Discover Top Posts Tagged with #10thmuharram

What Were You Doing on the Day the Sea Split?

Have you ever stopped in the middle of your day and thought about how many miracles happened before you were born?

Not the small ones.

The kind where a sea parts in two. Where a man walks out of a whale alive. Where a father regains his sight after years of grief. Where a grandson of a Prophet stands alone on a battlefield and chooses death over dishonor.

All of it happened. And most of it happened on the same day.

The 10th of Muharram.

Yawm al-Ashura.

We talk about Ashura every year. We share posts about fasting. We remind each other of the date. And then, sometimes, the day passes and we are not quite sure what we actually felt.

Maybe because we do not truly know what this day carries.

So let me try, with sincerity, to lay it out for you. Not as a lecture. Not as a list to scroll past. But as a conversation between people who care about the same things.

Because this day deserves more than a reminder notification.

First, What Does Ashura Even Mean?

The word Ashura (عَاشُورَاء) comes from the Arabic word for ten — 'Ashara. It simply means: the tenth day.

The tenth day of Muharram. The first month of the Islamic calendar.

And Muharram itself is not an ordinary month. Allah (SWT) set it apart from the very beginning of creation. He says in the Quran:

"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred." — (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:36)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) named them for us:

"The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months — Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram — and Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha'baan." — (Sahih Al-Bukhari 2958)

Within this sacred month, the 10th day stands alone.

It always has.

The Day the Prophet (PBUH) Could Not Stop Thinking About

Before we talk about history, pause here for a second.

Ibn Abbas (RA) said something that has stayed with me:

"I never saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Ashura, and this month, meaning Ramadan." — (Sahih Al-Bukhari 1867)

Think about that.

The man who received revelation. The man who stood in prayer until his feet were swollen. The man who fasted Mondays and Thursdays and the middle days of every month without fail — that man looked at Ashura with a particular kind of eagerness that he gave no other voluntary day.

That tells you something.

That tells you everything.

What Happened on This Day — The Stories You Need to Know

1. Prophet Musa (AS) and the Parting of the Red Sea — The Event That Started It All

This is the one. The authenticated, agreed-upon, Bukhari-and-Muslim confirmed event. The reason the Prophet (PBUH) fasted on this day.

When the Prophet (PBUH) first arrived in Madinah, he noticed the Jewish community fasting. He asked about it. Ibn Abbas (RA) narrates what happened next:

"They said, 'This is a righteous day; it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa fasted on this day.' He said, 'We have more right to Musa than you,' so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day." — (Sahih Al-Bukhari 1865)

Now close your eyes for a moment and picture it.

Musa (AS) and his people — hundreds of thousands of them — are running. Behind them is Pharaoh's army. Horses, soldiers, chariots, dust. In front of them is the Red Sea.

There is nowhere to go.

And then Allah commands Musa (AS):

"Strike with your staff the sea."

And the sea — this enormous, ancient, unmovable thing — splits. Twelve dry paths open up, one for each tribe of Israel. Walls of water stand upright like mountains on either side.

"And each portion was like a great towering mountain. And We saved Moses and those with him, all together. Then We drowned the others." — (Surah Ash-Shu'ara, 26:63–66)

Pharaoh drowned. The people walked to freedom.

And Musa (AS), when it was all over, fasted.

Not because anyone told him to. But because he wanted to say thank you to Allah in the most sincere way he knew.

The Prophet (PBUH) heard this story and said: we are closer to Musa than they are. And he fasted too.

And now it is our turn.

2. Prophet Nuh (AS) — When the Ark Finally Found Land

Imagine carrying the weight of your entire mission on a wooden boat.

Nuh (AS) had spent over 950 years calling his people to Allah. He was mocked. He was ignored. He watched the world he knew be swallowed by a flood while he floated on water, surrounded by animals and a small group of believers.

On the day of Ashura, the Ark came to rest on the mountain of Al-Judi.

As reported through Imam Ahmad's Musnad, it is narrated:

"This is the day on which the Ark settled on Mount Joodi, so Nooh fasted this day in thanksgiving."

