There are a series of contradicting reports documented about the legislation of the Ashura fast (i.e. on the tenth day of the month of Muharram) in the Sunni books of Hadith. However, when going through the available reports about the Ashura fast and analyzing them critically, one may classify those reports into the following four categories:
Category One:
Reports such as that of the Mother of the Faithful, Aisha which say that the Ashura fast was a Pre-Islamic (i.e. Jahiliyyah) practice and it used to be observed by the Qurayshi pagans in Mecca and the Holy Prophet used to observe it then. However, when he migrated to Medina, he also observed it and he instructed other Muslims to do so. Thereafter, it became optional after the institutionalization of the Ramadan fast. In light of this report, Ashura fast is a Pre-Islamic practice among the Meccan pagans.
عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ عَاشُورَاءُ يَوْمًا تَصُومُهُ قُرَيْشٌ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُهُ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ صَامَهُ وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ بِصِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ كَانَ رَمَضَانُ هُوَ الْفَرِيضَةَ وَتَرَكَ عَاشُورَاءَ، فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَ مَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ
“Ashura was a day that the Quraysh used to fast during Pre-Islamic Era (i.e., Jahiliyyah), and the Messenger of Allah used to fast it. But when (the fast of) Ramadan became obligatory, Ramadan was required and Ashura was left. So whoever wanted to, he fasted it, and whoever wanted to, he left it.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 30, Hadith 3, Chapter: Fasting is obligatory in (the month of) Ramadan; Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Book 8, Hadith 72 (Chapter: What has been related about the permission to not fast the day of Ashura)]
Category Two:
Reports such as that of Ibn Abbas which say that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his Household) found the Medinan Jews observing Ashura fasts in order to celebrate the day of the liberation of the Children of Israel (Bani Isra’il) from Pharaoh, then the Prophet commanded the Muslims to observe it, as the Muslims are more entitled to Musa than the Jews. Thus, Ashura fast -according to this report- is a Jewish innovation which was imitated by the Holy Prophet.
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُمَيْسٍ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ تَعُدُّهُ الْيَهُودُ عِيدًا، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ فَصُومُوهُ أَنْتُمْ “.
The day of ‘Ashura’ was considered a festival (i.e., `Id day) by the Jews. So the Prophet (PBUHH) ordered, “I recommend you (Muslims) to fast on this day.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 30, Hadith 110, Chapter: Observing fast on the day of ‘Ashura]
Also,
وَعَن ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: حِينَ صَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ يَوْمٌ يُعَظِّمُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ إِلَى قَابِلٍ لأصومن التَّاسِع» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
He said that when God’s Messenger fasted on the day of ‘Ashura and commanded that it should be observed as a fast, he was told it was a day held in honour by Jews and Christians, and said, “If I am spared till next year I shall fast on the ninth.” [Mishkat al-Masabih, Book 7 (Fasting), Chapter: Voluntary Fasting – Section 1, Hadith 84]
And,
وَحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، حَدَّثَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا غَطَفَانَ بْنَ طَرِيفٍ الْمُرِّيَّ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ – رضى الله عنهما – يَقُولُ حِينَ صَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ يَوْمٌ تُعَظِّمُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ – إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ – صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ “ . قَالَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that when the Messenger of Allah fasted on the day of ‘Ashura and commanded that it should be observed as a fast, they (his Companions) said to him: Messenger of Allah, it is a day which the Jews and Christians hold in high esteem. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said: When the next year comes, God willing, we would observe fast on the 9th But the Messenger of Allah died before the advent of the next year. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 13, Hadith 172, Chapter: Which day should be fasted for ‘Ashura?]
Category Three:
Reports such as that of Aisha which say that the Prophet used to observe the Ashura fast until the Ramadan fast was institutionalized. But it thereafter became an optional fast (i.e. a supererogatory fast). In other words, Ashura fast became an optional fast after the institutionalization of Ramadan
عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِصِيَامِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ، فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ كَانَ مَنْ شَاءَ صَامَ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَ
Allah’s Messenger ordered (the Muslims) to fast on the day of Ashura, and when fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed, it became optional for one to fast on that day (‘Ashura’) or not. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 30, Hadith 106 (Chapter on Ashura fasting)]
Category Four:
Reports such as that of Ibn Umar which say that the Prophet of Allah used to observe Ashura and commanded others to observe it until Ramadan was institutionalized, and then he dropped it completely. In other words, the Prophet -based on this report-never observe Ashura fast again after the institutionalization of Ramadan.
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ صَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَاشُورَاءَ، وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ. فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ تُرِكَ
The Prophet observed the fast on the 10th of Muharram (‘Ashura) and ordered (Muslims) to fast on that day, but when the fasting of the month of Ramadan was prescribed, the fasting of the ‘Ashura’ was abandoned. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 30, Hadith 2, Chapter: Fasting is obligatory in (the month of) Ramadan]
In light of the aforementioned categories of Hadiths, the following conclusion could be derived:
- Ashura fast was a pre-Islamic practice (i.e. Pagan) practice, which was adopted by the Prophet of Islam.
- Ashura fast was a Jewish practice, which was adopted by the Prophet of Islam.
- Ashura fast became optional after the institutionalization of Ramadan.
- Ashura fast was totally abandoned by the Prophet after the institutionalization of Ramadan fast.
Conclusion:
It is illogical to accept that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his Household) could adopt a pre-Islamic or Jewish practice without a divine commandment. Similarly, the institutionalization of the Ramadan fast was in the second year of Hijra, then, how come the Prophet noticed the Jews observing Ashura fast in the ninth year? And he could not notice them since his arrival in Medina. And above all, there was no Jew in Medina as of the ninth year of Hijra. In view of this, one may conclude that the reports on the Ashura fast are contradictory and fabricated by the Umayyad in order to cover their atrocity on this day. After all, there are several reports from the pure progeny of the Prophet which prohibit fasting on this day.
