Fasting the Day of `Aashooraa’
• `Aashooraa’ falls on the 10th day of Muharram, which is a greatly blessed day, and it will be on September 30, 2017 this year. Muharram is the first month of the Lunar Calendar.
• Fasting `Aashooraa’ has a great merit and an old recognized status due to its honor. It was known among the Prophets, mercy and peace upon them. Prophet Noah and Prophet Moses fasted this day.
• Fasting the day of `Aashooraa’ has been unanimously agreed by the Sunni `Ulamaa’ to be a great Sunnah deed.
• Ibn `Abbaas said:
مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَحَرَّى صِيَامَ يَوْمٍ فَضَّلَهُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ إِلا هَذَا الْيَوْمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَهَذَا الشَّهْرَ يَعْنِي شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ
I did not see the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, verifying the fasting of a day preferred over others except this day of `Aashooraa’ and this month, i.e., Ramadan. (Imamul Bukhariyy)
Events
• Many great events in the history of Islam happened on `Aashooraa’ and one learns important lessons by remembering these events. They remind us to work for the Hereafter by putting more good effort and encourage us to remain steadfast on the path of obedience and consistently follow Islam.
Some of the events that took place on `Aashooraa’ are:
• Allah accepted the repentance of Prophet Adam when he ate from the forbidden tree in Paradise. This was a minor sin without meanness.
• The Arc of Prophet Noah landed safely on the Mount of alJudiyy in Iraq after the Flood was over and Allah made Prophet Nooh him victorious.
• Allah saved Prophet Ibraheem from Nimrod, whilst Prophet Ibraheem was in Iraq.
• Prophet Yoosuf returned to his father Prophet Ya`qoob after all those years and after his jealous brothers threw him in the well and was later wrongfully imprisoned.
• Allah saved Prophet Moses and the People of Israel from the evil of Pharaoh and his army who drowned on that day.
• Allah granted forgiveness to his Prophet Daawood.
• Allah granted his Prophet Sulaymaan his dominion.
• Allah made Prophet Yoonus come out of the whale’s belly.
• Allah cured Prophet Ayyoob and lifted the calamity which inflicted him. Prophet Ayyoob was ill for 18 years. His illness was NOT one which made people repel from him. He did NOT place the worm on his body and say eat from the sustenance Allah has granted you, as some ignorant people claim.
• Imamul Husayn, son of Imam `Aliyy, was martyred on that day.
• The battle of Dhaatur Riqaa` took place on 10th of Muharram as well.