The flood was over.

Nuh (AS) stepped onto dry land for the first time in months, maybe longer, and his first instinct was not to eat, celebrate, or rest.

He fasted.

Because sometimes the deepest gratitude does not come from what you say. It comes from what you willingly give up.

3. Prophet Adam (AS) — The First Forgiveness

There are scholars who mention that it was on this day that Prophet Adam (AS) turned to Allah in repentance after eating from the forbidden tree, and Allah accepted it.

The first human being. The first sin. The first forgiveness.

And Allah says of that moment in the Quran:

"Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful." — (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:37)

If Allah forgave Adam — the first man, who made the first mistake — what makes you think He will not forgive you on this day?

Ask.

4. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) — Born Into a World That Would Try to Burn Him

Some narrations, including those referenced by Tabarani, mention that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was born on this day. The man who would be thrown into fire for the sake of his Lord. The man who would be asked to sacrifice his own son. The man Allah called Khalilullah — His intimate friend.

Born on Ashura.

It is almost as if this day was always meant to carry weight.

5. Prophet Yusuf (AS) — From the Bottom of a Well to the Gates of a Palace

His own brothers threw him into a well and left him there.

He was sold into slavery. Falsely accused. Imprisoned for years for something he did not do.

And through every single one of those trials, he held on. He did not become bitter. He did not lose his faith. He did not stop trusting Allah.

On the day of Ashura, he walked out of prison.

His story, Surah Yusuf, ends with a truth that should ring in our ears on this day:

"Indeed, it is He who is the Subtle in fulfilling what He wills. Indeed, He is the Knowing, the Wise." — (Surah Yusuf, 12:100)

Whatever prison you are in right now — know that Yusuf walked out on Ashura.

6. Prophet Yunus (AS) — Called From the Darkest Place Possible

Inside the belly of a whale. In the middle of a dark sea. In the depths of darkness layered upon darkness.

And from there, Yunus (AS) called:

"There is no god but You; Glory be to You; Verily, I have been of the wrongdoers." — (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:87)

And on the day of Ashura, he was cast out onto the shore, alive.

If Allah can hear a man calling from inside a whale, at the bottom of an ocean, in the dark — He can hear you too.

7. Prophet Ayyub (AS) — The End of a Very Long Trial

Ayyub (AS) lost his health, his wealth, and his family. He suffered for years. And he stayed patient.

He never stopped calling on Allah.

And on this day, Allah restored everything. His health came back. His family returned.

"And We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We restored his family to him and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us." — (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:84)

If you are going through something long and exhausting and you cannot see when it will end — Ayyub (AS) made it through. And so did Yusuf. And Yunus. And Nuh.

Ashura is the day Allah showed up for all of them.

He will show up for you too.

8. Prophet Ya'qub (AS) — A Father Who Could See Again

Ya'qub (AS) lost his son Yusuf for years. He grieved so deeply that his eyes went white from weeping.

And when Yusuf's shirt was brought to him as a sign that his son was alive, Allah returned his sight.

Father and son. Reunited. Eyes open again.

Some narrations connect this moment of reunion and restored sight to the blessed day of Ashura.

What a day for a father's du'a to finally be answered.

9. Prophet Dawud (AS) and Prophet Sulayman (AS) — Forgiven and Given Everything

Dawud (AS), the prophet-king whose repentance shook the heavens, was forgiven on this day.

Sulayman (AS), whose kingdom was so extraordinary that it included command over humans, jinn, animals, and even the wind, was granted that kingdom on this day.

Two different prophets. Two different blessings. The same sacred day.

10. The Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) at Karbala — 61 AH

We cannot speak of Ashura and leave this out.

It would be dishonest.

On the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH — the year 680 CE — Hussain ibn Ali (RA), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was killed on the plains of Karbala, Iraq.

He was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) and Fatimah (RA), the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH).

He stood against a ruler, Yazid ibn Muawiyah, whose conduct many Muslims of that time could not accept. He was asked to pledge allegiance. He refused.

