2015 10 23 Sheikh Khalil Abdul Rashid

The Day of Ashura: Fasting, Forgiveness, and Prophetic Tradition

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

May Allah shower all of the believers with His rahma and His mercy. To revive in our hearts, in our minds, in our homes, in our communities — the spirit and the practice of istighfar. Of asking Him for forgiveness and repentance.

For this time — the month of Muharram, and most particularly the day of Ashura — is a day of istighfar. And ghufran from Allah. Istighfar from us, ghufran from Allah ta'ala.

A Prophetic Eid

The day of Ashura is what we may call a prophetic Eid. It is historically the day when Adam (alayhi al-salam) received forgiveness from Allah. Adam (alayhi al-salam) made tawbah on the day of Arafat, at the place of Arafat. And Allah taught him what to say. And Adam (alayhi al-salam) repeated those words many times. And Allah ta'ala forgave Adam (alayhi al-salam) on the day of Ashura.

Nuh (alayhi al-salam) — when Allah ta'ala had punished the people of Nuh with the trial of the flood, and being on the boat was a trial and a test for the people of Nuh — it was on the day of Ashura that the boat struck land for the first time. The people of Nuh and Nuh (alayhi al-salam) witnessed and received grace and rahma from Allah on that day.

It was in the belly of the whale where one of the great prophets of Allah, Yunus (alayhi al-salam), cried out over and over and over again — dhikr, in remembrance and repentance to Allah. And he acknowledged that he was amongst the wrongdoers:

And he repeated that over and over again. And Allah ta'ala mentions that had he not been amongst those who did constant tasbih to Allah, he would have remained in the belly of the whale until the day of resurrection. And Allah released Yunus from that prison on the day of Ashura.

It was on the day of Ashura when Fir'awn was chasing Bani Israel and Musa (alayhi al-salam), and they witnessed the parting of the sea. And Musa (alayhi al-salam) led his people across the sea. And Fir'awn attempted to follow Musa (alayhi al-salam) with an army. And they were swallowed up and drowned on that day. Bani Israel was saved. On that day, Musa (alayhi al-salam) witnessed the grace and the rahma of Allah.

The day of Ashura is a day that is azeem — a magnanimous day. But few of us understand its significance.

The Prophet's Knowledge of Ashura

When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) told his community about that blessed day, he was already familiar with the day of Ashura. Because the Jahili Arabs — the Mushrik Quraysh of the Jahili times — celebrated and commemorated Ashura. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself, before receiving wahy from Jibril (alayhi al-salam), fasted on Ashura.

And Khattab relates to us — one of the great tabi'in — from Abdullah ibn Abbas (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anhuma) that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informed them — meaning the sahabah — that the day of Ashura was commemorated and it was an Eid and a day of fasting for the Jews and the Christians. And he commanded his followers to fast on the day of Ashura.

Was Fasting on Ashura Obligatory?

According to the Hanafi, the Shafi'i, and the majority of the ulema — the fasting on the day of Ashura was wajib, an obligation on the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). It was an obligation from the end of the Meccan period all the way through to the second year of the Medinan period — the year of the Battle of Badr. At that time, Ramadan had been made wajib:

Ramadan had just become wajib on the Muslims. And the moment Ramadan had become wajib, at that moment the fasting of Ashura became sunnah. The only khilaf — the only disagreement amongst the ulema in our tradition — is represented by a small group of ulema of the Shafi'i school, which says that it appears from the evidence that it was actually sunnah in the first place. So some of them say it was actually sunnah in the first place and it retained its status of being sunnah muakkadah after Ramadan. But the majority of the ulema say it was fard, it was wajib, it was an obligation before Ramadan. And after Ramadan it was relegated to the status of a confirmed, superior, highly encouraged sunnah — what is called in Arabic and the shari'ah: sunnah muakkadah.

How to Fast Ashura

When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) migrated into Medina, he noticed the Jews taking Ashura as an Eid and as a day of fasting. And that's when he commanded his followers: Sumu yawma Ashura — fast the day of Ashura. And he said to fast it in a different way from the way the Jews fast it: fast one day before Ashura or one day after.

