Al-Madinah Academy

Fasting the Day of ʽĀshūrā’

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Background:

The day of ʽĀshūrā’ is the tenth day of the month of Muḥarram.  ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās (رضي الله عنه) narrates that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to the city of Al-Madīnah, he found that the Jews in the city were fasting the day of ʽĀshūrā’, and so they were asked about it.  They (the Jews) replied, “[This is a great day].  This is the day in which Allāh saved Mūsā (Moses) and the children of Israel from [their enemy] Pharaoh.  So we fast it out of gratitude to Him.”

The Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “We have more of a right to Mūsā than you.”  And he commanded that it be fasted.¹

The above narration gives us a historical background as to why the Jews revered this day, but it is incorrect to assume that it was only fasted by the Jews and then the Muslims when they came to the city of Al-Madīnah.  ʽĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) narrates:

كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ تَصُومُهُ قُرَيْشٌ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُهُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ صَامَهُ، وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ...

“The day of ʽĀshūrā’ was fasted by Quraysh during the time of Jāhiliyyah (before Prophethood), and the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to fast it (as well).  And then when he came to the city of Al-Madīnah, he fasted it and ordered (the people) to fast it (too)…”²

Fasting the Day of ʽĀshūrā’:

The command to fast the day of ʽĀshūrā’ in the above narrations was before the month of Ramadhān was made obligatory for the people to fast.³ Once it was made obligatory to fast the month of Ramadhān, then the day of ʽĀshūrā’ became a choice amongst the people.  In continuing the narration of ‘Ā’ishah (رضي الله عنها), she said:

...فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ تَرَكَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

“…and then when Ramadhān was made obligatory, he left the day of ʽĀshūrā’ (meaning he no longer made it obligatory), so whoever desired fasted it, and who desired left it (meaning did not fast).”⁴

And in another narration, ‘Ā’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُفْطِرْهُ

“Whoever desires, then let him fast it, and whoever desires, then let him not fast it.” ⁵ 

And in a narration from ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽUmar (رضي الله عنه), he narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say with regards to the day of ʽĀshūrā’:

إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمٌ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ

“This is a day that was fasted by the people of Jāhiliyyah, so whoever likes to fast it, let him fast it, and whoever likes to leave it (meaning not fast it), then let him leave it.” ⁶

Imām An-Nawawī(رحمة الله عليه) said, “There is agreement amongst the scholars that fasting the day of ʽĀshūrā’ is a Sunnah (a recommended act of worship) and not Wājib (obligatory).”⁷Therefore, it is not an obligation to fast the tenth day of Muḥarram, and one can choose between fasting it, and not.

Knowing this, however, it would also be prudent to point out that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was very keen on fasting it – despite it no longer being an obligation.  ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه) narrates:

مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَحَرَّى صِيَامَ يَوْمٍ فَضَّلَهُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ، إِلَّا هَذَا الْيَوْمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وَهَذَا الشَّهْرَ يَعْنِي شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ

“I never saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) more keen to fast a day that was more preferable to him than other (days), than this day, the day of ʽĀshūrā’, and this month – meaning the month of Ramadhān” ⁸

The Virtue and Benefit of Fasting the Day of ʽĀshūrā’:

Abū Qatādah Al-Ansārī(رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

...وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ، أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ

“…and fasting the day of ʽĀshūrā’, I hope that Allāh will expiate by it (the minor sins) of the year before.”⁹

So fasting the day of ʽĀshūrā’ will expiate the minor sins a person has from the previous year, but not major sins.Imām An-Nawawī(رحمة الله عليه) said, “What is meant by this are the minor sins.” ¹⁰This virtue in itself should be sufficient as glad tidings for a believer with regards to the day of ʽĀshūrā’without the need to venerate it and fabricate virtues about it that cannot be established from the Qur’ān or the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).  One such narration is that attributed to Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) who said that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

مَنْ وَسَّعَ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَسَّعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ سَائِرَ سَنَتِهِ

“Whoever is generous to himself and to his family on the day of ʽĀshūrā’, Allāh will be generous to him for the remainder of the year.”¹¹

