Fasting on the 9th and the 10th of Muharram
Question:
I used to fast on 10th of Muharram but some one told me a Hadith that Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked not to keep one fast rather keep two (9th and 10th) to avoid similarity with the Bani Israel as they used to keep fast only on 10th of Muharram. Kindly tell about the authenticity of this Hadith.
Answer:
Before answering your question let me take this opportunity to make a point about the fasting of the 10th day of Muharram (Ashura).
There is a bit of inconsistency of information about how exactly the fasting on Ashura started by Muslims. While some narrations suggest that this was already practiced by Quraysh and the prophet (pbuh) was practicing it even before becoming a prophet (Bukhari 2002, Muslim 1125), others suggest that the prophet (pbuh) only came to understand the history of fasting on Ashura through the Jews, when he arrived in Madina (Bukhari 2004, Muslim 1130). In any case, numerous narrations about the subject bring a degree of certainty that fasting on Ashura is recommended. In fact some sources suggest that before fasting on Ashura was considered obligatory till when fasting on the month of Ramadhan became an obligation (Bukhari 5403, Muslim 1127).
It seems like after the sad event of Kabala, some of the religious and political groups of Muslims developed specific views about fasting on Ashura. On one hand there are indications in some of the sources that the Bani Umayyah at the time would consider the event of Karbala as a victory for the ruling system and therefore some of them would associate this with the importance and joy of the day of Ashura. On the other hand, and perhaps in reacting to this, Shia Muslims considered fasting on Ashura to be disliked. In the Shia sources there are narrations both for and against fasting on the day of Ashura (Istibsar 2:134, Tahzib 4:300).
The above was only an introduction on fasting on Ashura that I thought might be interesting for some of the readers.
I will now proceed to answer your question about fasting on the 9th of Muharram in addition to the 10th.
**********
In principle there are two hadiths that suggest that the prophet (pbuh) advised fasting on the 9th of Muharram as well in order to be different from Jews and Christians.
The first hadith as narrated in Muslim is as follows:
وحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، حَدَّثَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا غَطَفَانَ بْنَ طَرِيفٍ الْمُرِّيَّ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا، يَقُولُ: حِينَ صَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ يَوْمٌ تُعَظِّمُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ» قَالَ: فَلَمْ يَأْتِ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ، حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Ibn Abbas says: When the prophet (pbuh) was fasting on the Ashura and ordered others to fast it, people said: O prophet, this is the day that Jews and Christians value, so the prophet (pbuh) said, so next year God willing we will fast on the 9th (as well). Ibn Abbas says that the prophet (pbuh) passed away before the year after. (Muslim 1134)
The above hadith is generally considered authentic, although among the narrators are some who have been subject to some criticisms:
Aba Ghatfan’s full name and title is Sa’d ibn Tarif al-Iskaf al-Hanzali. There are many reports about him being trusted. However we also have in Mizan al-Itidal, number 3118, that Ibn Mu’in said it was not halal for anyone to narrate from him, also from Ahmad and Abu Hatam that he is weak.
Another narrator in the above chain, Yaheya ibn Ayyub, is severely criticised by many. We read in Tahzib al-Tahzib (11:187) that Ibn Sa’d considered him bad in Hadith (Munkar al-Hadith), al-Isma’ili writes that his hadith not suitable as an evidence (la yuhtaja behi), Ahmad says he makes lots of errors and Aqily considers him weak.
Overall we should be cautious in accepting the above hadith.
The second hadith is not even as strong as the above:
حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صُومُوا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وَخَالِفُوا فِيهِ الْيَهُودَ، صُومُوا قَبْلَهُ يَوْمًا، أَوْ بَعْدَهُ يَوْمًا»
Ibn abbas says the prophet (pbuh) said fast on the day of Ashura and do other than what Jews do, (so) fast a day before or after it (as well).( Ahmad 2154)
The above hadith suffers from two weak/suspicious narrators. Abi Layli (Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman) who is known as one with very bad memory (Tahzib al-Kamal 25:622) and Dawud ibn Ali about whom Zahabi says in al-Mughni that his hadith is not good as evidence (1:219).
It is perhaps due to the above uncertainties that the jurists have assumed different reasons for fasting on the 9th of Muharram (fath al-baari 11:45), one being to be different from Jews.
My conclusion:
First, the more authentic hadith, as narrated above, does not say that the prophet (pbuh) forbade fasting on Ashura alone. The prophet (pbuh) merely responses to the concern of some of the believers by saying that the year after let’s fast on the 9th as well (so that this concern of you is fulfilled). Assuming that the hadith is authentic, this can be considered 'at most' as a recommendation.
Further, since at our time there is no chance that by fasting on Ashura only, we would be confused with the followers of other religions, therefore the issue is not even applicable today.
So overall, if you want to fast on Ashura only (which itself is not an obligation), I do not see any problems with it.
