Reclaim Prophet Mūsā in Muharram

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As we approach the opportunity of the fasting of ʿĀshūra, a season of worship draws to a close which started six months ago in Sha’bān. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would fast much of Sha’bān in anticipation of Ramadan.

ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha) narrates that,

I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for a whole month, except the month of Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’bān”. [1]

Then comes the glorious month of Ramadan, in which the Ummah revives its faith with fasting during the day, tarāwiḥ prayers throughout the night, charity in abundance, and pilgrimage to the sacred house.

Within Ramadan is the Night of Power — better than a thousand months — in which descend the angels with every decree.

Thereafter comes the fasting of the six days of Shawwāl, about which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

Whoever fasts for six days after al-Fitr has completed the year…” [2]

The reward of a whole year’s fasting for the fasting of six days bears testimony to the generosity of a Creator who showers His blessings upon His servants for nothing more than fulfilling the purpose of their creation.

Then comes the season of the great Hajj, which not only contains the blessed day of ʿArafah, but also the greatest day of the year, the Day of Sacrifice.

And finally, we have the fasting of ʿĀshūra in the month of Muharram, for which Allah promised forgiveness of sins for an entire year. How remarkable is the generosity of the Creator. A single day’s fasting continues to wipe out sins committed during the day and night for an entire year.

At the end of this season of worship comes a subdued period where we do not see days, nights, and months with the same excellence as those that have passed, so let us end this season on a spiritual high!

Muharram is “Allah’s month”

Abu Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting during Allah’s month, Muharram.” [3]

Muharram is one of the four sacred months, about which Allah states,

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah since the day He created the Heavens and the Earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them…” [4]

It was reported that Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said that the words:

…so do not wrong yourselves during them…”

…initially referred to all the months, then these four were singled out and made sacred, so that sin in these months is multiplied and good deeds bring a greater reward.

This fact has largely been neglected by Muslims today, who in their eagerness to sanctify the month of Ramadan have forgotten the order of Allah to not oppress our souls in the four sacred months.

Day of ʿĀshūra

While there is a general encouragement to fast throughout the month, one day has been singled out for its virtue above all others.

Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said,

I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day: the day of ʿĀshūra, and this month [meaning Ramadan].” [5]

Little wonder, then, that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was so keen to observe this fast when he stated,

For fasting the day of ʿĀshūra, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before.” [6]

The exact day of ʿĀshūra has been confirmed by Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), who reported,

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to fast ʿĀshūra, the tenth day of Muharram.” [7]

Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) also reports,

“The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to Madinah and observed that the Jews were fasting on the day of ʿĀshūra.

“He asked,

‘What is this?’

“They replied,

‘This is a righteous day; it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Mūsā fasted on this day.’

He (ﷺ) replied,

‘We have more right to Mūsā than you’, so he fasted on that day and commanded the Muslims to do likewise.” [8]

Another narration states,

“This is a great day, on which Allah saved Mūsā and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his people.” [9]

Reclaiming Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām)

The true significance of ʿĀshūra is to reclaim Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) for this Ummah. He is a Prophet whose chronicles are pivotal to the heritage of this Ummah.

Indeed, Abu Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that when one of the companions disputed with a Jew regarding the status of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ compared to Mūsā, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

“Do not prefer me over Mūsā. On the Day of Rising, people will faint, and I will faint with them. I will be the first to regain consciousness, and there will be Mūsā grasping the Throne.

“I do not know whether he will be among those who fainted and regained consciousness before me, or if he was one of those that Allah exempted.” [10]

The chronicles of Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) are mentioned from the very beginning of the Qur’ān, in Sūrat al-Baqarah until the very end of the Qur’ān in Sūrat al-ʿAlā.

He is the most mentioned person in the Qur’ān, by name, with 136 references. Even our very acts of worship are intrinsically connected to the Prophet Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām). It was he who urged the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to return to His Lord in the Ascension through the Heavens and seek a concession of five daily prayers instead of fifty. And it is his story that we commemorate with the fasting of ʿĀshūra.