He had with him 72 companions — men, and the women and children of his household. Facing an army numbered in the thousands.

By the end of that day, Hussain (RA) and most of his companions had been killed. The women and children were taken captive.

And yet he did not surrender his principles.

This is why his name echoes across fourteen centuries.

This is why both Sunni and Shia Muslims, despite their differences in how they commemorate, feel something when this day arrives. It is grief. Proper, dignified grief. The kind that does not need rituals built on fabrication, but also the kind that cannot be pretended away.

We do not beat our chests. We do not wail in the streets. We do not practice what was never practiced by the Companions (RA) or the four great Imams.

But we remember.

And we fast.

And we ask Allah to be pleased with Hussain and his household, and to have mercy on all those who stood on the side of truth.

The Virtues of This Day — What Ashura Gives You

Fasting Wipes Away a Year of Minor Sins

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

"Fasting the day of Arafah I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year before it and the year after it, and fasting the day of Ashura I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year that came before it." — (Sahih Muslim 1162)

One day. One fast. A whole year of minor sins, gone.

Imam al-Nawawi (RA) explained this clearly — the expiation covers minor sins. For major sins, sincere tawbah is what is needed. But this is still one of the most generous gifts Allah has placed in our calendar.

Do not let it pass while you are sleeping in.

The Prophet (PBUH) Fasted It Even When He Did Not Have To

When fasting in Ramadan became obligatory, fasting on Ashura became voluntary. No one was required anymore.

And yet, Aisha (RA) tells us:

"Allah's Messenger ordered (the Muslims) to fast on the day of Ashura, and when fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed, it became optional for one to fast on that day or not." — (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

He could have stopped. He didn't.

Because some things you do not do because you have to. You do them because you understand what they are worth.

Muharram Is the Month of Allah

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

"The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah that you call Muharram. The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the night prayer." — (Sahih Muslim 1163)

He called it Shahrullah — the Month of Allah. Not the month of the Ummah. Not the month of worship. The Month of Allah Himself.

And He placed Ashura at its heart.

How to Actually Spend This Day — Simply and Sincerely

Fast. This Is the Main Thing.

The Prophet (PBUH) fasted. And he wanted us to fast.

The recommended way, in order of preference:

Best: Fast the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram Better: Fast the 9th and 10th together Minimum: Fast the 10th alone

Why add the 9th?

The Prophet (PBUH) said near the end of his life:

"If I live to see the next year, in sha Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too." — (Sahih Muslim 1916)

He passed away before that year came. But his intention was recorded, and the scholars preserved it. The wisdom is to be different from those who only fast the tenth, and to be on the safe side with the moon sighting.

As Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

"Fast the day of Ashura, and be different from the Jews with regard to it; fast the day before it or the day after it." — (Musnad Ahmad)

Imam al-Shafi'i, Imam Ahmad, and Imam Ishaq all said: fast both the 9th and 10th.

If you missed the 9th, the 10th and 11th is also accepted.

Just fast. Pick the option that works and commit to it tonight.

Open the Quran and Read the Stories

Let the Quran speak to you on this day, not just about rulings, but about the people whose stories are woven into Ashura.

Read Surah Ash-Shu'ara for the parting of the sea. Read Surah Yusuf for the man who walked out of prison. Read Surah Al-Anbiya for Yunus calling from the deep. Read Surah Al-Baqarah for Adam being forgiven.

Let these not be stories you already know. Let them be stories that find you exactly where you are today.

Allah says:

"And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], 'Bring out your people from darknesses into the light and remind them of the days of Allah.' Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful." — (Surah Ibrahim, 14:5)

Remind yourself. These are the days of Allah.

Give Sadaqah — Even If It Is Small

This is a day to give. There is a narration in Baihaqi that mentions being generous to one's family on Ashura. Whether you hold it as practice or as an opportunity, the spirit of it is right:

Be generous today.

Give to someone who needs it. Help a neighbor. Feed someone. Sponsor an orphan. Do something with your hand, not just your tongue.

