Virtues of Allah’s sacred month of Muharram:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Chief of the Messengers, and upon all his family and companions.
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:
“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…” [at-Tawbah, v:36]
It was reported that Ibn Abbas said that this phrase (so wrong not yourselves therein…) 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.
The Virtue of observing more Naafil Fasts during Muharram:
Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘The best of fasting after Ramadaan is fasting Allah’s month of Muharram.’” [Muslim]
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
This hadeeth is probably meant to encourage increasing one’s fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.
Fasting on Aashora’:
Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “The Prophet (pbuh) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Aashora’.
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 Moosa fasted on this day.’
He said, ‘We have more right to Moosa than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded (the Muslims) to fast on that day.” [Bukhari]
Fasting on the day of Aashora’ was obligatory, but when fasting Ramadaan was made obligatory, the obligation to fast Aashora’ was lifted, i.e., it was no longer obligatory to fast on this day, but it is still desirable (mustahabb).
The virtues of fasting Aashora':
Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Aashora’, and this month, meaning Ramadaan.” [Bukhari]
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “For fasting the day of Aashora’, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.” [Muslim]
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.
Not relying too much on the reward for fasting it:
Some people who are deceived rely too much on things like fasting on Aashora’ or the day of Arafaah, to the extent that some of them say, “Fasting on Aashora’ will expiate for the sins of the whole year, and fasting on the day of Arafaah will bring extra rewards.”
Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadaan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the day of Arafaah and Aashora’, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadaan 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.
Which day is Aashora’?
Ibn Abbas said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded us to fast Aashora’, the tenth day of Muharram.” [At-Tirmidhi]
It is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast Taasoa’ with Aashora’:
Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fasted on Aashora’ 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 (pbuh) said, ‘If I live to see the next year, Insha’Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too.’ But it so happened that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) passed away before the next year came.” [Muslim]
Al-Shafa'i and his companions, Ahmad, Is-haaq and others said: “It is mustahabb to fast on both the ninth and tenth days, because the Prophet (pbuh) 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 Aashora’, the least of which is to fast only on the tenth and the best of which is to fast the ninth as well. And the more one fasts in Muharram, the better it is.
Biddahs common on Aashora’:
Some are wearing kohl, taking a bath (ghusl), wearing henna, shaking hands with one another, cooking grains (huboob), showing happiness….
They also reported a fabricated hadeeth that is falsely attributed to the Prophet (pbuh), which says, “Whoever is generous to his family on the day of Aashora’, Allah will be generous to him for the rest of the year.” Reporting all of this from the Prophet (pbuh) is tantamount to lying.’
Nothing to that effect has been reported in any saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (pbuh) or from his Companions. None of the imaams of the Muslims encouraged or recommended such things, neither the four imaams, nor any others. No reliable scholars have narrated anything like this, neither from the Prophet (pbuh) nor from the Sahaabah, nor from the Taabieen; neither in any saheeh report or in a Da'eef (weak) report.
We ask Allah to make us followers of the Sunnah of His Noble Prophet and may Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.
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
This hadeeth is probably meant to encourage increasing one’s fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.
Fasting on Aashora’:
Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “The Prophet (pbuh) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Aashora’.
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 Moosa fasted on this day.’
He said, ‘We have more right to Moosa than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded (the Muslims) to fast on that day.” [Bukhari]
Fasting on the day of Aashora’ was obligatory, but when fasting Ramadaan was made obligatory, the obligation to fast Aashora’ was lifted, i.e., it was no longer obligatory to fast on this day, but it is still desirable (mustahabb).
The virtues of fasting Aashora':
Ibn Abbas (ra) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Aashora’, and this month, meaning Ramadaan.” [Bukhari]
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “For fasting the day of Aashora’, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.” [Muslim]
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.
Not relying too much on the reward for fasting it:
Some people who are deceived rely too much on things like fasting on Aashora’ or the day of Arafaah, to the extent that some of them say, “Fasting on Aashora’ will expiate for the sins of the whole year, and fasting on the day of Arafaah will bring extra rewards.”
Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadaan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the day of Arafaah and Aashora’, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadaan 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.
Which day is Aashora’?
Ibn Abbas said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded us to fast Aashora’, the tenth day of Muharram.” [At-Tirmidhi]
It is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast Taasoa’ with Aashora’:
Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fasted on Aashora’ 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 (pbuh) said, ‘If I live to see the next year, Insha’Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too.’ But it so happened that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) passed away before the next year came.” [Muslim]
Al-Shafa'i and his companions, Ahmad, Is-haaq and others said: “It is mustahabb to fast on both the ninth and tenth days, because the Prophet (pbuh) 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 Aashora’, the least of which is to fast only on the tenth and the best of which is to fast the ninth as well. And the more one fasts in Muharram, the better it is.
Biddahs common on Aashora’:
Some are wearing kohl, taking a bath (ghusl), wearing henna, shaking hands with one another, cooking grains (huboob), showing happiness….
They also reported a fabricated hadeeth that is falsely attributed to the Prophet (pbuh), which says, “Whoever is generous to his family on the day of Aashora’, Allah will be generous to him for the rest of the year.” Reporting all of this from the Prophet (pbuh) is tantamount to lying.’
Nothing to that effect has been reported in any saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (pbuh) or from his Companions. None of the imaams of the Muslims encouraged or recommended such things, neither the four imaams, nor any others. No reliable scholars have narrated anything like this, neither from the Prophet (pbuh) nor from the Sahaabah, nor from the Taabieen; neither in any saheeh report or in a Da'eef (weak) report.
We ask Allah to make us followers of the Sunnah of His Noble Prophet and may Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.
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