Ruling on fasting the Day of Ashura alone without pairing it with another day
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His Eminence the Shaykh: What is the ruling on fasting only the Day of Ashura, without fasting the day before it or the day after it, when one is able to fast a day before or a day after, but it is difficult for him?
The best is for a person to fast the ninth and tenth of the month of Muharram; this is the best; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about fasting the Day of Ashura and said: (I hope that Allah will expiate the year before it) but he said: (If I remain until next year, I will fast the ninth) meaning: along with the tenth,And it was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Differ from the Jews, fast a day before it or a day after it) and in a narration: (a day before it and a day after it) but there is no doubt that differing occurs when a person fasts a day before it or a day after it.
So the best is to fast a day before it or a day after it, and if he fasts the ninth with the tenth, that is better than fasting the eleventh with the tenth, and if he fasts the three days; the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh, he obtains the reward of fasting three days of the month; because if a person fasts three days of every month, it is like fasting the whole year, as established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and although the best for fasting the three days is that they be the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, it is permissible to fast on days other than these three,So Aisha said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast three days of every month, not caring whether he fasted them at the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end) , and if he restricts himself to fasting only the tenth day, he obtains the reward, but his reward is less than that of the one who fasted the ninth with it or the eleventh,And some of the scholars said: Fasting Ashura is on three levels: The first level: that he fasts the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh.
And the second level: That he fasts the ninth and the tenth.
And the third level: That he fasts the tenth and the eleventh.
And as for the one who restricts himself to the tenth, there is no blame on him; due to the generality of the evidence indicating the virtue of fasting the tenth day, but the consideration remains regarding what happens among people of wavering on the tenth day: when is it?We say: The criterion is one of two things: either seeing the crescent of Muharram, or completing the month of Dhul Hijjah thirty days, so if the crescent of the month of Muharram is not seen, then the month of Dhul Hijjah is completed to thirty days, and the phases of the moon are not a criterion;Because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Fast when you see it [the crescent] and break your fast when you see it, and if it is obscured from you, then complete the count of thirty) , and this applies to all months, if the incoming month is not seen, then we complete the previous month to thirty days, and with this we are reassured, as for the people being wavering, to the extent that some people said: that the tenth day is on Friday, and the reason for that is that a hadith of Shaykh Salih al-Luhaydan was broadcast on the radio, which was a hadith from last year, and last year the tenth day was on Friday -so the hadith was broadcast on the radio, and it was the hadith of last year, so the people heard it as if the tenth was on Friday, so they were asking: did they postpone the tenth day to Friday?So we said: The tenth day is not postponed and cannot be postponed, and the reason is the error in broadcasting the recording from last year for this year.
And with this, this session ends, and we ask Allah the Exalted to return us and you with a good return, and to grant us and you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, indeed He is capable of all things, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and all his Companions.
The best is for a person to fast the ninth and tenth of the month of Muharram; this is the best; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about fasting the Day of Ashura and said: (I hope that Allah will expiate the year before it) but he said: (If I remain until next year, I will fast the ninth) meaning: along with the tenth,And it was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Differ from the Jews, fast a day before it or a day after it) and in a narration: (a day before it and a day after it) but there is no doubt that differing occurs when a person fasts a day before it or a day after it.
So the best is to fast a day before it or a day after it, and if he fasts the ninth with the tenth, that is better than fasting the eleventh with the tenth, and if he fasts the three days; the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh, he obtains the reward of fasting three days of the month; because if a person fasts three days of every month, it is like fasting the whole year, as established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and although the best for fasting the three days is that they be the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, it is permissible to fast on days other than these three,So Aisha said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast three days of every month, not caring whether he fasted them at the beginning of the month, the middle, or the end) , and if he restricts himself to fasting only the tenth day, he obtains the reward, but his reward is less than that of the one who fasted the ninth with it or the eleventh,And some of the scholars said: Fasting Ashura is on three levels: The first level: that he fasts the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh.
And the second level: That he fasts the ninth and the tenth.
And the third level: That he fasts the tenth and the eleventh.
And as for the one who restricts himself to the tenth, there is no blame on him; due to the generality of the evidence indicating the virtue of fasting the tenth day, but the consideration remains regarding what happens among people of wavering on the tenth day: when is it?We say: The criterion is one of two things: either seeing the crescent of Muharram, or completing the month of Dhul Hijjah thirty days, so if the crescent of the month of Muharram is not seen, then the month of Dhul Hijjah is completed to thirty days, and the phases of the moon are not a criterion;Because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Fast when you see it [the crescent] and break your fast when you see it, and if it is obscured from you, then complete the count of thirty) , and this applies to all months, if the incoming month is not seen, then we complete the previous month to thirty days, and with this we are reassured, as for the people being wavering, to the extent that some people said: that the tenth day is on Friday, and the reason for that is that a hadith of Shaykh Salih al-Luhaydan was broadcast on the radio, which was a hadith from last year, and last year the tenth day was on Friday -so the hadith was broadcast on the radio, and it was the hadith of last year, so the people heard it as if the tenth was on Friday, so they were asking: did they postpone the tenth day to Friday?So we said: The tenth day is not postponed and cannot be postponed, and the reason is the error in broadcasting the recording from last year for this year.
And with this, this session ends, and we ask Allah the Exalted to return us and you with a good return, and to grant us and you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, indeed He is capable of all things, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and all his Companions.