Because this day is not just for fasting while you wait for Iftar. It is for living like someone who understands what Allah did for His servants on this date.

Make Du'a Like You Mean It

Adam repented and was forgiven. Yunus called and was answered. Nuh prayed and found land.

This is a day when du'a should feel personal.

Sit down. Put your phone away. Face the qiblah.

Ask for what you have been afraid to ask for. Ask for forgiveness you feel you do not deserve. Ask for the people you love. Ask for the Ummah.

And mean it.

Keep Your Dhikr Going All Day

Let your tongue not be idle today. While you cook, while you walk, while you wait:

SubhanAllah. Alhamdulillah. Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah. Astaghfirullah.

Send salawat on the Prophet (PBUH). Especially today, on a day so deeply connected to his love, his fast, and his gratitude.

Tell Your Children the Stories

If you have children, or younger siblings, or nieces and nephews — gather them tonight.

Tell them about the sea that split. Tell them about the boy who was thrown into a well and became a king. Tell them about the man in the whale. Tell them about Hussain.

Let Ashura mean something in your home. Not just a day you fasted. A day they remember.

What Ashura Is Not

This matters, because love for this day can sometimes lead people toward things that were never part of it.

Scholars — including Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) in his detailed response on the matter — were very clear:

There is no special ghusl for Ashura. No specific kohl. No particular dish to cook as a religious ritual. No decorating or celebrating with the spirit of Eid.

And on the other side — no chest-beating, no wailing, no self-harm, no dramatized mourning ceremonies.

Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) said, and his words are worth pausing on:

Neither the Prophet (PBUH) nor his Companions (RA) nor the rightly-guided caliphs made this day a day of mourning, nor a day of celebration. None of the four great Imams endorsed either extreme.

What they did was fast.

So we fast.

And we keep our hearts sincere.

Before You Close This Article

Have you ever thought about the fact that every prophet who was saved, forgiven, healed, or honored on this day — fasted?

Nuh (AS) fasted when the flood was over.

Musa (AS) fasted when Pharaoh drowned.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fasted when he learned what this day carried.

They did not hold conferences about it. They did not debate its significance. They simply gave something to Allah in return for what He gave them.

One day. A clean fast. A grateful heart.

And Allah wiped away a year.

We live in a time when we want big moments, big feelings, and big spiritual experiences. And yet here is a day that asks for something quiet. Something internal.

Just stop eating. Remember what Allah did. Say thank you the way the prophets did.

And trust that Allah, who parted the sea for Musa, who answered Yunus from the deep, who forgave Adam from the very beginning — is still listening.

He always has been.

O Allah, allow us to reach Ashura in good health and sincere intention. Accept our fasting, forgive our minor sins, cover our faults, and let this day be a turning point for hearts that have been too long away from You.

O Allah, have mercy on Musa and his people. Have mercy on Hussain and his family. Have mercy on every servant who ever fasted this day seeking nothing but Your face.

Grant us patience in our trials, the way Ayyub was patient. Grant us trust, the way Yusuf trusted. Grant us a heart that returns to You, the way Adam returned.

Ameen.

#Ashura #Muharram #10thMuharram #YawmAshura #Ashura2026 #What is Ashura #Ashura 2026 #How to observe Ashura #Why Muslims fast Ashura

What Were You Doing on the Day the Sea Split?

Have you ever stopped in the middle of your day and thought about how many miracles happened before you were born?

Not the small ones.

All of it happened. And most of it happened on the same day.

The 10th of Muharram.

Yawm al-Ashura.

We talk about Ashura every year. We share posts about fasting. We remind each other of the date. And then, sometimes, the day passes and we are not quite sure what we actually felt.

Maybe because we do not truly know what this day carries.

So let me try, with sincerity, to lay it out for you. Not as a lecture. Not as a list to scroll past. But as a conversation between people who care about the same things.

Because this day deserves more than a reminder notification.

First, What Does Ashura Even Mean?

The word Ashura (عَاشُورَاء) comes from the Arabic word for ten — 'Ashara. It simply means: the tenth day.

