✨Virtue of Muharram and Ashura

All praise is due to Allah Who selects by His Mercy whom He wills and chooses from His creation what He wishes. There is no adjusting of His judgment and no turning away His decree. He is not asked about what He does and people will be asked. Glory be to Him, He has made in the alteration of the days and nights a lesson for the believers and in the succession of the days a sign for those who reflect.

Seasons of obedience hardly end until they are followed by others. And opportunities for goodness barely finish until others appear. And soon we will bid farewell to the Hijri year which was concluded with a sacred month containing a great rite- Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam. Likewise, we will greet the new year starting with a sacred month, the month of Muharram, the Sacred Month of Allah.

The month of Muharram is named the Month of Allah, while all months for Allah. The scholar Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the Prophet ﷺ named Muharram the Month of Allah, and attributing the month to Allah, the Mighty and the Sublime, indicates its honor and virtue. For Allah Almighty does not attribute to himself except the select of His creation. Just as He attributed Muhammad, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other prophets to His servitude. And He attributed to himself His house (the Kabaa) and His she-camel (sent to Thamud).

Muharram is from the sacred months and comes at the beginning of them. Al Hassan Al Basree said that Allah Almighty opened the year with a sacred month, that is Muharram and concluded the year with a sacred month that is Dhul Hijjah. And there is no month after Ramadan greater in the sight of Allah than Muharram.

And the sacred months are greater in the sight of Allah than other months. For this reason, He the Almighty prohibited wrongdoing in them. Allah said:
At Tawbah (9) 36: Indeed, the number of months with Allāh is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allāh [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion [i.e., way], so do not wrong yourselves during them.

Al Qurtubi said in his interpretation of the Quran that Allah selected the sacred months for mention and prohibited wrongdoing in them, even though it is prohibited at all times, in order honor them.

The sin in the sacred months is more grave than in other months. And the righteous deeds in the sacred months have a greater reward. Qatadah said that injustice during the sacred months is a greater sin than injustice in other months. And even though injustice in all months is grave, Allah magnifies from His matter as He wills.

According to Ibn Rajab and other scholars, it is among the best months after Ramadan. And it is recommended to fast during it. And the virtue of fasting in it comes after the virtue of fasting Ramadan. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the month of Allah, Al-Muharram, and the best prayer is prayer at night.[Muslim 1163b]

This hadith clearly states that Muharram is the best month for voluntary fasting. Al-Qurtubi said: the fasting of Muharram is the best fasting, because it is the beginning of the year and it is opened with fasting, which is the best of deeds.

And based on this hadith, the best deed that a Muslim can perform in the month of Muharram is fasting. So a Muslim should do a lot of voluntary fasting during it. And let us remember that fasting has virtues and great reward with Allah – the Mighty and Sublime. Sahl bin Sa’ad narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
In Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through which only those who fasted will enter on the Day of Resurrection. None else will enter through it. It will be called out, where are those who used to fast? So they will proceed towards it and no one will enter it except them. When the last of them will have entered, the gate will be closed and then no one will enter through it. [Bukhari 1896, Muslim 1152]

And Abu Saeed Al Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
There is no worshipper who fasts a day in the cause of Allah, but Allah, the most high, will separate (a distance of) seventy autumns (years) between his face and the fire in return for that day. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 2251]

And Umaamah Al Baahelee, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
Oh Messenger of Allah, tell me of something by which Allah will benefit me. He said: take to fasting, for there is nothing like it. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 2221]

Oh Muslims: Ashura is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. It is the day that Allah gave victory to the truth and the believers, Musa and his people, and defeated falsehood and the disbelievers, Pharaoh and his people. And this victory is still a matter of consideration and appreciation. So it is ordained for us to fast that day out of gratefulness that Allah inherits the earth and what is on it to His righteous servants. As Allah Almighty said:
An Nur (24) 55: Allāh has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them

And Allah said:
Al Anbya (21) 105: And We have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention that the land is inherited by My righteous servants.

Also, there is great reward and goodness in fasting this day. For it expiates the minor sins of the previous year and not the major sins. As for the major sins, they require repentance and determination to not return to them. Abu Qatadah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
And fasting the day of Ashura, I anticipate that Allah will forgive (the sins of) the year before it. [Sunan Ibn Majah 1738]

And the Prophet ﷺ was keen to fast the day of Ashura. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I never saw the Prophet ﷺ seeking to fast on a day that he favored more than another except this day, the day of Ashura, and this month, meaning the month of Ramadan.[Sahih al-Bukhari 2006]

The scholars have agreed that fasting the day of Ashura is recommended and not mandatory from what Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ fasted it and commanded fasting it until Ramadan was mandated. Then Ramadan was mandatory and Ashura was recommended.

Also, it is recommended to fast the ninth and tenth of Muharram. Ibn Abbas reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasted on the day of Ashura and commanded fasting, they (the companions) said to him:
Oh Messenger of Allah, it is a day revered by the Jews and Christians. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: when the next year comes, Allah willing, we will fast on the ninth (in addition to Ashura). He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺhad passed before the start of the next year. [Muslim 1134a]

Also, the Prophet ﷺ said:
If I live until next year, I will fast the ninth day (of Muharram).[Muslim 1134b]

Moreover, some scholars have recommended fasting the 9th, 10th and 11th. Ibn Taymiyyah cited in his book Iqtida Sirat Al Mutaqeem that the Imam Ahmad said: whoever aims to fast Ashura should fast the 9th and the 10th except if there is uncertainty about the months so he should fast three days (9th, 10th and 11th). And Ibn Sireen is of that opinion.

And Ibn Qayim in his book Zad Al Ma’ad indicated that there are three ranks of fasting Ashura. The first rank is to fast the 9th, 10th, and 11th and this is the best rank. And the second rank is to fast the 9th and the 10th. And the third rank is to fast only the 10th.

We ask Allah Almighty to help us in making the most of Muharram in performing righteous deeds and to distance us from the misdeeds. Indeed Allah is All Hearing Answering.

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