--------------
November 2013
I used to fast on 10th of Muharram but some one told me a Hadith that Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked not to keep one fast rather keep two (9th and 10th) to avoid similarity with the Bani Israel as they used to keep fast only on 10th of Muharram. Kindly tell about the authenticity of this Hadith.
Answer:
Before answering your question let me take this opportunity to make a point about the fasting of the 10th day of Muharram (Ashura).
There is a bit of inconsistency of information about how exactly the fasting on Ashura started by Muslims. While some narrations suggest that this was already practiced by Quraysh and the prophet (pbuh) was practicing it even before becoming a prophet (Bukhari 2002, Muslim 1125), others suggest that the prophet (pbuh) only came to understand the history of fasting on Ashura through the Jews, when he arrived in Madina (Bukhari 2004, Muslim 1130). In any case, numerous narrations about the subject bring a degree of certainty that fasting on Ashura is recommended. In fact some sources suggest that before fasting on Ashura was considered obligatory till when fasting on the month of Ramadhan became an obligation (Bukhari 5403, Muslim 1127).
It seems like after the sad event of Kabala, some of the religious and political groups of Muslims developed specific views about fasting on Ashura. On one hand there are indications in some of the sources that the Bani Umayyah at the time would consider the event of Karbala as a victory for the ruling system and therefore some of them would associate this with the importance and joy of the day of Ashura. On the other hand, and perhaps in reacting to this, Shia Muslims considered fasting on Ashura to be disliked. In the Shia sources there are narrations both for and against fasting on the day of Ashura (Istibsar 2:134, Tahzib 4:300).
The above was only an introduction on fasting on Ashura that I thought might be interesting for some of the readers.
I will now proceed to answer your question about fasting on the 9th of Muharram in addition to the 10th.
**********
In principle there are two hadiths that suggest that the prophet (pbuh) advised fasting on the 9th of Muharram as well in order to be different from Jews and Christians.
The first hadith as narrated in Muslim is as follows:
وحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، حَدَّثَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا غَطَفَانَ بْنَ طَرِيفٍ الْمُرِّيَّ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا، يَقُولُ: حِينَ صَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ يَوْمٌ تُعَظِّمُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ صُمْنَا الْيَوْمَ التَّاسِعَ» قَالَ: فَلَمْ يَأْتِ الْعَامُ الْمُقْبِلُ، حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Ibn Abbas says: When the prophet (pbuh) was fasting on the Ashura and ordered others to fast it, people said: O prophet, this is the day that Jews and Christians value, so the prophet (pbuh) said, so next year God willing we will fast on the 9th (as well). Ibn Abbas says that the prophet (pbuh) passed away before the year after. (Muslim 1134)
The above hadith is generally considered authentic, although among the narrators are some who have been subject to some criticisms:
Aba Ghatfan’s full name and title is Sa’d ibn Tarif al-Iskaf al-Hanzali. There are many reports about him being trusted. However we also have in Mizan al-Itidal, number 3118, that Ibn Mu’in said it was not halal for anyone to narrate from him, also from Ahmad and Abu Hatam that he is weak.
Another narrator in the above chain, Yaheya ibn Ayyub, is severely criticised by many. We read in Tahzib al-Tahzib (11:187) that Ibn Sa’d considered him bad in Hadith (Munkar al-Hadith), al-Isma’ili writes that his hadith not suitable as an evidence (la yuhtaja behi), Ahmad says he makes lots of errors and Aqily considers him weak.
Overall we should be cautious in accepting the above hadith.
The second hadith is not even as strong as the above:
حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صُومُوا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وَخَالِفُوا فِيهِ الْيَهُودَ، صُومُوا قَبْلَهُ يَوْمًا، أَوْ بَعْدَهُ يَوْمًا»
Ibn abbas says the prophet (pbuh) said fast on the day of Ashura and do other than what Jews do, (so) fast a day before or after it (as well).( Ahmad 2154)
The above hadith suffers from two weak/suspicious narrators. Abi Layli (Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman) who is known as one with very bad memory (Tahzib al-Kamal 25:622) and Dawud ibn Ali about whom Zahabi says in al-Mughni that his hadith is not good as evidence (1:219).
It is perhaps due to the above uncertainties that the jurists have assumed different reasons for fasting on the 9th of Muharram (fath al-baari 11:45), one being to be different from Jews.
My conclusion:
First, the more authentic hadith, as narrated above, does not say that the prophet (pbuh) forbade fasting on Ashura alone. The prophet (pbuh) merely responses to the concern of some of the believers by saying that the year after let’s fast on the 9th as well (so that this concern of you is fulfilled). Assuming that the hadith is authentic, this can be considered 'at most' as a recommendation.
Further, since at our time there is no chance that by fasting on Ashura only, we would be confused with the followers of other religions, therefore the issue is not even applicable today.
So overall, if you want to fast on Ashura only (which itself is not an obligation), I do not see any problems with it.
--------------
November 2013
