Regarding the matter of fasting on ῾Aāshūrā᾽, we say:

Firstly, several ḥadīths highlight the virtue of fasting on ῾Aāshūrā᾽, the tenth day of the month of Muḥarrām in the Islamic calendar:

1. The ḥadīth of ῾Aā᾽ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: “The Quraysh used to fast on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽ in the pre-Islamic period, and the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) used to fast on it too. When he migrated to Medina, he fasted on that day and ordered others to fast on it. Later, when the fasting of Ramaḍān was prescribed, he left the fasting of ῾Aāshūrā᾽. Thus, it was optional for one to fast on that day or not.”
2. The ḥadīth of ῾Abdullāh ibn ῾Umar (may Allāh be pleased with them both) in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: “The people of the pre-Islamic period used to fast on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, and the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fasted on it along with the Muslims before the fasting of Ramaḍān was prescribed. When Ramaḍān fasting was made obligatory, the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said: ‘῾Aāshūrā᾽is one of the days of Allāh. Those who wish to fast can do so, and those who wish not to, can leave it.'”
3. In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it is narrated from Ibn ῾Abbās: “When the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽. He asked: ‘What is this?’ They said: ‘This is a righteous day; it is the day when Allāh saved Mūsā and the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Mūsā fasted on this day.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘I am closer to Mūsā than you.’ So, he fasted on that day and ordered the Muslims to fast on it as well. In another narration: ‘So we fast on it to honor it.'”
4. In both Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, from the ḥadīth of Abī Mūsā al-᾽Ash῾arī: “The people of Khaybar used to fast on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, considering it a ῾Iīd (festival), and they would dress their women in their best clothes and jewelry. The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said: ‘So fast it yourselves.'”
5. Also, in the two Ṣaḥiḥs from the narration of ῾Ubaydullāh ibn Abī Yazīd, who heard Ibn ῾Abbās being asked about fasting on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, and he said: “I did not see the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fast on a day, seeking its virtue over other days, except this day (῾Aāshūrā᾽) and this month (Ramaḍān).”
6. In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, from the ḥadīth of Abī Qatādah al-᾽Anṣārī (may Allāh be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, I hope from Allāh, expiates for the sins of the previous year.”
7. Mālik in Al-Muwaṭṭa᾽ reported that ῾Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb sent to Al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām saying: “Tomorrow is the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, so fast and instruct your people to fast.”

Secondly, there are also several narrations that negate the recommendation of fasting on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, including:

1. What was narrated by Al-Bukhārī from ῾Abdullāh ibn ῾Umar (may Allāh be pleased with them both), who said: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fasted on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ and ordered its fasting, but when Ramaḍān was made obligatory, he left it.” ῾Abdullāh would only fast on it if it coincided with his regular fasting days.
2. What was narrated by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim: “That Al-᾽Ash῾ath ibn Qays entered upon ῾Abdullāh ibn Mas῾ūd while he was eating on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽. He said: ‘O Abū ῾Abd ar-Raḥmān, today is ῾Aāshūrā᾽!’ He replied: ‘It used to be fasted before Ramaḍān was revealed, but when Ramaḍān was revealed, it was abandoned. If you are fasting, then eat.'”

Thirdly, it is apparent that the ḥadīths regarding fasting on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ appear to have some contradictions, which some summarize as follows:

1. The timing of the command to fast on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ varies between narrations. Sometimes it is said to have been fasted in the pre-Islamic period, and other times it is said to have been fasted in Medina.
2. The reason for fasting on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ is also disputed. Sometimes it is stated to have been a revered day in the pre-Islamic period, possibly a remnant of the religion of Prophet ᾽Ismā῾īl. Other times, it is said to have been fasted in celebration of the salvation of Prophet Mūsā.
3. Some have been confused about the narration of Ibn ῾Abbās in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, which says: “When the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) fasted on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽ and ordered its fasting, they said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh, it is a day that the Jews and Christians honor.’ The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said: ‘If I live until the next year, I will fast on the ninth day.’ But the next year did not come until the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) passed away.” They argue that there is a contradiction in the start of fasting ῾Aāshūrā᾽. If it had been fasted immediately after his migration, it would not be correct to say that he did not live to the next year, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away in the tenth year of migration. He had ample time to add the ninth day to the fast. Additionally, some claim that fasting on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ is an act of the Nāṣibah, in support of the Umayyads and in celebration of the killing of Al-Ḥusayn ibn ῾Alī (may Allāh be pleased with them both).

I would like to mention the following:

First: We must understand that the narration of ḥadīth is different from the narration of the Qur᾽ān in several aspects, such as:

The narration of ḥadīth can be conveyed either verbatim or in meaning, whereas the narration of the Qur᾽ān is firmly established through verbatim transmission. In ḥadīth, the narrator has the right to change the words as long as the intended meaning is conveyed.

The narrations of ḥadīth can be complete or excerpted, while the narration of the Qur᾽ān must be complete for a single text (sūrah or ᾽aāyah). Some long ḥadīths may be narrated in parts by different companions due to reasons related to memory, reception, or context.

