." Then he said ( may Allah have mercy on
him): "Fasting the day of 'Arafah expiates for
two years, and the day of 'Ashura' expiates for
one year. If when a person says 'Amin ' it
coincides with the 'Amin ' of the angels, he will
be forgiven all his previous sins … Each one of
the things that we have mentioned will bring
expiation. If there are minor sins for which
expiation is needed, expiation for them will be
accepted; if there are no minor sins or major
sins, good deeds will be added to his account
and he will be raised in status … If he had
committed major sins but no minor sins, we
hope that his major sins will be reduced." [Al-
Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab , part 6, Sawm
Yawm 'Arafah ]
Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (ay Allah have
mercy on himmay Allah have mercy on him)
said: " Taharah, salah , and fasting in Ramadhan ,
on the day of 'Arafah and on 'Ashura' expiate
for minor sins only." [Al-Fatawa al-Kubra , part
5]

Not Relying Too Much on the Reward for
Fasting

Some people who are deceived rely too much
on things like fasting on 'Ashura' or the day of
'Arafah, to the extent that some of them say,
"Fasting on 'Ashura' will expiate for the sins of
the whole year, and fasting on the day of
'Arafah will bring extra rewards." Ibn al-
Qayyim said: "This misguided person does not
know that fasting in Ramadhan and praying five
times a day are much more important than
fasting on the day of 'Arafah and 'Ashura' , and
that they expiate for the sins between one
Ramadhan and the next, or between one Friday
and the next, so long as one avoids major sins.
But they cannot expiate for minor sins unless
one also avoids major sins; when the two
things are put together, they have the strength
to expiate for minor sins. Among those
deceived people may be one who thinks that
his good deeds are more than his sins, because
he does not pay attention to his bad deeds or
check on his sins, but if he does a good deed
he remembers it and relies on it. This is like
the one who seeks Allah's forgiveness with his
tongue (i.e., by words only), and glorifies Allah
by saying "Subhanallah" one hundred times a
day, then he backbites about the Muslims and
slanders their honour, and speaks all day long
about things that are not pleasing to Allah.
This person is always thinking about the
virtues of his tasbihat (saying "Subhanallah "
and tahlilat (saying " La ilaha illallah " but he
pays no attention to what has been reported
concerning those who backbite, tell lies and
slander others, or commit other sins of the
tongue. They are completely deceived." [ Al-
Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah , part 31, Ghurur]

Fasting 'Ashura' When One Still has Days to
Make Up From Ramadhan
The fuqaha' differed concerning the ruling on
observing voluntary fasts before a person has
made up days that he or she did not fast in
Ramadhan . The Hanafis said that it is
permissible to observe voluntary fasts before
making up days from Ramadhan , and it is not
makruh to do so, because the missed days do
not have to be made up straight away. The
Malikis and Shafi'is said that it is permissible
but is makruh, because it means that one is
delaying something obligatory. Ad-Dusuqi said:
"It is makruh to observe a voluntary fast when
one still has to make up an obligatory fast,
such as a fast in fulfilment of a vow, or a
missed obligatory fast, or a fast done as an act
of expiation ( kafarah), whether the voluntary
fast which is being given priority over an
obligatory fast is something confirmed in
Shari'ah or not, such as 'Ashura' and the ninth
of Dhul-Hijjah , according to the most correct
opinion." The Hanbalis said that it is haram to
observe a voluntary fast before making up any
fasts missed in Ramadhan , and that a voluntary
fast in such cases does not count, even if there
is plenty of time to make up the obligatory
fast. So a person must give priority to the
obligatory fasts until he has made them up.
[Al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah , part 28, Sawm at-
Tatawwu' ]
Muslims must hasten to make up any missed
fasts after Ramadhan , so that they will be able
to fast 'Arafah and 'Ashura' without any
problem. If a person fasts 'Arafah and 'Ashura'
with the intention from the night before of
making up for a missed fast, this will be good
enough to make up what he has missed, for
the bounty of Allah is great.