In the hadith it is wa, but the wa here means "or." Choose one: the day before Ashura — meaning the ninth of Muharram — or the day after Ashura — meaning the eleventh of Muharram. Because Ashura comes from the word 'ashara, which means ten. And Ashura is the tenth of Muharram. And so we are to distinguish our fasting from the way of the fasting of the community of Jews by adding a day — fasting a day before or after.

But the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself preferred to fast the day before. He preferred the ninth and the tenth. Although the tenth and the eleventh is ja'iz. There is no fasting of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh together — not all three. We choose two days, not three. And the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself said in another narration, when he realized that everyone was doing it on the tenth, he said: the following year I will do it on the ninth. He kept fasting on the ninth and the tenth. But fasting on the tenth and eleventh is ja'iz — permitted — because of the text of the hadith which says aw ba'dahu — "or after the day."

Generosity on Ashura

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) on the day of Ashura not only fasted but was very generous on that day, and he encouraged the giving of gifts. And therefore when we look at this day of Ashura historically, it is the only day that is an Eid for Muslims, Christians, and Jews combined — and we can even include the Jahili Quraysh. It is the only unified Eid for the Ahlul Kitab, for the people of the Abrahamic faith traditions. Ashura.

And that was attested to by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) from the authority of Ibn Abbas — who said that the Christians and the Jews and the Jahili Quraysh used to all take it as an Eid, and fast on that day, and give gifts on that day. Historically, it is a universal Eid for all the monotheistic communities, going back to Ibrahim (alayhi al-salam), to honor and recognize and commemorate and celebrate the Rahmah of Allah — the Rahmah as it was given to Adam, as it was given to Nuh, as it was given to Yunus, as it was given to Musa (alayhi al-salam).

And we know from the texts of the ulema, from the writings of our scholars, that every single nabi — all of the anbiya — fasted on Ashura. All of them.

Even Creation Honors Ashura

And we are finding now from other texts — for example, from some of the Salaf — that one of them, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, who is regarded as the fifth of the rightly guided khulafa, said that some of the animals even fast on Ashura. He said: I used to put out food for the ants, and I would notice on Ashura — it was the only day they wouldn't touch the food. Azeem. Ajeeb.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali — one of the great Hanbali scholars, one of the great later muhaddithun — said: they say that the ants don't eat on Ashura. And there are even some birds that fast on Ashura. Some of the animal kingdom recognizes the greatness of that day. And as a pattern, following in the footsteps of the Anbiya, they too fast.

Ashura and Istighfar

I thought I would share some of the special texts, some of the special hadith on Ashura — for two reasons. One, so that we are all educated and we are all on the same level when it comes to understanding the beauty and the greatness of the time we are in now. Two, so that we may pass it on — we may share it with our family members, our loved ones, our friends — to make sure that we revive the tradition of fasting and gift giving at this time.

And included in that is istighfar. All of the ad'iya, all of the du'a of the Anbiya in the Quran where the Anbiya mention istighfar to Allah ta'ala and mention the words inni kuntu min al-zalimin — all of those du'as in the Quran were stated by the Anbiya on Ashura.

Ashura is the day where all of the Anbiya did a collective, universal repentance and tawbah to Allah. And therefore we, in the spirit of fasting, should also in the time of Ashura be people of istighfar.

And it is not a coincidence that Ashura is at the beginning of the year. So we enter the year with istighfar.

The Expiation of Ashura

There are two very beautiful hadith. One — Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned that the fast on the day of Arafah in Dhul Hijjah is a kaffarah for two years: it expiates the sins of the previous year and the sins of the upcoming year. Then Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said in another text — in Sahih Muslim, again related by Ibn Abbas — that the fasting on Yawm al-Ashura atones for the sins of one entire year — the previous year.

