Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu narrates that Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasted on the day of Âshura and instructed the Muslims to fast as well. When the Muslims told Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam that the Jews and the Christians revere this day, he replied, “If I am alive next year, Insha Allâh I shall fast on the ninth as well.” However, Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam passed away before the next year.[1]

Hadhrat Hakam bin A’raj Rahmatullâhi Alayhi narrates that he once came to Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu while he was reclining on a shawl near the well of Zamzam. He then asked Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu, “Tell me how I should observe the fast of the day of Âshura?” Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu replied, “When you see the moon of Muharram, count the days and then fast on the morning of the ninth day.” When asked whether Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasted in this manner, Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu replied in the affirmative.[2]

According to another hadith, Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu said that Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam instructed them to fast on the tenth[3]. Yet another narration of Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu states that he said, “Fast on the ninth and tenth, thereby opposing the Jews.” [4]

All the above narrations make it clear that the preferred method of fasting for the day of Âshura is to fast on the 9^th and 10^th of Muharram. When Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu told Hadhrat Hakam bin A’raj Rahmatullâhi Alayhi that fasting on the 9^th was the way Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasting, he meant that if Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam lived longer, he would have fasted on the 9^th as well because he had intended to do so. Although Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam really did not fast on the 9^th, his desire to do so is as good as him doing it. Allâh Ta’âla knows best.

There is another hadith reported by Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu which is famously quoted in many books of Ahadeeth. The narration is from Muhammad Ibn Abi Layla and it says that Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam mentioned, “Fast on the day of Âshura but oppose the Jews by fasting a day before or a day after.”[5] According to this narration, a person may fast either on the 9^th and 10^th or on the 10^th and 11^th of Muharram. However, the narrator Muhammad Ibn Abi Layla has been classified as a weak narrator, a factor which weakens the status of the hadith. Ibn Rajab Hambali Rahmatullâhi Alayhi has mentioned that the word “or” towards the end of this hadith could indicate a doubt in the narrator’s mind. This means that the narrator could be unsure whether Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam said “a day before” or “a day after”. Ibn Rajab Rahmatullâhi Alayhi has also mentioned those Ahadeeth that contain the word “and” instead of the word “or”. These narrations therefore mention that one should fast on three days, viz. the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th of Muharram.

An examination of the various narrations seems to reveal that there are discrepancies in the various copies of Imâm Ahmad Rahmatullâhi Alayhi’s “Musnad”. Whereas Hâfidh Ibn Hajar Rahmatullâhi Alayhi has quoted the hadith with the word “or” in his books “Fat’hul Bâri” and “Talkheesul Habeer”, the book “Naylul Awtâr” reports the hadith with the word “and”. Quoting from “Jam’ul Fawâ’id”, the book “Khutubâtul Ahkâm” also narrates the hadith with the word “and”. In a like manner, while some narrations of Bayhaqi contain the word “or’, other narrations of the same hadith contain the word “and”.[6]

If it is assumed that the correct word is “and”, as Ibn Rajab Rahmatullâhi Alayhi feels, then the fact is established that one should fast for three days. It is with this in mind that Sheikh Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi Rahmatullâhi Alayhi has mentioned the following in his footnotes of Tirmidhi, titled “Lam’ât”: “With regard to the fast on the day of Âshura, there are three ranks, viz. (1) on the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th, which is the best method of fasting, (2) on the 9^th and 10^th and (3) on the 10^th only. There are several Ahadeeth to substantiate fasting on the 9^th and 10^th. Fasting on the 10^th and 11^th holds no status at all, while it is not Sunnah to fast only on the 9^th.[7]

According to the canonical work “Durrul Mukhtâr”[8], it is Makrooh Tanzihi to fast on the 10^th only. (i.e. excluding the day before or the day after)

NOTE: The above discussion makes it clear that the Shari'ah dislikes that the Ibâdah of Muslims should resemble the Ibâdah of the Jews and Christians. This is the reason why fasting only on the 10^th is Makrooh. Although Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasted only on the 10^th, he had intended to oppose the ways of the Jews. There should therefore be some sort of opposing (their practice), whether it be by fasting a day before or after.

Hadhrat Abdullâh bin Abbâs Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu narrates that Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to allow his hair to fall without making a path, as was the practice of the Ahlul Kitâb. The Mushrikeen, however, used to make paths in their hair. Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to prefer resembling the Ahlul Kitâb in those matters concerning which Allâh Ta’âla did not specifically instruct him. However, Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam later started making a path through his hair.[9] It proves that in this matter Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam was instructed to oppose the Ahlul Kitâb just as he was instructed to oppose them concerning the fast of the day of Âshura. One should therefore not fast only on the 10^th.