Should I Fast Tasuʿa (the 9th) and ʿAshura Together, or Is One Day Enough?
Question: Should I fast both Tasuʿa (the 9th) and ʿAshura, only ʿAshura, or only Tasuʿa? This is because the Prophet ﷺ said, “If I remain until next year, I will fast the ninth,” and it appears that he meant only the ninth day.
Summary:
The Sunnah is to fast the Day of ʿAshura (the tenth of Muharram), and it is preferable to fast the ninth along with it in order to differ from the Jews. As for fasting only the ninth while leaving the tenth, this is not the intended Sunnah, because the virtue of expiating the sins of the previous year was specifically mentioned regarding the fast of ʿAshura. The Prophet’s statement, “If I remain until next year, I will fast the ninth,” does not indicate abandoning the tenth. Rather, it indicates adding the ninth to the tenth.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih MuslimIt is authentically reported from Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet ﷺ fasted on the Day of ʿAshura and commanded its observance.
“I hope from Allah that it will expiate the sins of the previous year.”
It is also authentically reported that when the Prophet ﷺ was informed that the Jews and Christians honored this day,
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih MuslimHe said ﷺ:
“If I remain until next year, I will surely fast the ninth.”
• The Companions and the scholars understood from this hadith that the Prophet ﷺ intended to combine the ninth with the tenth, not to fast only the ninth while abandoning the tenth. This is because the statement was made in the context of ʿAshura, and the purpose was to differ from the Jews by adding another day to it.
From the Scholars:
- Imam al-Nawawi رحمه الله said:
“Its meaning is: I will fast the ninth together with the tenth.”
- Ibn Hajar رحمه الله said:
“The Prophet ﷺ would not have abandoned fasting the tenth. Rather, he intended to add the ninth to it.”
- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
“The Sunnah is to fast the ninth and the tenth together.”
- Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:
“There are three levels of fasting ʿAshura: The most complete is to fast the ninth, tenth, and eleventh. Then to fast the ninth and the tenth. Then to fast the tenth alone.”
From the Salaf:
- Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
used to encourage people to carefully observe the ninth together with the tenth.
From the Scholars:
- Imam Ahmad رحمه الله said:
“If the beginning of the month is unclear to him, he should fast three days: the ninth, tenth, and eleventh.”
This was also the verdict of the majority of scholars among the Hanafis, Malikis, Shafiʿis, and Hanbalis. What Is the Ruling on the Different Scenarios? • The tenth alone: Permissible, and it is the foundation of the Sunnah. The virtue of ʿAshura is attained through it. • The ninth and the tenth: Better and more complete, because it combines the fasting of ʿAshura with differing from the Jews. • The ninth alone: Not disliked in terms of voluntary fasting itself, but it misses the intended purpose of ʿAshura and is not the Sunnah mentioned in the narrations concerning the virtue of ʿAshura. • The ninth, tenth, and eleventh: The most complete level according to many scholars. Final Answer: The stronger view is that the Prophet’s statement, “I will surely fast the ninth,” does not mean fasting only the ninth. Rather, it means fasting the ninth together with the tenth. Therefore, the Sunnah and the better practice is to fast both Tasuʿa and ʿAshura. If a person is unable to do so, then he should fast the tenth alone. It is not legislated to single out the ninth while leaving the tenth under the belief that this is what the hadith intended.
And Allah knows best.
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