Prophet SAW said that the virtue of fasting of Ashura served as forgiveness of the sins of the previous year or it expiated the sins committed in the previous year. In this respect, the Prophet (PBUH) said,” I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for [the sins committed in] the previous year”
(Sahih Muslim: 1162).
Ashura itself is literally derived from the Arabic word asharah, which means ten, as it is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. In this tenth day of Muharram, people were fasting of Ashura. This fasting was made obligatory in the first year after the Hijrah. Even, the fasting of Ashura was made obligatory before Ramadhan. Therefore, everybody has to fast in the first year, then, Allah revealed Ramadhan. Ramadhan became obligatory and the next year Muharram became recommended and not obligatory. Once again, fasting in the tenth of Muharram was obligatory in the first year of Islam from which all Moslem have to fast. In the second year, it went down, from being obligatory to being recommended, and strongly encouraged.
When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura, he asked them” Why are you fasting this day?” They said” This a great day. Allah has saved Musa (Moses) and his followers, as well as drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted it (in thanksgiving to Allah), so we fast on this day”. Listening to this, the Prophet (PBUH) then said,” We have more of a right to Musa than you”, then Prophet (PBUH) fasted on that day and ordered the Muslims to fast on that day (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 3943; Muslim: 1130).
In doing the fasting of Ashura, we can reflect on several hadeeth in conjunction with this. In the first place, we can do fasting on the tenth day of Muharram alone. We can refer this to the general meaning in the hadeeth on the virtues of fasting on the day of Ashura. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his book Tuhfat al-Muhtaj says, “There is nothing wrong with fasting only on Ashura” (Part 3, Chapter Sawm al-Tatawwu’). Secondly, we can do fasting on the ninth, the tenth and the eleventh of Muharram. Considering the narration of Abdullah ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet said, “Fast a day before it and a day after it (Al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan Al-Kubra: 8406). Thirdly, we can fast on the tenth and the eleventh of Muharram, as our Prophet (PBUH) said, “Be different from the Jews. Fast a day before it and a day after it “(Musnad Ahmad: 2154; Musnad Ibn Khuzaymah: 2095). Finally, we can also do fasting on ninth and the tenth of Muharram. This was what Prophet (PBUH) intended to do as he said,” If I live till next year, I will definitely observe fast on the ninth day (of Muharram) as well” (Sahih Muslim: 1134).
Considering those ways of doing the fasting of Ashura, those who could fast in the ninth, the tenth and the eleventh of Muharram that would be great. Those who are able do fasting on the tenth and the eleventh or the ninth of Muharram, which is also fascinating. When fasting for three or two days are unable to perform, at least we can do fasting one day, exactly in the day of Ashura. Which of way we intent to do it, and when we do it sincerely and properly, may Allah forgives and expiates our minor sins of the previous year.
One thing that we need to consider that the Prophet (PBUH) commanded the Muslims to be different from the Jews in taking action in the day of Ashura. The Jews took the day of Ashura as a festival. Narrated by Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, “The Jews used to take the day of Ashura as a festival” [according to a report narrated by Muslim: the Jews, who took it as a festival, venerated the day of Ashura. According to another report also narrated by Muslim: the people of Khaybar (the Jews) used to take it as a festival and their women would wear their jewellery and symbols on that day]. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “So you [Muslims] should fast on that day”. (Al-Bukhari). It is obvious that the motive for commanding the Muslims to fast on the day of Ashura was the desire to be different from the Jews, so that the Muslims would fast when the Jews did not, because people do not fast on a day of celebration.
Most importantly, as Muslims, we consider the tenth of Muharram is the day of Ibadah. We are conscious of Allah even more and we concourse to Allah through our action of worship and through the action of fasting. Especially for the month over all, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) encourages us to do extra good deeds, extra fasting, extra charity, as this is one of the sacred month. May Allah saves those who do their best effort to worship Him.
