فضل صيام عاشوراءThe virtue of fasting ‘Ashoora’

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to be very keen to make sure he fasted on the day of ‘Ashoora’ because of its great status. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I never saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so keen to make sure he fasted any day and preferring it over another except this day, the day of ‘Ashoora’, and this month – meaning Ramadaan. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1867.
What is meant by being keen to make sure he fasted it is so as to earn its reward.
Secondly:
With regard to the reason why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted on the day of ‘Ashoora’ and urged the people to do likewise is mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (1865) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora’. He said, “What is this?" They said, “This is a good day, this is the day when Allaah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moosa fasted on this day." He said, “We have closer to Moosa than you." So he fasted on this day and told the people to fast.
The words “this is a good day" – according to a version narrated by Muslim, “This is a great day when Allaah saved Moosa and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people."
The words “so Moosa fasted on this day" – Muslim added in his report: “In gratitude to Allaah, so that is we fast on this day."
According to another version narrated by al-Bukhaari, “So we fast it out of respect for it."
The words “and told the people to fast" – according to another version narrated by al-Bukhaari, “He said to his companions, ‘You are closer to Moosa than them, so fast this day."
Thirdly:
The expiation of sins that is achieved by fasting ‘Ashoora’ refers to minor sins; with regard to major sins, they need separate repentance.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Fasting the day of ‘Arafaah expiates for all minor sins, in othr words this brings forgiveness for all sins except for major sins.
Then he said:
Fasting the day of ‘Arafaah is an expiation for two years, and the day of ‘Ashoora is an expiation for one year, and if a person’s Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven… Each of the things mentioned may bring expiation. If he does something that expiates for minor sins he will be expiated, and if there are no minor or major sins, it will be recorded for him as good deeds and he will rise in status thereby… If there is one or more major sins and no minor sins, we hope that it will reduce his major sins. Al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, part 6.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The expiation of purification, prayer, and fasting Ramadaan, ‘Arafah and ‘Ashoora’ applies to minor sins only. Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 5

Al-Shaafa’i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaaq and others said: It is mustahabb [recommended] to fast both the ninth and the tenth, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted the tenth and intended to fast the ninth. Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted on the day of ‘Ashoora and told the people to fast, they said, “O Messenger of Allaah, this is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians." The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Next year, if Allaah wills, we will fast on the ninth day." But by the time the following year came, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had passed away.
Narrated by Muslim, 1916.
Based on this, there are different ways of fasting ‘Ashoora’, the least of which is to fast the tenth only, but it is better to fast the ninth as well. The more one fasts in Muharram, the better.
If one were to ask, what is the wisdom behind fasting the ninth as well as the tenth? The answer is:
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars among our companions and others said that there are several reasons for recommending fasting on the ninth day (Tasoo’a’):
1 – The intention behind it is to be different from the Jews who limit their fasting to the tenth day. This was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas.
2 – The intention was to join the fast of ‘Ashoora’ to another day, just as it is not allowed to fast on a Friday on its own [but it is allowed if one fasts the day before or the day after as well].
3 – The idea is to be on the safe side and make sure one is fasting on the tenth, in case the moon sighting was not accurate and what people think is the ninth is actually the tenth.
The strongest of these reasons is in order to be different from the People of the Book. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade resembling the People of the Book in many ahaadeeth. For example, he said concerning ‘Ashoora’: “If I live until next year I will certainly fast the ninth." Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 6.
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on the hadeeth “If I live until next year I will certainly fast the ninth": From Fath al-Baari, 4/245.


