Alhamdulillah we have reached the month of Muharram, which is one of the four sacred months. We are very close to the day of ‘Ashura. Let’s all educate ourselves about the virtues of this blessed day.
عَاشُورَاء is derived from the Arabic word عشرة (‘Asharah’ – Number 10).
Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu Anhuma) reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered fasting on the day of ‘Ashura, the tenth of al-Muharram.
Al-Tirmidhi said, “It is reported from Ibn Abbas that he said to fast on the ninth and tenth of the month and to do so differently from the Jews, and this tradition is the same as was said by Al-Shafi’i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 755
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Tirmidhi
What makes the day of ‘Ashura very special?
‘Ashura is the day when Musa Alayhissalam and his people were saved from the army of fir’awn. There came a situation where Musa Alayhissalam and his people reached near the Red Sea and behind them were full of the army of fir’awn, the people of Musa Alayhissalam lost hope. But Musa Alayhissalam had a firm convinction in Allah.
كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينكَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِين
“Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me – He will guide me.” (Qur’an 26:62)
Allah parted the Red Sea and saved Musa Alayhissalam and his people and drowned Fir’awn and his army.
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās (radiy Allāhū ʿanhumā) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madīnah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Āshūrā’. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked them, “What is the (significance) of this day that you fast on it?” They replied, “This is a glorious day in which Allah saved Mūsā (ʿalayhis-salām) and his people, and He drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa Alayhissalam fasted on this day out of gratitude, so we also fast on it.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “I am closer to him (Mūsā) than you.” And so, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasted on this day and ordered the Muslims to fast. (Bukhārī 2004). Another narration in Musnad Aḥmad mentions that on this day, the Ark of Nūḥ (ʿalayhis-salām) settled on Mount Judi, so Nuḥ (ʿalayhis-salām) fasted out of gratitude. The Heightened emotion on the day of ‘Ashura is Gratitude.
Ibn Abbas (Radiyallahu Anhuma) reported:
“I have never seen Rasulullah ﷺ so eager to fast like he is for Ashura and prioritising it, besides Ramadan.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Abdullah ibn Abbas reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If I live until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth day of al-Muharram.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1134
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim
Rasulullah ﷺ intended to fast the 9th of Muharram on the upcoming year, to differentiate Muslims from the Jews. But He ﷺ passed away on the upcoming year.
Ibn Hajar said, “The fast of Ashura has three levels: the lowest is to fast one day, the next is to fast the ninth day along with it, and the next is to fast the ninth, tenth, and eleventh days. Allah knows best.”
Source: Fatḥ al-Bārī 1896
Appreciate and thank Allah always even during the days of hardship.
Surah Ibrahim verse 7:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ ٧
And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’”
Virtues of fasting on ‘Ashura:
All minor sins of the previous years will the forgiven. If one doesn’t have any minor or major sins, their rank will be raised.The temptation to commit major sins will be lessened.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1162
The reward of fasting during normal days:
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allah, Allah will move his face away from the Hellfire by a distance of seventy years.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2840, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1153
أَفْضَلُ الصِّيامِ، بَعْدَ رَمَضانَ، شَهْرُ اللهِ المُحَرَّمُ
“The best of fasts after the month of Ramadan is in the Month of Allah, which you call Muharram” (Sahih Muslim)
Muharram is known as “The month of Allah.”Don’t waste these days. Make the most out of this blessed day. Dedicate ourselves into the acts of worship and remembrance of Allah. Increase in Dua as much as possible. Dua is also an act of worship. Educate ourselves about our Deen. Allah rewards us for our intentions. The menstruating women should involve in all kinds of ‘Ibaadah except praying and fasting. The travelers should also try as much as possible to fast on ‘Ashura and reap the double reward. The People during the time of Rasulullah ﷺ also made their children to fast on ‘Ashura.
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent a messenger to the village of the Ansar in the morning of the day of ‘Ashura’ (10th of Muharram) to announce: ‘Whoever has eaten something should not eat but complete the fast, and whoever is observing the fast should complete it.’ “She further said, “Since then we used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and if any one of them cried for, he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast.” (Sahih Bukhari 1960)
Khalid b. Dhakwan reported:
I asked Rubayyi’ daugther of Mu’awwidh about fasting on the day of ‘Ashura. Thereupon she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent his messenger to the villages of the Ansar, and the rest of the hadith is the same (but with this variation that one of the Companions) said:” We used to make toys out of wool and took (them to the mosque) along with us. When they (the children) asked us for food, we gave them these toys to play with, and these made them forgetful till they completed their fast.” (Sahih Muslim 1136)
The significance of the day of ‘Ashura came to be known during the time of Jahiliyyah. It was a time in which the people of Makkah were under the oppression of the Quraysh and they were also not able to preach about Islam openly. While Madinah was free from oppression but the People who believed in the message of Islam were few in number.
When the order came from Rasulullah ﷺ to fast on the day of ‘Ashura, all the people of Makkah and Madinah fasted as a sign of gratitude and they were also firm in hoping for the victory from Allah with firm Yaqeen (certainty).
Do not get involved in Bid’ah (Innovation)!
Other historical events also took place on this day like Hussain (The grandson of Rasulullah ﷺ) was martyred on the day of ‘Ashura. Shia Muslims hurt themselves on this day due to this incident, which is a forbidden practice.
Always follow the path of Rasulullah ﷺ and not that of the ancestors. Today, most of the people follow unislamic bid’ah practices claiming that the ancestors did this.
Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “To proceed:
The best discourse is God’s Book, the best guidance is that given by Muhammad, and the worst things are those which are novelties. Every innovation is error.”
https://sunnah.com/mishkat:141
The man said, “O Abu Muḥammad, is Allāh going to punish me for praying?” Sa’īd said, “No, but He will punish you for contradicting the Sunnah.”
Al-Bayhaqī, As-Sunan Al-Kubraa 2:466.
Reflections
We are fasting on the day of ‘Ashura as a “sense of gratitude”, on account of the victory Allah bestowed upon Musa Alayhissalam and his people over the army of fir’awn. The people all over the world who are under oppression and also the people who might be in a state of losing hope out of devastation should have trust in Allah with firm Yaqeen like Musa Alayhissalam. Everyone of us should reflect upon this incident of how Allah made the impossible to be possible and granted victory. Victory is only from Allah. Although we might think of a situation to be impossible, Allah can make it possible. Nothing is impossible for Allah. Always have a firm conviction and Trust in Allah.
Surah Al- Inshirah Verse 5:
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So, surely with hardship comes ease.
“There will be a day of ease and also a day of hardship.
There will also be a day of victory and also a day of defeat.
There will also be a day of Badr and also a day of Uhud.”