Additionally, we must recognize that some later companions, such as Abū Hurayrah and Ibn ῾Abbās, narrated from other companions, and their students narrated from them. They might have combined two narrations or incidents into a single context, relying on the apparent historical sequence or the ability to discern the matter.

Second: The ḥadīths concerning the fasting of ῾Aāshūrā᾽ are authentic. They are found in the collections of Ṣaḥīḥ and Sunan books and were narrated by a group of companions, both early and later ones. These ḥadīths also include the practices of the companions after the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) death. The apparent contradictions are due to the combination of narrations into a single context by later narrators.

Third: From the reconciliation between the ḥadīths, we understand the following:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast on ῾Aāshūrā᾽ following the religion of Prophet ῾Ibrāhīm, as did the people of pre-Islamic Arabia, who also revered this day. Fasting on this day was obligatory for the early Muslims until Ramaḍān was made obligatory.

When Ramaḍān was prescribed, the obligation of fasting ῾Aāshūrā᾽ was abrogated, as shown in the ḥadīths of Al-Bukhārī and Muslim, but it remained recommended until the Prophet’s death.

Regarding the Jews, it should not be understood from the narrations that the Prophet’s statements “So fast it yourselves” or “We are closer to Mūsā than you” were an initiation of the practice. Instead, these statements emphasized and added another reason for fasting, implying that Muslims would continue to fast on this day for the same reason, as they were closer to Mūsā than the Jews. Especially since the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to show kindness to the Jews, hoping they would embrace Islam. This is similar to the prayer towards Jerusalem before the qiblah was changed.

Regarding his statement “If I live until the next year,” this must have been in the ninth year and not immediately after the migration. Ibn ῾Abbās, being young at the time of the narration, might have combined the events in one narration, recounting what happened at the beginning of the Prophet’s migration and what occurred later in his life as a single story. As we mentioned, this is permissible in ḥadīth narration. Ibn Ḥajar states in Fatḥ al-Bārī: “᾽Aḥmad narrates from another way from Ibn ῾Abbās with a marfū῾ ᾽isnād (a chain of transmitters that reaches up to the Prophet (PBUH)): “Fast the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, and oppose the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it.” This was the final directive, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) initially liked to agree with the People of the Book in matters where there was no specific command, especially if it opposed the polytheists. But when Mecca was conquered and Islam became widespread, he preferred to oppose the People of the Book too, as established in the Ṣaḥīḥ book. Initially, he agreed with them and said: “We are closed to Mūsā than you,” then he preferred to oppose them by fasting an additional day before or after.”

Regarding the difference between the Arabic and Hebrew calendars, it is plausible that the Jews of the Arabian Peninsula, in Medina and Khaybar, used both the Arabic and Hebrew months. They might have celebrated the day that corresponded to the salvation of Mūsā in both the Arabic and Hebrew months to show gratitude and distinguish themselves before the Arabs, similar to how some groups now celebrate the Prophet’s birthday according to both the Hijrī and Gregorian calendars, believing that this shows greater love to the Prophet (PBUH).

Fourth: Some people attempt to link the fasting of ῾Aāshūrā᾽ with the martyrdom of the Master of Martyrs, our Master Al-Ḥusayn. This is incorrect for the following reasons:

Firstly, authenticated narrations indicate that the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) and the righteous companions fasted on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, which was many years before the martyrdom of Al-Ḥusayn. Thus, his martyrdom occurred later, not earlier.

Secondly, even if the Shiites doubt these narrations and claim they were fabricated by later generations, the fact remains that fasting carries the meaning of worship, not celebration. For instance, there is a relationship between the month of Ramaḍān and ῾Iīd, where fasting is prohibited on ῾Iīd. If the alleged group, as described by the Shiites, wanted to celebrate the martyrdom of Al-Ḥusayn, they would not fast; rather, they would make the day a third ῾Iīd for Muslims. They would have likely fabricated ḥadīths encouraging expressions of joy through feasting and dressing up, rather than promoting fasting, which signifies worship.

Not every day that coincides with a sorrowful historical event negates the significance of worship on that day. For example, if that were the case, we wouldn’t celebrate Friday as a weekly holiday, considering ῾Aādam was expelled from paradise on a Friday.

Based on this, I affirm that the evidence is sufficient to recommend fasting on the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽. As long as the Jews do not specifically honor this day according to the Arabic calendar, fasting on the tenth alone does not align with their practice, nor does it require fasting a day before or after. This opposes the Jewish tradition, according to the earlier interpretation presented.

If the intended meaning is that the Jews celebrate and fast on a specific day in celebration of the salvation of Mūsā, and we fast two days for the same reason, then we share the cause but differ in practice, achieving the desired distinction. Hence, adding the ninth or eleventh day remains recommended.

I also want to point out two additional matters:

1. Historical analysis shows that not all Jews celebrated the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽, but rather a specific group celebrated the salvation of Mūsā, and most Jews do not fast on this day.
2. The significant day that Jews now observe with fasting, prayer, and various rituals is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). This day is linked to certain historical events for Jews, such as Nebuchadnezzar’s entry into Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish temples, hence the day is called “Yom Kippurim,” meaning the Day of Atonements. This has no connection to the day of ῾Aāshūrā᾽.

Fatwa issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr