Tasu’a and Ashura

Abu Hurayrah (RA) reports that the Prophet (SAW) was once asked about which prayer is more virtuous after the daily obligatory prayers and he answered “it is prayers at midnight”. When the Prophet (SAW) was asked about the most virtuous after Ramadan fast, he answered “it is fasting in the month of Muharram”. Imam Malik […]

Abu Hurayrah (RA) reports that the Prophet (SAW) was once asked about which prayer is more virtuous after the daily obligatory prayers and he answered “it is prayers at midnight”. When the Prophet (SAW) was asked about the most virtuous after Ramadan fast, he answered “it is fasting in the month of Muharram”.
Imam Malik and all the six authentic compilers of Hadith relate on the authority of Yahaya that Mu’awiyyah bn Abi Sufyan said on ’Ashura day in the year he performed hajj that he heard the Prophet (SAW) say, “This is the day of ’Ashura, and fasting it has not been prescribed for you. I am fasting it and whoever amongst you that wants to fast it can do so; and whoever does not want to may eat (leave it)”. Malik (RA) also reports that Umar bn al-Khattab, the second Khalifah in Islam after Abubakar as-Sadiq, sent the following message to al-Harith bn Hisham: “Tomorrow is the day of ’Ashura, so fast (it) and tell your family to fast (also).
Aisha (RA) wife of the prophet (SAW) said, ‘The day of ’Ashura was a day the Quraysh used to fast in the Jahiliyyah (period), and the Prophet (SAW) also used to fast it. Then when the Prophet (SAW) came to Madinah, he fasted on the day and ordered that it be fasted (by others). Thereafter, Ramadan was made obligatory and that became compulsory instead of ’Ashura. Whoever wanted to, fasted it (i.e. ’Ashura) and whoever did not want to, left it”.
Ibn Abbas (RA) also reports that it was once said to the Prophet (SAW) when he fasted on an ’Ashura day that it was a revered day to the Jews and Christians. The Prophet (SAW) responded to the comment saying: ‘Next year (If Allah permits), I will (even) fast on the 9th day of Muharram’. Unfortunately, the Prophet (SAW) did not live to see the following year. Fasting on the 9th day of the Islamic lunar month of Muharram is called Tasu’a. Observing voluntary fast on the 9th and 10th of Muharram is thus part of the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW).
Based on the preceding texts of the traditions of the Prophet (SAW), scholars categorize the voluntary fast of ’Ashura in to three levels namely: (1) Observing voluntary fast on the 9th, 10th and 11th of Muharram. (2) Observing voluntary fast on the 9th (Tasu’a) and 10th (’Ashura) of the month of Muharram; and (3) Observing voluntary fast on the 10th of Muharram (’Ashura) only. A believer may choose to observe the ’Ashura voluntary fast at any of the three levels suggested above by scholars.
The practice in some Muslim communities of Nigeria where people particularly youths, as part of activities on the 9th day of Muharram to mark the new hijrah year, engage in some kind of traditional fireworks; sometimes leading some ‘celebrants’ in to sustaining burns and injuries. Although the practice (called woriwo in Nupe) is almost dead in places where it is observed, it lacks any basis in Islam. Similarly, the practice on the 10th day of Muharram by which people congregate to forecast events (good and evil) that are likely to occur within the year in addition to asking people to give or offer specific monetary sacrifices are traditions unknown in the orthodox practice of Islam. If there are places where these activities are still observed to mark new hijrah year, they should be condemned and discouraged. May Allah (SWT) guide us to observe the Tasu’a and Ashura voluntary fast, amin.
Corrigendum:
Part of the first sentence in the first paragraph of last week’s piece on the 1435 hijrah year which reads “…to the end of 1435”; should have read “…to the end of 1434AH”. I thank the retired-but-not-tired-of-reading military officer and Sardauna-Nupe Major Ibrahim Y. Etsu (also a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs) who drew my attention to the inadvertent slip-up. The error is sincerely regretted.
David Mark’s remarks on FG-ASUU Agreement:
Senator David Mark’s recent comment on the FG-ASUU agreement that those who signed it ‘did not know their right from left’ is not only embarrasing to Nigerians but also insulting to the dignity and personality of members of the committee who are people of credible character. Mark’s idiosyncrasy could be blamed on his military mentality and insensitivity to matters that require diplomacy.
Even if David Mark has no children schooling in Nigeria, he can not pretend to be oblivious of the systemic decay in Nigerian universities.
Senator Mark has probably forgotten that President Goodluck Jonathan (as Nigeria’s vice president then)  was part of the negotiations that led to the agreement in 2009. If Mark is to be believed that those who negotiated and signed the agreement were clueless, then God knows how many worthless agreements President Jonathan might have signed on behalf of the Nigerian people since he assumed office as president.
Those who refuse to honour agreements consciously entered into can neither be trusted nor called leaders. Whatever David Mark feels or may want to believe about the on-gonig ASUU strike, the 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement is sacrosanct and binding in any court of law; and the federal government knows it too well. May Allah (SWT) give Nigerians trusted leaders that would ever remain sensitive to the feelings of the people they govern, amin.