The Tenth of Muharram

The Day of `Ashura: The Tenth of Muharram




It is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he was asked about fasting the Day of `Ashura [10th of Muharram]. He said, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fast a day while more avid to seek its virtue than this day, meaning the Day of `Ashura. [Bukhari (2006), and Muslim (1132)].



The Day of `Ashura has great virtue, and tremendous sanctity (hurma). The virtue of fasting it was known among the Prophets (peace be upon them all). Both Prophet Nuh and Prophet Musa (peace be upon them both) fasted it.



The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to fast this day even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)]



When he migrated to Medina, and found the People of the Book fasting this day and venerating it, he ordered the Muslims to fast it, and encouraged it so much that even the children would fast it.



It has been reported in both Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), that, When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) reached Medina, he found the Jews fasting the Day of `Ashura, so he asked them, What is this day you are fasting? They said, This is a tremendous day. Allah saved Musa and his people on this day and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted it out of thanks, so we fast it too. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, And we are more deserving of Musa than you are. So he fasted this day, and ordered that it be fasted.� [Bukhari (2004) and Muslim (1130)]



At the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) made the determination not to fast this day alone, but with another day [f: either before or after it], in order to be different from the People of the Book.



It has been reported in the Sahih of Imam Muslim (Allah have mercy on him), also from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that, �When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fasted the Day of `Ashura� and ordered his companions to fast it, they said, �O Messenger of Allah! This is a day that the Jews and Christians venerate.� So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, �When next year comes � if Allah wills � we will fast the Ninth [of Muharram with it].� But the next year did not come before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) passed away.� [Muslim (1134), Abu Dawud (2445)]



And it is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (Allah have mercy on him), from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, Fast the Day of `Ashura and be different from the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it. [Ahmad]



Giving in Charity on the Day of `Ashura



It has been reported from Abd Allah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As (Allah be pleased with him), that �Whoever fasts `Ashura� it is as if he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity this day it is like the charity of an entire year.�



Mourning on the 10th of Muharram is an Innovation



As for the mourning and grieving of the Shiah on this day because of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with him and his father), this is of the actions of those whose actions in this life are misguided while they think that they are doing well. Neither Allah Most High nor His Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace) commanded us to mourn on the days of the tribulations of the Prophets, or their deaths, let alone anyone else.



[F: The fuqaha have mentioned that it is an innovation to consider Muharram a month of mourning. It is not disliked to marry in this month. It is a highly reprehensible innovation to participate in the rituals of the Shiah in mourning the death of Husayn (Allah be pleased with him).]



Some of the Virtues of the Day of `Ashura



It is a day in which Allah forgave an entire people. Tirmidhi relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to a man, �If you want to fast a month after Ramadan, then fast Muharram, for it has a day in which Allah forgave an entire people, and He turns to others in repentance in. [Tirmidhi (841)]



And Allah alone gives success.