Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatuh!
Question and Answer Details
Name of Questioner
Nura
- Egypt
Title
Significance of Fasting the Day of `Ashura'
Question
Dear sheikh, as-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa Barakatuh.
What is the significance of fasting on the Day of `Ashura', i.e., the
10th day of Muharram? Is it to remember the martyrdom of Imam Husain,
may Allah be pleased with him?
Date
20/Dec/2009
Name of Counsellor
Muzammil Siddiqi
TopicKinds of Fasting
Answer
Wa`alaykumAs-SalamuwaRahmatullahiwaBarakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His
Messenger.
Dear
sister, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place
in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and
render our work for His Sake. May Allah reward you abundantly for your
interest in knowing the teachings of your religion, Islam!
As a matter of
fact, the true Muslim always takes the advantage of the blessed
occasions and days of Islam. He spares no efforts in drawing himself
nearer to Allah. In doing so, he concerns himself with knowing the
virtuous days and occasions in Islam so as to follow his Prophet's suit
in all spheres of life.
Ibn `Abbas (may
Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I never saw Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) so keen to fast any day and give it
priority over any other than this day, the day of `Ashura', and this month,
meaning Ramadan." (Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1867) In another hadith we are told that
fasting the day of `Ashura' expiates the sins of the previous year as
theProphet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Fasting the day of `Ashura'
(is of great merits), I hope that Allah will accept it as anexpiation for (the
sins committed in) the previous year"(Muslim).
Focusing more on the question in point, Dr. MuzammilH. Siddiqi, former
President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:
Fasting the Day of `Ashura' is not to mourn the martyrdom of imamHusain (may
Allah be pleased with him). We deeply respect Imam Husain's martyrdom,we
honor his glorious act of sacrifice for the sake of Islam. He gave us a
great example of truth, courage and piety. But we also feel pain and
grief in our hearts for his assassination at the hand of some
hypocrites who took Islam as a pretext to commit their crime. They
fought and killed Allah's Messenger's beloved and blessed grandson and
his family. This was the most heinous and shameful crime that was
committed for the sake of political power. This tragic event took place
in the year 61 AH or 680 CE. However, the tradition of `Ashura' fasting is very
ancient and it goes back to a long time before imam Husian.
It is reported in the Sahih of Imam Al-Bukhari and other authentic collections
of hadith that
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions used
to fast on the 10th day of Muharram while they were in Makkah (before the
hijrah).
It was a day on which people of Makkah used to change the covering (kiswah) of
the Ka`bah. Quraysh also used to fast on this day. (Al-Bukhari, hadith 1489 and
1760)
After the hijrah when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to
Madinah, he found that the Jews of Madinah also
used to observe this day with fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) asked them the reason of their fasting on this day. They
said, "This is a blessed day. On this day Allah saved the Children of
Israel from their enemy (in Egypt) and so Prophet Musa fasted on this day
giving thanks to Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"We have more claim to Musa than you." He fasted on that day and commanded
Muslims to fast on this day. (Al-Bukhari, hadith 1865)
In another report it is mentioned that Jews of Madinah used to hold a feast on
this day. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions to
fast instead. (Al-Bukhari, hadith 1866)
`Ashura' fasting was obligatory (fard) in the beginning. In the second year of
hijrah (624
CE) when Allah's command came that Muslims should fast the whole month
of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then sent
someone to announce to people that fasting of `Ashura' had become voluntary
(nafl).
This indicates that whosoever wishes to fast, may fast and whosoever
does not want to fast, there will be no blame on him/her.
Imam At-Tirmidhi mentioned that ibn `Abbas(may
Allah be pleased with them both) used to say that we should fast on two
days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram to distinguish ourselves from the
Jewish community. (At-Tirmidhi)
Ibn`Abbasalso quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying,
"If I live next year, I shall also fast on the 9th day." (MusnadAhmad
ibnHanbal, hadith2002)
There is a great reward in fasting the day of `Ashura'. There are many hadiths
that mention its blessings and virtues. It is good to fast on this day,
although it is not obligatory.
Related Questions
-
Karbala': Lessons for the Muslim Ummah
-
Virtues of the Month of Muharram
-
Fasting the 9th and 10th of Muharram
-
Fasting the 9th & 10th of Muharram: Virtues & Rules
Source:
http://www.islamonline.net
Allah
Almighty knows best.
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