[b]Innovations Common on 'Ashura'

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah ( may Allah have
mercy on him) was asked about the things that
people deople do on 'Ashura' , such as wearing
kohl , taking a bath ( ghusl), wearing henna,
shaking hands with one another, cooking grains
(hubub ), showing happiness and so on. Was
any of this reported from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a sahih
hadith , or not? If nothing to that effect was
reported in a sahih hadith , is doing these
things bid'ah , or not? Is there any basis for
what the other group do, such as grieving and
mourning, going without anything to drink,
eulogizing and wailing, reciting in a crazy
manner, and rending their garments?rments?
His reply was: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of
the Worlds. Nothing to that effect has been
reported in any sahih hadith from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or
from his Companions. None of the Imams of
the Muslims encouraged or recommended such
things, neither the four Imams, nor any others.
No reliable scholars have narrated anything
like this, neither from the Prophet ( peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), nor from the
Sahabah , nor from the Tabi'in; neither in any
sahih report or in a da'if (weak) report; neither
in the books of Sahih, nor in as-Sunan , nor in
the Musnads. No hadith of this nature was
known during the best centuries, but some of
the later narrators reported ahadith like the
one which says, 'Whoever puts kohl in his eyes
on the day of 'Ashura' will not suffer from eye
disease in that year, and whoever takes a bath
(does ghusl) on the day of 'Ashura' will not get
sick in that year,' and so on. They also
reported a fabricated hadith that is falsely
attributed to the Prophet ( peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him), which says, 'Whoever is
generous to his family on the day of 'Ashura' ,
Allah will be generous to him for the rest of
the year.' Reporting all of this from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) is tantamount to lying."
Then he [Ibn Taymiyyah ( may Allah have mercy
on him) ] discussed in brief the tribulations that
had occurred in the early days of this Ummah
and the killing of al-Husayn ( may Allah be
pleased with him), and what the various sects
had done because of this. Then he said:
"An ignorant, wrongful group – who were
either heretics and hypocrites, or
misguided and misled – made a show of
allegiance to him and the members of his
household, so they took the day of
'Ashura' as a day of mourning and
wailing, in which they openly displayed
the rituals of jahiliyyah such as slapping
their cheeks and rending their garments,
grieving in the manner of the
jahiliyyah ...…
"The Shaytan made this attractive to
those who are misled, so they took the
day of 'Ashura' as an occasion of
mourning, when they grieve and wail,
recite poems of grief and tell stories
filled with lies. Whatever truth there may
be in these stories serves no purpose
other than the renewal of their grief and
sectarian feeling, and the stirring up of
hatred and hostility among the Muslims,
which they do by cursing those who came
before them …
"The evil and harm that they do to the
Muslims cannot be enumerated by any
man, no matter how eloquent he is. Some
others – either Nasibis who oppose and
have enmity towards al-Husayn and his
family or ignorant people who try to
fight evil with evil, corruption with
corruption, lies with lies and bid'ah with
bid'ah – opposed them by fabricating
reports in favour of making the day of
'Ashura' a day of celebration, by wearing
kohl and henna , spending money on one's
children, cooking special dishes and
other things that are done on 'Eid and
special occasions. These people took the
day of 'Ashura' as a festival like 'Eid ,
whereas the others took it as a day of
mourning. Both are wrong, and both go
against the Sunnah , even though the
other group (those who take it as a day of
mourning) are worse in intention and
more ignorant and more plainly wrong …
"Neither the Prophet ( peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) nor his successors
(the khulafa' ar-rashidun ) did any of these
things on the day of 'Ashura', they
neither made it a day of mourning nor a
day of celebration …
"As for the other things, such as cooking
special dishes with or without grains, or
wearing new clothes, or spending money
on one's family, or buying the year's
supplies on that day, or doing special
acts of worship such as special prayers or
deliberately slaughtering an animal on
that day, or saving some of the meat of
the sacrifice to cook with grains, or
wearing kohl and henna, or taking a bath
(ghusl), or shaking hands with one
another, or visiting one another, or
visiting the mosques and shrines and so
on … all of this is reprehensible bid'ah
and is wrong. None of it has anything to
do with the Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) or the way of the Khulafa' ar-
Rashidun. It was not approved of by any
of the Imams of the Muslims, not Malik,
not ath-Thawri, not al-Layth ibn Sa'ad,
not Abu Hanifah, not al-Awza'i, not al-
Shafi'i, not Ahmad ibn Hanbal, not Ishaq
ibn Rahwayh, not any of the Imams and
scholars of the Muslims." [Al-Fatawa al-
Kubra by Ibn Taymiyyah]
Ibn al-Hajj (may Allah have mercy on him)
mentioned that one of the bid'ah on 'Ashura'
was deliberately paying zakat on this day, late
or early, or slaughtering a chicken just for this
occasion, or – in the case of women – using
henna . [ Al-Madkhal , part 1, Yawm 'Ashura' ][/b]