صيام يوم عاشوراء يكفر السنة الماضية لقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : " صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ " رواه مسلم 1162. وهذا من فضل الله علينا أن أعطانا بصيام يوم واحد تكفير ذنوب سنة كاملة والله ذو الفضل العظيم .
وقد كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يتحرى صيام يوم عاشوراء ؛ لما له من المكانة ، فعَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَحَرَّى صِيَامَ يَوْمٍ فَضَّلَهُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ إِلا هَذَا الْيَوْمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَهَذَا الشَّهْرَ يَعْنِي شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ . " رواه البخاري 1867
ومعنى " يتحرى " أي يقصد صومه لتحصيل ثوابه والرغبة فيه .
وأما سبب صوم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليوم عاشوراء وحث الناس على صومه فهو ما رواه البخاري (1865) عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَرَأَى الْيَهُودَ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا ؟ قَالُوا : هَذَا يَوْمٌ صَالِحٌ ، هَذَا يَوْمٌ نَجَّى اللَّهُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَصَامَهُ مُوسَى، قَالَ فَأَنَا أَحَقُّ بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ فَصَامَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ "
قوله : ( هذا يوم صالح ) في رواية مسلم " هذا يوم عظيم أنجى الله فيه موسى وقومه وغرّق فرعون وقومه " .
قوله : ( فصامه موسى ) زاد مسلم في روايته " شكراً لله تعالى فنحن نصومه " .
وفي رواية للبخاري " ونحن نصومه تعظيما له " .
قوله : ( وأمر بصيامه ) وفي رواية للبخاري أيضا : " فقال لأصحابه أنتم أحق بموسى منهم فصوموا " .
وتكفير الذنوب الحاصل بصيام يوم عاشوراء المراد به الصغائر ، أما الكبائر فتحتاج إلى توبة خاصة .
قال النووي رحمه الله :
يُكَفِّرُ ( صيام يوم عرفة ) كُلَّ الذُّنُوبِ الصَّغَائِرِ , وَتَقْدِيرُهُ يَغْفِرُ ذُنُوبَهُ كُلَّهَا إلا الْكَبَائِرَ .
ثم قال رحمه الله : صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ كَفَّارَةُ سَنَتَيْنِ , وَيَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ كَفَّارَةُ سَنَةٍ , وَإِذَا وَافَقَ تَأْمِينُهُ تَأْمِينَ الْمَلائِكَةِ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ ... كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَذْكُورَاتِ صَالِحٌ لِلتَّكْفِيرِ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ مَا يُكَفِّرُهُ مِنْ الصَّغَائِرِ كَفَّرَهُ , وَإِنْ لَمْ يُصَادِفْ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً كُتِبَتْ بِهِ حَسَنَاتٌ وَرُفِعَتْ لَهُ بِهِ دَرَجَاتٌ , .. وَإِنْ صَادَفَ كَبِيرَةً أَوْ كَبَائِرَ وَلَمْ يُصَادِفْ صَغَائِرَ , رَجَوْنَا أَنْ تُخَفِّفَ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ . المجموع شرح المهذب ج6
وقال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله : وَتَكْفِيرُ الطَّهَارَةِ , وَالصَّلاةِ , وَصِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ , وَعَرَفَةَ , وَعَاشُورَاءَ لِلصَّغَائِرِ فَقَطْ . الفتاوى الكبرى ج5
قال الشافعي وأصحابه وأحمد وإسحاق وآخرون : يستحب صوم التاسع والعاشر جميعا ; لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم صام العاشر , ونوى صيام التاسع .
فقد روى عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قال : حِينَ صَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ يَوْمٌ تُعَظِّمُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . رواه مسلم 1916
وعلى هذا فصيام عاشوراء على مراتب أدناها أن يصام وحده وفوقه أن يصام التاسع معه وكلّما كثر الصّيام في محرّم كان أفضل وأطيب .
فإن قلت ما الحكمة من صيام التاسع مع العاشر ؟
فالجواب :
قال النووي رحمه الله : ذَكَرَ الْعُلَمَاءُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا وَغَيْرِهِمْ فِي حِكْمَةِ اسْتِحْبَابِ صَوْمِ تَاسُوعَاءَ أَوْجُهًا :
( أَحَدُهَا ) أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مِنْهُ مُخَالَفَةُ الْيَهُودِ فِي اقْتِصَارِهِمْ عَلَى الْعَاشِرِ , وَهُوَ مَرْوِيٌّ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ..
( الثَّانِي ) أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِهِ وَصْلُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ بِصَوْمٍ , كَمَا نَهَى أَنْ يُصَامَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ وَحْدَهُ ..
( الثَّالِثَ ) الاحْتِيَاطُ فِي صَوْمِ الْعَاشِرِ خَشْيَةَ نَقْصِ الْهِلالِ , وَوُقُوعِ غَلَطٍ فَيَكُونُ التَّاسِعُ فِي الْعَدَدِ هُوَ الْعَاشِرُ فِي نَفْسِ الأَمْرِ . انتهى
وأقوى هذه الأوجه هو مخالفة أهل الكتاب ، قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله : نَهَى صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ التَّشَبُّهِ بِأَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فِي أَحَادِيثَ كَثِيرَةٍ مِثْلُ قَوْلِهِ .. فِي عَاشُورَاءَ : ( لَئِنْ عِشْتُ إلَى قَابِلٍ لأَصُومَنَّ التَّاسِعَ ) . الفتاوى الكبرى ج6
وقال ابن حجر رحمه الله في تعليقه على حديث : ( لئن بقيت إلى قابل لأصومن التاسع ) :
" ما همّ به من صوم التاسع يُحتمل معناه أن لا يقتصر عليه بل يُضيفه إلى اليوم العاشر إما احتياطاً له وإما مخالفةً لليهود والنصارى وهو الأرجح وبه يُشعر بعض روايات مسلم " انتهى من فتح الباري 4/245 .