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Will it suffice in Today's Times to Fast only on the Tenth for the Fast of Aashura? PDF Print E-mail
Kitabus Saum [Book of Fasting] - Nafl fast

Will it suffice in Today's Times to Fast only on the Tenth for the Fast of Aashura?

Q: Saum-13: What do the Ulema of Deen and the Muftis have to say about what the Fuqahaa say concerning fasting for only the day of Aashura (10'h of Muherram)? They say that because this resembles the practice of the Jews. it Is Makrooh to fast for only one day. A reliable Aalim has stated that because the jews and Christians no longer fast on this day and have nothing to do with the lunar calendar, there will be no resemblance to them by fasting on this day. it is therefore no longer necessary to fast on the 9th and the 11th? What do the Muftis have to say about this?

Answer: Fasting on the day of Aashura was the practice of Rasulutlaah SAW. and so is the fast on the 9th. It is also difficult to establish with certainty, whether the Jews no longer observe this fast because there are still many of them who may still be observing their old practices. The resemblance may therefore still be found.
Furthermore, the Muslim Ummah has been observing the two fasts for fourteen centuries. This suffices as a proof for practice, just as the du'aa after the twenty Rakaahs of Taraaweeh has been practiced by the Ummah for all these centuries. Similar to this is the Takbeer Tashreeq that is recited after the Eidul Adhaa salaah, bringing the total number of salaahs to 24, whereas the Takbeer is to be recited after 23 salaahs. This is however done because it has been the practice of the Ummah for generations. In fact. some Ulema even regard this to be Waajib.

It is therefore necessary to fast on the 9th of Muharram together with the 10th? and if this is not possible, then the 11th with the 10th And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

N.B. Someone has recently arrived from Britain and informed us that he has seen some Jews (albeit few) observe the fast of Aashura.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.3