Although Al-Ḥāfiṭh Al-Bayhaqī (رحمة الله عليه)accepted that this narration was weak from all the various paths it was narrated from, he concluded that they strengthen one another to a level where it can be accepted.  Other scholars, however, disagreed.  Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمة الله عليه) said that this narration was a lie against the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم),¹² Ibn Ḥajar Al-Aṣqalāni(رحمة الله عليه) said that it was an extremely atrocious narration,¹³ and Ibn Al-Jawzī(رحمة الله عليه) classed it as fabricated.¹⁴ Similarly, Shaykh Al-Albānī (رحمة الله عليه) went through all the chains in which Al-Bayhaqī narrated this from and showed how the weaknesses in them were so severe that they could not be relied upon to strengthen one another.¹⁵

Another such fabricated narration is the following:

مَنِ اكْتَحَلَ بالإِثْمَدِ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ لَمْ يَرْمَدْ أَبَدًا

“Whoever applies Kuḥlwith Iṫhmid(a stone used to produce Kuḥl) on the day of ʽĀshūrā’ will never have a sore eye ever.” ¹⁶

Or:

مَنِ اغْتَسَلَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ لَمْ يَمْرَضْ مَرَضًا إِلا مَرَضَ الْمَوْتِ

“Whoever performs Ghusl on the day of ʽĀshūrā’ will never become sick, except by the sickness of death.”¹⁷

As for other acts of worship other than fasting, which people single out to do on this day, then evidence is required from the Qur’ān or the Sunnah otherwise it is a rejected innovation.  And this goes the same for other celebratory or remorseful acts some people do on this day.  Shaykh Al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمة الله عليه) said:

As for other matters, such as cooking meals that are not customary, either with grains or without grains, or wearing new clothes, or being more generous in spending, or buying supplies that are specific for that day, or doing special acts of worship such as a special prayer, or deliberately slaughtering an animal (for that day), or saving some of the meat of the sacrifice to cook with grains, or wearing Kuḥland Ḥennah, or taking a bath (Ghusl), or shaking hands (in congratulating one another for this day), or visiting (one another because of this day), or visiting the mosques and shrines, and so on… all of these are reprehensible Bidʽahs(innovations) that are not found in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), nor with the rightly guided Caliphs, nor was it liked by any of the Imāms of Muslims like Mālik, or Ath-Thawrī, or Layth Ibn Saʽd, nor Abū Ḥanīfah, or Al-Awzāʽī, or Ash-Shāfiʽī, or Aḥmed Ibn Ḥambalor Isḥāq Ibn Rāhwayh, or others like these Imāms of the Muslims - even though some of the later scholars who followed them used to command in doing these based on some narrations and remnants saying that some of this is authentic, but they are in error and are wrong without a doubt according to the people of knowledge and those who know the truth of matters.¹⁸

The Recommendation of Fasting Tāsūʽā’ with ʽĀshūrā’:

For the one who intends to fast the day of ʽĀshūrā’, it is also highly recommended to fast the day before – Tāsūʽā’ – the ninth day of Muḥarram.  The main wisdom behind fasting the ninth day as well as the tenth is to be different than the Jews who used to only fast the tenth day.  ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه) narrated that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) fasted the day of ʽĀshūrā’ and commanded that it be fasted, the people said to him, “O Messenger of Allāh!  This is a day that the Jews and Christians revere.”  So the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied:

فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ

“If it is the next year, by the Will of Allāh, we will fast the ninth day.”

Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه) continued and said, “(But) the next year did not come except that the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had passed away.” ¹⁹The command to fast the ninth day specifically to be different than the Jews is a weak narration in Marfuʽ form – meaning in a form that is elevated to be from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم):

صُومُوا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وَخَالِفُوا فِيهِ الْيَهُودَ، صُومُوا قَبْلَهُ يَوْمًا، أَوْ بَعْدَهُ يَوْمًا

“Fast the day of ʽĀshūrā’ and be different than the Jews.  Fast the day before it or the day after it.” ²⁰

The above narration, however, does appear to be an authentic statement of ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه), but not the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).  ²⁰

In another narration, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) indicated that he had wanted to fast the ninth day just in case for some reason he would not be able to fast the tenth day (like missing it because of the moon sighting at the beginning of the month, or because of sickness, or even death).  ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

إِنْ عِشْتُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِلَى قَابِلٍ صُمْتُ التَّاسِعَ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَفُوتَنِي يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ

“If I live, by the Will of Allāh, until the next year, I will fast the ninth day out of fear of missing the day of ʽĀshūrā’.” ²¹

Based on these narrations then, it is preferred for the one who intends to fast the day of ʽĀshūrā’ to fast the day before it.  At-Tirmiṫhī (رحمة الله عليه) said that this was the opinion of Ash-Shāfiʽī, Aḥmed, Isḥāq, and others. ²² Some scholars disliked fasting the tenth day without the ninth, while others scholars said it was not disliked, but the one who does not fast it loses out on the reward of being different from the Jews.²³ And Allāh knows best.