The tenth day of Muharram. The first month of the Islamic calendar.

And Muharram itself is not an ordinary month. Allah (SWT) set it apart from the very beginning of creation. He says in the Quran:

"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred." — (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:36)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) named them for us:

Within this sacred month, the 10th day stands alone.

It always has.

The Day the Prophet (PBUH) Could Not Stop Thinking About

Before we talk about history, pause here for a second.

Ibn Abbas (RA) said something that has stayed with me:

"I never saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of Ashura, and this month, meaning Ramadan." — (Sahih Al-Bukhari 1867)

Think about that.

That tells you something.

That tells you everything.

What Happened on This Day — The Stories You Need to Know

1. Prophet Musa (AS) and the Parting of the Red Sea — The Event That Started It All

This is the one. The authenticated, agreed-upon, Bukhari-and-Muslim confirmed event. The reason the Prophet (PBUH) fasted on this day.

When the Prophet (PBUH) first arrived in Madinah, he noticed the Jewish community fasting. He asked about it. Ibn Abbas (RA) narrates what happened next:

Now close your eyes for a moment and picture it.

Musa (AS) and his people — hundreds of thousands of them — are running. Behind them is Pharaoh's army. Horses, soldiers, chariots, dust. In front of them is the Red Sea.

There is nowhere to go.

And then Allah commands Musa (AS):

"Strike with your staff the sea."

And the sea — this enormous, ancient, unmovable thing — splits. Twelve dry paths open up, one for each tribe of Israel. Walls of water stand upright like mountains on either side.

"And each portion was like a great towering mountain. And We saved Moses and those with him, all together. Then We drowned the others." — (Surah Ash-Shu'ara, 26:63–66)

Pharaoh drowned. The people walked to freedom.

And Musa (AS), when it was all over, fasted.

Not because anyone told him to. But because he wanted to say thank you to Allah in the most sincere way he knew.

The Prophet (PBUH) heard this story and said: we are closer to Musa than they are. And he fasted too.

And now it is our turn.

2. Prophet Nuh (AS) — When the Ark Finally Found Land

Imagine carrying the weight of your entire mission on a wooden boat.

On the day of Ashura, the Ark came to rest on the mountain of Al-Judi.

As reported through Imam Ahmad's Musnad, it is narrated:

"This is the day on which the Ark settled on Mount Joodi, so Nooh fasted this day in thanksgiving."

The flood was over.

Nuh (AS) stepped onto dry land for the first time in months, maybe longer, and his first instinct was not to eat, celebrate, or rest.

He fasted.

Because sometimes the deepest gratitude does not come from what you say. It comes from what you willingly give up.

3. Prophet Adam (AS) — The First Forgiveness

There are scholars who mention that it was on this day that Prophet Adam (AS) turned to Allah in repentance after eating from the forbidden tree, and Allah accepted it.

The first human being. The first sin. The first forgiveness.

And Allah says of that moment in the Quran:

"Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful." — (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:37)

If Allah forgave Adam — the first man, who made the first mistake — what makes you think He will not forgive you on this day?

Ask.

4. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) — Born Into a World That Would Try to Burn Him

Born on Ashura.

It is almost as if this day was always meant to carry weight.

5. Prophet Yusuf (AS) — From the Bottom of a Well to the Gates of a Palace

His own brothers threw him into a well and left him there.

He was sold into slavery. Falsely accused. Imprisoned for years for something he did not do.

And through every single one of those trials, he held on. He did not become bitter. He did not lose his faith. He did not stop trusting Allah.

On the day of Ashura, he walked out of prison.

His story, Surah Yusuf, ends with a truth that should ring in our ears on this day:

"Indeed, it is He who is the Subtle in fulfilling what He wills. Indeed, He is the Knowing, the Wise." — (Surah Yusuf, 12:100)

Whatever prison you are in right now — know that Yusuf walked out on Ashura.

6. Prophet Yunus (AS) — Called From the Darkest Place Possible

Inside the belly of a whale. In the middle of a dark sea. In the depths of darkness layered upon darkness.

