Read This Before You Regret

FASTING ON 9th AND 10th MUHARRAM

☞ In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA) that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on this day. The Prophet ﷺ asked, “Why do you fast on this day?” They replied, “This is a great day — on this day Allah saved the Children of Israel from Pharaoh, so Prophet Musa (AS) fasted on this day.” Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ said, “We have more right and a closer connection to Musa (AS) than you.”

Then the Prophet ﷺ himself fasted on that day and instructed his companions (RA) to fast as well.

In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that after the month of Ramadan, the best fasts are those in the month of Muharram, and after the obligatory prayers, the best prayer is the Tahajjud prayer.

During the blessed life of the Prophet ﷺ, whenever the day of Ashura came, he would fast. However, in the year before his passing, the Prophet ﷺ fasted on the day of Ashura and said:

“Both we and the Jews fast on this day, and this creates a slight resemblance between us and them. Therefore, if I live until next year, I will fast on the 9th of Muharram as well.”

But before the next Ashura arrived, the Prophet ﷺ passed away, and he could not act upon that intention. However, since he expressed this command, the Companions (RA) made it a practice to fast either on the 9th or the 11th of Muharram along with the 10th.

Thus, it became mustahabb (recommended) to combine another fast with Ashura, and fasting only on the 10th was regarded as makruh tanzihi (mildly disliked) or khilaf-e-awla (contrary to what is best).

☞ From this saying of the Prophet ﷺ, we learn that the Messenger of Allah did not like even the slightest resemblance with non-Muslims — even when that resemblance was in an act of worship, not in something unlawful. He disliked that Muslims perform the same worship on the same day as them.

Why? Because Allah has given Muslims a religion distinct and unique from all others. If the Prophet ﷺ disliked resemblance in acts of worship and piety, then how much worse would it be for Muslims to imitate non-Muslims in worldly or sinful acts — especially if done deliberately to look like them. Such imitation becomes a major sin (gunah-e-kabeera).