Fasting Ashura and the Month of Muharram

The Month of Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar and one of the four sacred months (al-Ashhur al-Hurum). Allah (SWT) says: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve lunar months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred" (9:36). The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in the month of Allah, Muharram" (Muslim). This hadith gives the entire month of Muharram an elevated status, making voluntary fasting throughout it especially praiseworthy.

The Day of Ashura: Historical Significance

Ashura falls on the 10th of Muharram. When the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Madinah and found the Jews fasting on this day, he asked about it. They said: "This is a great day. Allah saved Musa (Moses, AS) and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted on this day in gratitude, so we fast." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "We have more right to Musa than you," and he fasted that day and commanded the companions to fast (Bukhari and Muslim). This narration establishes that Ashura commemorates the deliverance of the Children of Israel, shared as a prophetic memory across the Abrahamic tradition.

The Virtue of Fasting Ashura

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Fasting the day of Ashura — I hope that Allah will expiate thereby the sins of the year before" (Muslim). This is one of the strongest statements of forgiveness attached to any single day of voluntary fasting in the Islamic calendar. The scholars note that this expiation applies to minor sins, not to major sins, which require sincere repentance (tawbah). Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that he had never seen the Prophet (PBUH) seek out a day for fasting and giving it precedence over others as he did for Ashura and Ramadan (Bukhari).

Adding the 9th: Tasu'a

In the last year of his life, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "If I am alive next year, I will certainly fast the 9th [of Muharram] as well" (Muslim). He died before the following Muharram, but this statement is taken by scholars as an intention (niyyah) that carries legislative weight. The wisdom behind fasting the 9th along with the 10th is to differentiate Islamic practice from that of the Jews and Christians who also venerated the 10th. Fasting the 11th instead of or in addition to the 9th is a minority position among scholars. The predominant Sunnah is to fast the 9th and 10th together.

The Four Sacred Months

The four sacred months — Dhul Qi'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab — are periods in which fighting was prohibited in pre-Islamic Arabia and which Islam reaffirmed as sacred. Allah says that wrongdoing in these months carries greater weight. The scholars have derived from this that voluntary acts of worship, including fasting, carry heightened reward during these months. The Prophet's (PBUH) specific identification of Muharram as the best month for voluntary fasting after Ramadan underscores this elevated status.

Common Misunderstandings About Muharram

It is important to note that Islam does not prescribe any rituals of mourning, lamentation, or self-flagellation in Muharram. These practices, observed by some communities, have no basis in the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) or the practice of his companions. The Sunnah of Muharram is fasting — specifically on the 9th and 10th — along with increased remembrance of Allah and voluntary worship. The martyrdom of al-Husayn ibn Ali (RA) occurred in Muharram 61 AH, long after the Prophet's (PBUH) death, and has no bearing on the established worship practices of the month.

Practical Observance

A Muslim wishing to observe the Sunnah of Muharram should identify the 9th and 10th of Muharram on the lunar calendar and fast both days. If only one day is possible, the 10th is the established Sunnah. Beyond fasting, the month is an opportunity for voluntary prayers, Quran recitation, charity, and dhikr. Given the Prophet's (PBUH) statement that Muharram is the best voluntary fasting month, some scholars encourage fasting as many days as possible throughout the month, not just Ashura.