And from there, Yunus (AS) called:

"There is no god but You; Glory be to You; Verily, I have been of the wrongdoers." — (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:87)

And on the day of Ashura, he was cast out onto the shore, alive.

If Allah can hear a man calling from inside a whale, at the bottom of an ocean, in the dark — He can hear you too.

7. Prophet Ayyub (AS) — The End of a Very Long Trial

Ayyub (AS) lost his health, his wealth, and his family. He suffered for years. And he stayed patient.

He never stopped calling on Allah.

And on this day, Allah restored everything. His health came back. His family returned.

"And We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We restored his family to him and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us." — (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:84)

If you are going through something long and exhausting and you cannot see when it will end — Ayyub (AS) made it through. And so did Yusuf. And Yunus. And Nuh.

Ashura is the day Allah showed up for all of them.

He will show up for you too.

8. Prophet Ya'qub (AS) — A Father Who Could See Again

Ya'qub (AS) lost his son Yusuf for years. He grieved so deeply that his eyes went white from weeping.

And when Yusuf's shirt was brought to him as a sign that his son was alive, Allah returned his sight.

Father and son. Reunited. Eyes open again.

Some narrations connect this moment of reunion and restored sight to the blessed day of Ashura.

What a day for a father's du'a to finally be answered.

9. Prophet Dawud (AS) and Prophet Sulayman (AS) — Forgiven and Given Everything

Dawud (AS), the prophet-king whose repentance shook the heavens, was forgiven on this day.

Sulayman (AS), whose kingdom was so extraordinary that it included command over humans, jinn, animals, and even the wind, was granted that kingdom on this day.

Two different prophets. Two different blessings. The same sacred day.

10. The Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) at Karbala — 61 AH

We cannot speak of Ashura and leave this out.

It would be dishonest.

On the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH — the year 680 CE — Hussain ibn Ali (RA), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was killed on the plains of Karbala, Iraq.

He was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) and Fatimah (RA), the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH).

He stood against a ruler, Yazid ibn Muawiyah, whose conduct many Muslims of that time could not accept. He was asked to pledge allegiance. He refused.

He had with him 72 companions — men, and the women and children of his household. Facing an army numbered in the thousands.

By the end of that day, Hussain (RA) and most of his companions had been killed. The women and children were taken captive.

And yet he did not surrender his principles.

This is why his name echoes across fourteen centuries.

We do not beat our chests. We do not wail in the streets. We do not practice what was never practiced by the Companions (RA) or the four great Imams.

But we remember.

And we fast.

And we ask Allah to be pleased with Hussain and his household, and to have mercy on all those who stood on the side of truth.

The Virtues of This Day — What Ashura Gives You

Fasting Wipes Away a Year of Minor Sins

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

One day. One fast. A whole year of minor sins, gone.

Do not let it pass while you are sleeping in.

The Prophet (PBUH) Fasted It Even When He Did Not Have To

When fasting in Ramadan became obligatory, fasting on Ashura became voluntary. No one was required anymore.

And yet, Aisha (RA) tells us:

He could have stopped. He didn't.

Because some things you do not do because you have to. You do them because you understand what they are worth.

Muharram Is the Month of Allah

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

"The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah that you call Muharram. The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the night prayer." — (Sahih Muslim 1163)

He called it Shahrullah — the Month of Allah. Not the month of the Ummah. Not the month of worship. The Month of Allah Himself.

And He placed Ashura at its heart.

How to Actually Spend This Day — Simply and Sincerely

Fast. This Is the Main Thing.

The Prophet (PBUH) fasted. And he wanted us to fast.

The recommended way, in order of preference:

Best: Fast the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram Better: Fast the 9th and 10th together Minimum: Fast the 10th alone

Why add the 9th?

The Prophet (PBUH) said near the end of his life:

"If I live to see the next year, in sha Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too." — (Sahih Muslim 1916)

As Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

"Fast the day of Ashura, and be different from the Jews with regard to it; fast the day before it or the day after it." — (Musnad Ahmad)

Imam al-Shafi'i, Imam Ahmad, and Imam Ishaq all said: fast both the 9th and 10th.