But why Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām)? Why not ʿĪsa (ʿalayhi al-Salām) or Nūḥ (ʿalayhi al-Salām), for they, too, are from the five greatest Messengers of strong resolve?

One of the wisdoms lies in the verse,

And We did certainly send Mūsā with Our signs and a clear authority to Pharaoh, Hāmān, and Qārūn; but they said,

‘[He is] a magician and a liar.'” [11]

Note how Allah did not restrict Mūsā’s mission to the figurehead of the Pharaonic society, but rather included Hāmān and Qārūn. Each one of them represents a type of corruption that is to be repeated throughout the annals of history.

Pharaoh

He is the archetypal tyrant, the despot.

Intoxicated with his own power, he claims lordship, and slaughters innocent children in their very cradles for a perceived threat to his throne.

Hāmān

He is the chief minister who represents the political corruption of the elite.

He institutionalises oppression and symbolises the intrigue and plotting which has become the hallmark of politicians.

Qārūn

He represents the excesses of wealth, and the financial power that bankrolls the corrupt society and plots against the Messengers.

He also represents hypocrisy; he was a man from the Children of Israel who not only was complicit in their exploitation, but also actively benefitted from the subjugation of his own people.

In summary

Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) and his people encountered every challenge, every opponent, and every trial that this Ummah would face.

The failures of the Children of Israel are indeed a manifestation of our own shortcomings when taken to the extreme.

And it is when we return to our religion that we reclaim the Prophet Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) as our own. A relationship consecrated with the fasting of ʿĀshūra.

In a hugely symbolic act, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated his intention to differ from the Jews by fasting the 9^th of Muharram also.

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhumā), said,

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fasted on ʿĀshūra and commanded the Muslims to do likewise, they said,

‘O Messenger of Allah! It is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.’

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied,

‘If I live to see the next year, inshāAllāh, we will fast on the ninth day too.’

“But it so happened that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away before the next year came.” [12]

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was endowed with speech that was brief but profound in meaning. In the above short narration, he simultaneously…

• Reclaimed the legacy of Mūsā
• Surpassed the People of the Book
• Sanctified the month of Muharram
• Maintained the unique identity of this Ummah.

Hence, the Sunnah of this day is to fast the 9^th and 10^th of Muharram, while there is no blame on a Muslim who can only fast the 10^th.

We live in times where the excesses of the heretics have obscured the true significance of Muharram in general and ʿĀshūra in particular. Collective self-harm in full view of a bewildered public has no basis in the sharīʿah, contradicts sound intellect, and resembles the practices of Jāhiliyyah (the days of ignorance).

It is high time that orthodox Muslims reclaimed Muharram. In fact, before the obligation of Ramadan was revealed, there is was opinion that the fasting of ʿĀshūra was indeed obligatory.

It was reported that Ibn Masʿūd (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said,

When fasting Ramadan was made obligatory, the obligation to fast ʿĀshūra was lifted.”

So, let us, as a community, revive the Sunnah of fasting the 9^th and 10^th of Muharram. Let us revive the status of “Allah’s month” in our hearts. And let us reclaim the legacy of the great Messenger of Allah, Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām).

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Source: Islam21c

Notes

[1] Bukhārī

[2] al-Nisāʿī’ and Ibn Mājah. See also: Ṣaḥiḥ al-Targhīb wa’al-Tarhīb, 1/421

[3] Muslim

[4] al-Qur’ān, 9:36

[5] Bukhārī

[6] Muslim

[7] Tirmidhi, who said a Ṣaḥīḥ Ḥasan Ḥadīth

[8] Bukhārī

[9] Muslim

[10] Bukhārī

[11] al-Qur’ān, 40:23-24

[12] Muslim

This article was originally published on 30 October 2014 / 6 Muharram 1436.

It was republished on the following dates:

• 4 Muharram 1438 / 5 October 2016
• 1 Muharram 1445 / 19 July 2023
• 1 Muharram 1447 / 26 June 2025.