The virtues of fasting on Aashooraa Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Aashooraa, and this month, meaning Ramadaan. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 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 Allaah be upon him) said: For fasting the day of Aashooraa, I hope that Allaah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before. (Reported by Muslim, 1976). This is from the bounty of Allaah towards us: for fasting one day He gives us expiation for the sins of a whole year. And Allaah is the Owner of Great Bounty. Which day is Aashooraa? Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Aashooraa and Taasooaa are two elongated names [the vowels are elongated] as is stated in books on the Arabic language. Our companions said: Aashooraa is the tenth day of Muharram and Taasooaa is the ninth day. This is our opinion, and that of the majority of scholars. This is the apparent meaning of the ahaadeeth and is what we understand from the general wording. It is also what is usually understood by scholars of the language. (al-Majmoo) Aashooraa is an Islamic name that was not known at the time of Jaahiliyyah. (Kashshaaf al-Qinaa, part 2, Sawm Muharram). Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Aashooraa is the tenth day of Muharram. This is the opinion of Saeed ibn al-Musayyib and al-Hasan. It was what was reported by Ibn Abbaas, who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to fast Aashooraa, the tenth day of Muharram. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said, a saheeh hasan hadeeth). It was reported that Ibn Abbaas said: The ninth, and reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast the ninth. (Reported by Muslim). Ataa 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 Ishaaq. It is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast Taasooaa with Aashooraa Abd-Allaah ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted on Aashooraa and commanded the Muslims to fast as well, they said, O Messenger of Allaah, it is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, If I live to see the next year, in sha Allaah, we will fast on the ninth day too. But it so happened that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed away before the next year came. (Reported by Muslim, 1916). Al-Shaafa'i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaaq and others said: It is mustahabb to fast on both the ninth and tenth days, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 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 Aashooraa, 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 Taasooaa Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars our companions and others mentioned several reasons why it is mustahabb to fast on Taasooaa: 1. the intention behind it is to be different from the Jews, who only venerate the tenth day. This opinion was reported from Ibn Abbaas 2. the intention is to add another days fast to Aashooraa. This is akin to the prohibition on fasting a Friday by itself, as was mentioned by al-Khattaabi and others. 3. 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 al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade imitating the People of the Book in many ahaadeeth, for example, his words concerning Aashooraa: If I live until the next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth day. (al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 6, Sadd al-Dharaai al-Mufdiyah ilal-Mahaarim ) Ibn Hajar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said in his commentary on the hadeeth If I live until the next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth day: 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 Aashooraa Shaykh al-Islam said: Fasting on the day of Aashoraa is an expiation for a year, and it is not makrooh to fast only that day (al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 5). In Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, it says: There is nothing wrong with fasting only on Aashooraa. (part 3, Baab Sawm al-Tatawwu). Fasting on Aashooraa even if it is a Saturday or a Friday Al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) allowed us to fast on Aashooraa 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 Allaah 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 makrooh (Mushkil al-Aathaar, part 2, Baab Sawm Yawm al-Sabt). The author of al-Minhaaj said: It is disliked (makrooh) to fast on a Friday alone But it is no longer makrooh if you add another day to it, as mentioned in the saheeh 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 saheeh report. Al-Shaarih said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj: 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 shareeah, such as Aashooraa or Arafaah. (Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, part 3, Baab Sawm al-Tatawwu) Al-Bahooti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is makrooh to deliberately single out a Saturday for fasting, because of the hadeeth of Abd-Allaah 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 isnaad and by al-Haakim, who said: according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari), 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 Arafaah or the day of Aashooraa, and a person has the habit of fasting on these days, in which case it is not makrooh, because a persons habit carries some weight. (Kashshaaf al-Qinaa, part 2, Baab 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 Qudaamah, part 3 al-Siyaam Siyaam Aashooraa). If a person does not know when Muharram began, and he wants to be sure of fasting on the tenth, he should assume that Dhool-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 Dhool-Hijjah was twenty-nine days, he can be sure of having fasted Taasooaa and Aashooraa). But given that fasting on Aashooraa is mustahabb rather than waajib, people are not commanded to look for the crescent of the new moon of Muharram as they are to do in the case of Ramadaan and Shawwaal. Fasting Aashooraa for what does it offer expiation? Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah 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 Allaah have mercy on him): Fasting the day of Arafaah expiates for two years, and the day of Aashooraa expiates for one year. If when a person says Aameen it coincides with the Aameen 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-Majmoo Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, part 6, Sawm Yawm Arafaah). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Tahaarah, salaah, and fasting in Ramadaan, on the day of Arafaah and on Aashooraa expiate for minor sins only. (al-Fataawa 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 Aashooraa or the day of Arafaah, to the extent that some of them say, Fasting on Aashooraa 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 Aashooraa, 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. 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 Allaahs forgiveness with his tongue (i.e., by words only), and glorifies Allaah by saying Subhaan Allaah 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 Allaah. This person is always thinking about the virtues of his tasbeehaat (saying Subhaan Allaah) and tahleelaat (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) 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-Mawsooah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 31, Ghuroor). Fasting Aashooraa when one still has days to make up from Ramadaan The fuqahaa differed concerning the ruling on observing voluntary fasts before a person has made up days that he or she did not fast in Ramadaan. The Hanafis said that it is permissible to observe voluntary fasts before making up days from Ramadaan, and it is not makrooh to do so, because the missed days do not have to be made up straight away. The Maalikis and Shaafais said that it is permissible but is makrooh, because it means that one is delaying something obligatory. Al-Dusooqi said: It is makrooh 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 (kafaarah), whether the voluntary fast which is being given priority over an obligatory fast is something confirmed in shareeah or not, such as Aashooraa and the ninth of Dhool-Hijjah, according to the most correct opinion. The Hanbalis said that it is haraam to observe a voluntary fast before making up any fasts missed in Ramadaan, 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-Mawsooah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 28, Sawm al-tatawwu). Muslims must hasten to make up any missed fasts after Ramadaan, so that they will be able to fast Arafaah and Aashooraa without any problem. If a person fasts Arafaah and Aashooraa 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 Allaah is great.
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