If you missed the 9th, the 10th and 11th is also accepted.

Just fast. Pick the option that works and commit to it tonight.

Open the Quran and Read the Stories

Let the Quran speak to you on this day, not just about rulings, but about the people whose stories are woven into Ashura.

Let these not be stories you already know. Let them be stories that find you exactly where you are today.

Allah says:

Remind yourself. These are the days of Allah.

Give Sadaqah — Even If It Is Small

This is a day to give. There is a narration in Baihaqi that mentions being generous to one's family on Ashura. Whether you hold it as practice or as an opportunity, the spirit of it is right:

Be generous today.

Give to someone who needs it. Help a neighbor. Feed someone. Sponsor an orphan. Do something with your hand, not just your tongue.

Because this day is not just for fasting while you wait for Iftar. It is for living like someone who understands what Allah did for His servants on this date.

Make Du'a Like You Mean It

Adam repented and was forgiven. Yunus called and was answered. Nuh prayed and found land.

This is a day when du'a should feel personal.

Sit down. Put your phone away. Face the qiblah.

Ask for what you have been afraid to ask for. Ask for forgiveness you feel you do not deserve. Ask for the people you love. Ask for the Ummah.

And mean it.

Keep Your Dhikr Going All Day

Let your tongue not be idle today. While you cook, while you walk, while you wait:

SubhanAllah. Alhamdulillah. Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah. Astaghfirullah.

Send salawat on the Prophet (PBUH). Especially today, on a day so deeply connected to his love, his fast, and his gratitude.

Tell Your Children the Stories

If you have children, or younger siblings, or nieces and nephews — gather them tonight.

Tell them about the sea that split. Tell them about the boy who was thrown into a well and became a king. Tell them about the man in the whale. Tell them about Hussain.

Let Ashura mean something in your home. Not just a day you fasted. A day they remember.

What Ashura Is Not

This matters, because love for this day can sometimes lead people toward things that were never part of it.

Scholars — including Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) in his detailed response on the matter — were very clear:

There is no special ghusl for Ashura. No specific kohl. No particular dish to cook as a religious ritual. No decorating or celebrating with the spirit of Eid.

And on the other side — no chest-beating, no wailing, no self-harm, no dramatized mourning ceremonies.

Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) said, and his words are worth pausing on:

Neither the Prophet (PBUH) nor his Companions (RA) nor the rightly-guided caliphs made this day a day of mourning, nor a day of celebration. None of the four great Imams endorsed either extreme.

What they did was fast.

So we fast.

And we keep our hearts sincere.

Before You Close This Article

Have you ever thought about the fact that every prophet who was saved, forgiven, healed, or honored on this day — fasted?

Nuh (AS) fasted when the flood was over.

Musa (AS) fasted when Pharaoh drowned.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fasted when he learned what this day carried.

They did not hold conferences about it. They did not debate its significance. They simply gave something to Allah in return for what He gave them.

One day. A clean fast. A grateful heart.

And Allah wiped away a year.

We live in a time when we want big moments, big feelings, and big spiritual experiences. And yet here is a day that asks for something quiet. Something internal.

Just stop eating. Remember what Allah did. Say thank you the way the prophets did.

And trust that Allah, who parted the sea for Musa, who answered Yunus from the deep, who forgave Adam from the very beginning — is still listening.

He always has been.

O Allah, have mercy on Musa and his people. Have mercy on Hussain and his family. Have mercy on every servant who ever fasted this day seeking nothing but Your face.

Grant us patience in our trials, the way Ayyub was patient. Grant us trust, the way Yusuf trusted. Grant us a heart that returns to You, the way Adam returned.

Ameen.

#Ashura #Muharram #10thMuharram #YawmAshura #Ashura2026 #What is Ashura #Ashura 2026 #How to observe Ashura #Why Muslims fast Ashura

#10thmuharram

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#10thmuharram