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The Day of Ashura
By: Ayatullah Shaheed Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim
The 10th of Muharram, the Day of ‘Ashura' is the day on which Imam al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (‘a), the Holy Prophet’s grandson and the son of the Veracious Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (‘a), was slain. The Imam (‘a) was martyred in such an astounding way that it’s like cannot be found in the history of humankind.
The Imam (‘a), eighteen family members, and approximately seventy companions—among whom were old men, master scholars, grand Sahabah (companions of the Holy Prophet (S)), Tabi’un (followers of the Holy Prophet’s companions), as well as children, women, boys, youth, adolescents, and an infant son of Imam Husayn (‘a). They were all slain after they were besieged and prevented from obtaining water to drink such that they departed this life thirsty—and this for no crime other than their refusal to swear allegiance to Yazid, the notorious tyrant.
Along with his family members and companions, Imam al-Husayn (‘a) fought bravely, showing the highest degree of resoluteness, steadfastness, endurance, maintenance of principles, and high moral standards in dealing with events, sparing no efforts in making clear the truth and goals for which they were ready to sacrifice their lives. As a result, they left a great impact on the progress of Islam and humanity.
We have already discussed the results of this event and explained the rites related to it.
To the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt and the individuals of the virtuous community, ‘Ashura' is seen as a day of expressing grief and sorrow. Following the example of the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), all the individuals of the virtuous community, like no other day, participate in such rites and hold large meetings.
There are certain etiquettes and rites for this day. The most important of these are the following:
• Perform ziyarah of Imam al-Husayn (‘a). An earlier indication has been made to the special formula of ziyarah on this day.
• Hold sessions commemorating Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom, express sorrow and weep for him, read the story of his martyrdom, and practice other acts of condolence previously referred to.
• Refrain from striving for any worldly benefit. In this respect, Imam al-Ridha (‘a) is reported to have said: If one refrains from striving for any worldly benefit on the tenth of Muharram, Almighty Allah will grant him all his needs for this world and the world to come. If one considers the tenth of Muharram a day of sadness and weeping, Almighty Allah will make the Day of Resurrection a day of delight and happiness; and he will be delighted with us in Paradise. If one considers the tenth of Muharram to be a blessed day and stores up any annual nutriment on this day, Almighty Allah will not bless that which he stored up and will add him to the gang of Yazid, ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, and ‘Umar ibn Sa’d—may Allah curse them all.1
• Exchange such words of condolence with believers: “May Allah magnify our rewards for suffering the misfortune of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom, and may He include you and us with the group of those who demand vengeance for him with his heir, Imam al-Mahdi (‘a), successor of the Household of Prophet Muhammad (S).”
• Serve food and water to the believers and participants of processions
• Curse and declare renunciation of those who slew Imam al-Husayn (‘a), and those who approved of their crime and imitated them up to the Day of Resurrection
• Repeat Surah al-Tawhid (al-Ikhlas, No. 112) as much as possible
The Umayyads and ‘Ashura'
The Umayyads used to deem blessed the tenth of Muharram, i.e. the Day of ‘Ashura', and regard it as a day of feast and celebration. They set themselves against the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) to mislead the Muslims and divert them from the reality of the events that took place on the tenth of Muharram and the goals of Imam al-Husayn’s uprising against them.
They forged many lies against the Holy Prophet (S) in this connection and fabricated many sayings with regard to fasting on this day and getting its blessings. Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported Ibn ‘Abbas as having said, “I have not seen the Prophet (S) laying so much stress on fasting on any day like the day of ‘Ashura' or any month like the month of Ramadhan.”
They also reported Abu-Musa al-Ash’ari as saying, “The (Jewish) people of Khaybar used to fast on the day of ‘Ashura', taking it for a joyful day and ordering their women to put on the best of their jewelry and clothes. Seeing them, the Prophet (S) ordered us to fast on that day, too.”2
From the totality of the traditions reported in Sunni and Shi’ite reference books of Hadith in this regard, we can conclude that the tenth of Muharram was an exceptional day for the Arabs of the pre-Islamic era and the Jews who used to take it as a feast day. The Holy Prophet (S) also used to fast on this day, but when the obligatory fasting of the month of Ramadhan was revealed, he abandoned fasting on this day.
However, the Umayyads, after slaying Imam al-Husayn (‘a), revived this tradition and made it a day of feast, blessing, and celebration. To further solidify the matter, they seduced some Sahabah under promise of money to testify to such abandoned and abrogated traditions to wreak vengeance upon the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and conceal the grave crime they had committed.
Al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Dawud reported ‘A'ishah to have said, “In the pre-Islamic era, the people of Quraysh, as well as the Prophet (S), used to fast on the day of ‘Ashura'. When he settled in Madinah, he sometimes fasted on that day and sometimes overlooked it. When the fasting of the month of Ramadhan was decreed, the Prophet (S) abandoned fasting on the day of ‘Ashura'. Therefore, you may fast on it or forsake it.”3
Through a valid chain of authority, Shaykh al-Kulayni has reported that Najiyyah ibn al-Harith al-’Attar asked Imam al-Baqir (‘a) about fasting on the day of ‘Ashura'.
The Imam (‘a) answered: Fasting on this day has been repealed by the divine command of fasting in the month of Ramadhan. To perform an abrogated matter is considered innovation (bid’ah).
Najiyyah then asked Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) about the same issue and received the same answer given to him by Imam al-Baqir (‘a).
The Imam (‘a) then added: Verily, to take this day (of ‘Ashura') as a day of fasting is neither determined by any Divine Book nor accepted as a norm, except as invented by the Family of Ziyad on account of their slaying Husayn ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him.4
According to another well-reported (hasan) tradition, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) has said: If one fasts on the day of ‘Ashura', he will be rewarded nothing but the recompense of the son of Marjanah (i.e. ‘Ubaydullah) and the family of Ziyad.
The reporter asked, “What was their recompense on that day?”
The Imam (‘a) answered: Fire! May Allah save us from the Fire and from any act that advances one towards it.5
Shaykh al-Saduq, in ‘Ilal al-Shara'i’, has reported that ‘Abdullah ibn al-Fadhl al-Hashimi once asked Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) how it came about that the people regarded the Day of ‘Ashura' as a day of celebration.
The Imam (‘a) wept and then said: When Husayn, peace be upon him, was slain, the people of Sham tried to win the favor of and pay court to Yazid. They fabricated narrations to his benefit and, in return, received financial prizes from him. One of these fabricated matters was that they made up many things regarding this day, introducing it as a day of blessing so that the people would show joyful appearance, seek its blessings, and ready themselves for festivals instead of showing sorrow and weeping, and taking this day as an unfortunate day, and expressing sadness. May Allah judge between us.6
It is therefore necessary for every righteous Muslim individual to be on one’s guard against this perverted act that aims at misleading the Muslims and driving them away from the historical truth and the noble standing of this great day.
1. - Al-Hurr al-’Amili, Wasa'il al-Shi’ah 10:394, H. 7.
2. - Mansur ‘Ali Nasif, al-Taj al-Jami’ lil-Usul 2:90. Other traditions are found on pages 88-92 of the same book.
3. - Mansur ‘Ali Nasif, al-Taj al-Jami’ lil-Usul 2:89.
4. - Shaykh al-Kulayni, al-Kafi 4:146, H. 4.
5. - Al-Hurr al-’Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi’ah 7:340-341.
6. - ‘Allamah al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar 44:270.
A tradition that is reported in Wasa’il al-Shi’ah 7:341, H. 7 demonstrates the same meaning.
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