So we have in Arafah a day of fasting which can atone for two years of sin — the previous year and the upcoming year. But if you miss Arafah, you have Ashura to look forward to. Ashura atones for the sins of one year — the past year. A fast of one day. SubhanAllah. SubhanAllah. Profound opportunities given to us by Allah. He forgave the Anbiya, He released the Anbiya from being tested on the day of Ashura, and He opened up that same door of mahabbah and rahmah and rizq to us as well.

Hadith on Ashura from Sahih al-Bukhari

Let me share with you a few texts from Sahih al-Bukhari on Ashura. The chapter on fasting on Ashura — Babus siyam yawma Ashura.

First Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm, Hadith on Ashura)

Narrated Salama from his father: The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever wishes, fast on the day of Ashura." Meaning it is not an obligation, but a strong encouragement.

Second Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm)

Aisha (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anha) narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered the Muslims to fast on the day of Ashura. And when fasting in the month of Ramadan became fard, it became optional for someone to fast on Ashura or not.

Third Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm)

Aisha (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anha) narrated that the Quraysh used to fast on the day of Ashura in the Jahili pre-Islamic period, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to fast on that day also. When he came to Medina, he fasted on that day and ordered others to fast on that day — meaning Ashura. Later, when the fasting of the month of Ramadan was prescribed, he gave it up as an obligation — not he gave it up entirely. And it became optional for someone to fast, or for someone not to fast.

Fourth Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm)

Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anhuma) on the day of Ashura, during the day of his farewell hajj, addressed the people of Medina from the pulpit saying: "O people of Medina, where are your scholars? I heard the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying: 'This is the day of Ashura. Allah ta'ala has not made fasting fard on you, but I am fasting. You have the choice — to fast on this day or not to fast on this day.'"

Fifth Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm; Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Siyam)

Ibn Abbas (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anhuma) says: When the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to Medina, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He said: "What is this?" They said: "This is a good day for us. This is a day on which Allah saved the children of Israel from their enemy. So Moses fasted on it." He said: "I am more worthy of Moses than you." So the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fasted on that day and ordered the Muslims to fast on that day as well.

Sixth Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm)

Ibn Abbas (radiyaAllahu ta'ala 'anhuma) relates: "I never saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) desiring and seeking to fast on a day more beloved to him than the day of Ashura or the day of this month" — meaning Ramadan.

Seventh Hadith

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Sawm)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) ordered a man from the tribe of Banu Aslam to announce to his people in the morning that whoever had eaten should go ahead and fast for the rest of the day, and whoever had not yet eaten should continue their fast — because this day was the day of Ashura.

Conclusion: Reviving the Sunnah of Ashura

Brothers and sisters, that's the text — that's in Bukhari. Sahih Muslim has other texts as well. Tomorrow is the day of Ashura, insha'Allah ta'ala. Let us fast that day. You should be convinced. We should also understand the barakah and the merit of joining in a community of anbiya that honored that day — and historically, in the past, a community going back to the father Ibrahim (alayhi al-salam) that fasted that day — and historically in the present day, a community of the khalq and the creation of Allah ta'ala that fast on that day.

We should give gifts to our children, and when they say, "Baba, Mama, what is this for?" — explain to them: "This is a gift on this Eid, this Ashura day." And we use it as a moment to explain the merit of Ashura — that on this day we embrace, we recognize, we celebrate Allah ta'ala's forgiveness and mercy to the anbiya and to all of the creation as well. And we ask Allah to forgive us for what we have sinned in the past. And we ask Him to give us life to fast again in the next year.

As for those fasting today — the 9th of Muharram — you should continue your fast and fast tomorrow the 10th as well, insha'Allah ta'ala. Those that have not fasted today, or could not, make your niyyah for tomorrow — the 10th — and fast the day after, the 11th Sunday, as well. May Allah ta'ala accept our efforts.

Second Khutbah

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

I advise you with the taqwa of Allah. Allah said:

I believe after this salah we have a shahada — a new shahada from the sisters. I believe the sister is there with the microphone, so after the salam, insha'Allah, we will walk the sister through her shahada, insha'Allah.

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