The Fast of Ashura

Fasting on the day of Ashura, the tenth day in the month of Muharram, is a Sunnah of the Prophet. When he arrived in Madinah, he noticed the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura and he asked them about their practice. The Jews answered him that Prophet Musa and his people, the Children of Israel (Yakub), were saved by Allah on this day. Musa would fast in remembrance of that moment and they followed Musa in his footsteps and fast as well. The Prophet of Allah replied “I am closer to Musa than you” (Bukhari, Sawm, 69; Muslim, Sawm, 128) and commanded his people to fast the day of Ashura. When the obligation of the Ramadan fast was revealed, the Prophet continued to fast the Ashura as a nafilah (supererogatory) act of worship. “The most virtuous fast after Ramadan is the fast in Muharram, the month of Allah... ” (Muslim, Sawm, 202) he said. However, the Prophet advised the Muslims to fast an extra day along with Ashura, either the ninth or the eleventh day of the month, as to not resemble the Jews in their religious rituals. (Ibn Hanbal, I, 240)