Virtues of Fasting on month of Muhram

A Muslim is to be keen to get closer to Allah and draw nearer to Him all the time. Such keenness gains more weight and significance during blessed occasions and times. One of these occasions in which a Muslim should exert more effort and show more keenness is the month of Muharram.  

Indeed, the sacred month of Muharram is a blessed and important month. It is the first month of the Hijri calendar and is one of the four sacred months concerning which Allah says,(Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein) (At-Tawbah 9: 36) 

Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Time has come back to its original state which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth; the year is twelve months, four of which are sacred. Three of them are in succession: Dhul-Qa`da, Dhul-Hijja and Al-Muharram, and (the fourth being) Rajab Mudar (named after the tribe of Mudar as they used to respect this month) which stands between Jumad (ath-Thani) and Sha`ban."

It was reported that Ibn `Abbas said regarding the above verse that these four months were singled out and made sacred. Sins in these months are more serious and good deeds bring a greater reward.

Qatadah said concerning this phrase ( so wrong not yourselves therein) that wrongdoing during the sacred months is more serious and more sinful than wrongdoing at any other time. Wrongdoing at any time is a serious matter, but Allah gives more weight to whichever of His commands He will. Allah has chosen certain ones of His Creation. He has chosen from among the angels Messengers and from among mankind Messengers. He chose from among speech His remembrance or dhikr. He chose from among the earth the mosques, from among the months Ramadan and the sacred months, from among the days Friday and from among the nights laylat al-qadr, so venerate that which Allah has told us to venerate. People of understanding and wisdom venerate the things that Allah has told us to venerate. (Summarized from the Tafseer of Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him. Tafseer of Surat at-Tawbah, verse 36).
 
Muharram is called so because it is a sacred (muharram) month and to confirm its sanctity. Allah Almighty says, ( so wrong not yourselves therein), which means do not wrong yourselves in these sacred months, because sin in these months is worse than in other months.
 

 The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fasting the day of `Ashura' (is of great merits), I hope that Allah will accept it as an expiation for (the sins committed in) the previous year” (Muslim).

Also, fasting the 9th of Muharram is highly recommended by the Sunnah. Imam At-Tirmidhi reported that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: We should fast on two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram to distinguish ourselves from the Jewish community. (At-Tirmidhi)

Explaining the virtue of fasting on the 9th and the 10th of Muharram, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America, states:

It is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to fast on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him used to fast on the day of `Ashura'. When he came to Madinah, he found out that the Jews of Madinah were also fasting on this day remembering Prophet Musa (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admired this tradition and said to the Jews, "I am closer to Musa than you are." He fasted and he also told his Companions to fast on this day.


Later, before the end of his life, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told Muslims to add the 9th day also. Thus, it is recommended to fast on both the 9th and 10th of Muharram.

Moreover, in his well-known book, Fiqh As-Sunnah, the late Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states:

Abu Hurayrah reported: "I asked the Prophet: 'Which Prayer is the best after the obligatory Prayers?' He said: 'Prayer during the mid of the night.' I asked: 'Which fasting is the best after that of Ramadan?' He said, 'The month of Allah that you call Muharram’" (Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud).


Mu`awiyyah ibn Abi Sufyan reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Concerning the day of `Ashura’, it is not obligatory upon you to fast on it as I do. Whoever wishes may fast and whoever does not wish to is not obliged to do so" (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).


It is noteworthy that Muslim scholars have stated that fasting of `Ashura’ is of three levels as follows:


1. fasting for three days, i.e., on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram,


2. fasting the 9th and 10th of Muharram, and


3. fasting only the 10th of Muharram.

  Hadhrat Ali Radhi-Allâhu ‘anhu narrates that he was once sitting with Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam when a person asked, “O Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam! Besides the month of Ramadhân, in which month would you advise me to fast?” Rasulullâh Sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam replied, “If you wish to fast in any month after Ramadhân, then fast in the month of Muharram because this is Allâh’s month. It has a day in which Allâh Ta’âla had accepted the repentance of a nation and in which Allâh Ta’âla will accept the repentance of others also.” The nation whose Taubah (repentance) was accepted on a day in this month was the Bani Isrâ’eel. It was on the 10^th of Muharram (Âshura) that the Bani Isrâ’eel (the Jews) and Hadhrat Moosa Alayhis-Salâm were saved from Fir’aun and his army.