Fasting the Month of Muḥarramin General:

With regards to the rest of the month of Muḥarram, other than the ninth and tenth day, then Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say:

أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ

“The best fast after Ramadhān is the month of Allāh, Muḥarram.” ²⁴

Imām An-Nawawī(رحمة الله عليه) states, this statement is clear in that the best fast after the month of Ramadhān is the fast during the month of Muḥarram.²⁵Soif a person wanted to fast additional days during this sacred month, because of this month and the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), then it is recommended to do so.

 

Ḥārith Al-Shiraida

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1. 1. Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī #3942 and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1130; the wording is taken fromṢaḥīḥ Muslim and what is between brackets is from Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī.
2. 2. Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī #2002 and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1125; the wording is taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī.
3. 3. The scholars differed as to whether this command was indeed an obligation or simply recommended.  Imām Ash-Shāfiʽī had two opinions on this, one that it was and one that it wasn’t; the more famous of the two opinions is that it wasn’t, and this was also the opinion of the Mālikīs.Imām Abū Ḥanīfah was of the opinion that it was indeed an obligation, and this was the opinion of Imām Aḥmed(See Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Bi Sharḥ An-Nawawī 4/460, and Al-Mughnī4/422).And Allāh knows best.
4. 4. Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī #2002
5. 5. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1125
6. 6. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim#1126
7. 7. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Bi Sharḥ An-Nawawī 4/460.
8. 8. Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī #2006 and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1132; the wording is taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī.
9. 9. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim#1162

10. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Bi Sharḥ An-Nawawī 4/500

11. Al-Jāmiʽ Li Shuʽab Al-Īmān 5/331-333

12. Majmūʽ Al-Fatāwā25/300

13. Lisān Al-Mīzān6/338

14. Kitāb Al-Mawdhū’āt Min-al-Aḥādīth Al-Marfūʽāt2/572

15. Silsilat Al-Aḥādīth Adh-Dhaʽīfah14/738-743

16. Attributed to ‘Abd-ul-Lāh Ibn ʽAbbās(رضي الله عنه) and classed as fabricated by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā25/300and by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Silsilat Al-Aḥādīth Adh-Dhaʽīfah #624.

17. Attributed to Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) and classed as fabricated by Ibn Al-Jawzī in Kitāb Al-Mawdhūʽāt Min-al-Aḥādīth Al-Marfūʽāt2/568 and by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmūʽ Al-Fatāwā25/300.

18. Majmūʽ Al-Fatāwā25/312-313

19. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1134

20. Narrated by Al-Bayhaqī in As-Sunan Al-Kubrā#8406 and was classed as Dha’īf (weak) by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Jilbāb Al-Mar’at-il-Muslimah177.  It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah and classed as Dha’īf by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah#2095.And it was narrated by Aḥmed in his Musnad#2154 and was classed as Dha’īf (weak) by Shaykh Shuʽayb Al-Arna’ūṭ.

It does however come with an authentic chain attributed to Ibn ʽAbbās alone (in Mawqūfform) and not attributed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).  This was narrated by ‘Abdur-Razzāq in his Musannafand was classed as having a Ṣaḥīḥ Isnād by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Jilbāb Al-Mar’at-il-Muslimah177.  See also the comments of Shaykh Shuʽayb Al-Arna’ūṭ in Musnad Aḥmed#2154.

21. Narrated by Aṭ-Ṭabarānī in Al-Muʽjam Al-Kabīr, and classed as having a Ṣaḥīḥ Isnād by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Silsilat Al-Aḥādīth As-Ṣaḥīḥah #350.

22. Sunan At-Tirmithī#755

23. Ash-Sharḥ Al-MumtiʽʽAlāZād Al-Mustaqniʽ 6/468-467

24. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim #1163

25. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Bi Sharh An-Nawawī 4/503