The Book of Fasting

"‏ إِنِّي صَائِمٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَصُومَ فَلْيَصُمْ "

I am fasting today, so he who wishes to observe fast should do so; but he did not make mention of the rest of the hadith.

"‏ نَحْنُ أَوْلَى بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ ‏"

It is the day on which Allah granted victory to Moses and (his people) Bani Isra'il over the Pharaoh and we observe fast out of gratitude to Him. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: We have a closer connection with Moses than you have, and he commanded to observe fast on this day.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، ‏.‏

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Bishr with the same chain of transmitters (but with a slight variation) that he (the Holy Prophet) inquired of them (Jews) about it (fasting on the day of 'Ashura).

وَحَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، - رضى الله عنهما - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَوَجَدَ الْيَهُودَ صِيَامًا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا هَذَا الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي تَصُومُونَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا هَذَا يَوْمٌ عَظِيمٌ أَنْجَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ وَغَرَّقَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمَهُ فَصَامَهُ مُوسَى شُكْرًا فَنَحْنُ نَصُومُهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْلَى بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَصَامَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ ‏.‏

What is the (significance) of this day that you observe fast on it? They said: It is the day of great (significance) when Allah delivered Moses and his people, and drowned the Pharaoh and his people, and Moses observed fast out of gratitude and we also observe it. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: We have more right, and we have a closer connection with Moses than you have; so Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observed fast (on the day of 'Ashura), and gave orders that it should be observed.

وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ عَنِ ابْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، لَمْ يُسَمِّهِ ‏.‏

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ayyub with the same chain of transmitters.

"‏ صُومُوهُ أَنْتُمْ ‏"

The day of 'Ashura was one which the Jews respected and they treated it as Id. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: You also observe fast on this day.

"‏ فَصُومُوهُ أَنْتُمْ ‏"

You (only) observe fast on this day.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، - قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، - عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ، سَمِعَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، - رضى الله عنهما - وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَامِ، يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ مَا عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَامَ يَوْمًا يَطْلُبُ فَضْلَهُ عَلَى الأَيَّامِ إِلاَّ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ وَلاَ شَهْرًا إِلاَّ هَذَا الشَّهْرَ يَعْنِي رَمَضَانَ ‏.‏

I do not know Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) singling out any day's fast and considering it more excellent than another, except this day (the day of Ashura) and this month, meaning the month of Ramadan.

وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ، اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي يَزِيدَ فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمِثْلِهِ ‏.‏

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of 'Ubaidullah b. Abi Yazid.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ، عَنْ حَاجِبِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ الأَعْرَجِ، قَالَ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ - رضى الله عنهما - وَهُوَ مُتَوَسِّدٌ رِدَاءَهُ فِي زَمْزَمَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ صَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ هِلاَلَ الْمُحَرَّمِ فَاعْدُدْ وَأَصْبِحْ يَوْمَ التَّاسِعِ صَائِمًا ‏.‏ قُلْتُ هَكَذَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏

I went to Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be Pleased with both of them) and he was reclining using his mantle as a pillow near the fountain of Zamzam. I said to him: Tell me about fasting on Ashura. He said: When you see the new moon of Muharram then count the (days) and observe fast on the 9th. I said to him: Is it how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the fast? He said: Yes.