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The Fast of 'Ashura
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi Vol VIII No. 3 & 4
Some traditions are found in Sunni books to the effect that the
Prophet (s.a.w.) on migrating to Medina found the Jews fasting on the 10th of Muharram. He
asked them why, and was told: "It is an auspicious day; it is the day when God
delivered the children of Israel from their enemy (i.e. Pharaoh); and, therefore, Moses
fasted on that day." The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "I am worthier of Moses than you
are." Thereupon, he fasted on that day and ordered (the Muslims) to fast. 1. al-Sahih of al-Bukhari, Vol.3; Egypt ed.; p.54 2. Mishkatul-Masabih; Delhi ed.; 1307 A.H.; p.l72 It is noted by the commentator of Mishkatul-Masabih that
"it was in the second year, because in the first year the Prophet had arrived at
Medina after 'Ashura, in Rabi'ul-awwal." How much importance was this fast supposed to have may be judged
from another tradition narrated in al-Sahih of. al-Bukhari: "The Prophet (s.a.w.)
ordered a man from the (tribe of) Aslam: Announce to the people that whoever has eaten
should fast the rest of the day, and whoever has not eaten should fast (the whole day),
because today is the 'Ashura (10th day of Muharram)." That very year the fast of Ramadan was ordained and the obligation
to fast on 'Ashura was abrogated, as has been claimed in other traditions narrated in the
same book. Still, reportedly, it carries much importance as a voluntary fast. Now let us look closely at these traditions: First: The Jews had their own calendar and months.
There is no logic in saying that they fasted on the 10th of Muharram - unless it could be
proved that this date always coincided with a Jewish day of fast. It was mentioned in my article, "Martyrdom of Imam Husayn
and the Muslim and the Jewish Calendars" (Alserat, Vol.VI, No's 3 & 4;
Muharram 1401 Nov.1980) that the first month of the Jews (Abib, later named Nisan)
coincided with Rajab of the Arabs. W.O.E.Oesterley and Theodore H.Robinson have written
that in Arabia "the most important of all the new-moon festivals was that which fell
in the month of Ragab (sic), equivalent to the Hebrew month 'Abib, for this was the time
when the ancient Arabs celebrated the Spring festival." (Hebrew Religion;
S.P.C.K., London; 1955; p.128) Probably, in ancient times the two branches of Abraham's house
followed the same system of intercalating an additional month 7 times in a cycle of 19
years. And in this way the 7th Jewish month, Tishri I, coincided with Muharram. And the
'Ashura of Muharram synchronized with 10th of Tishri I, the Jewish Day of Atonement - a
day of fast. In that article, it was observed that the two calendars lost their
synchronization when Islam, in the 9th year of hijra, disallowed intercalation. But on
deeper consideration it transpired that that parity was lost long before the advent of
Islam, because the Arabs did not follow any mathematical calculation in their
intercalation. That was why the Muharram of the 2nd year of Hijra began on 5th July, 623
C.E. (Al-Munjid, 21st ed.), months before Tishri I (which always coincides with
September-October). Clearly, 'Ashura of Muharram in that year (or, for that matter,
during the Prophet's whole life at Medina) had no significance whatsoever for the Jews. The question is: Why did they fast on that day? Second: The Jewish Midrashic literature relates the
10th day of the 7th month (Yom Hakippurim - Day of Atonement) to the event of bringing the
tablets of the Covenant from Mount Sinai, as Dr. Mishael Maswari-Caspi has written in his
letter, quoted in my previous article, mentioned above. The question is: If the Jews had wanted to keep the long-lost
synchronization of Tishri I and Muharram in view, how was it that they forgot to narrate
this tradition to the Prophet? Third: The month in which God delivered the Israelites
from Pharaoh was Abib (i.e. Rajab), as the Bible clearly says: "Observe the month
of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord
thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." (Deut., 16:1) The question is: How could the Jews transfer an event of Abib
(originally coinciding with Rajab) to Muharram, in open defiance of their Torah? And lastly here is a point to ponder for the Muslims:
The Prophet (s.a.w.) was sent with a religion to abrogate all previous religions and
shari'ah. How was it that he deigned to imitate the custom of the Jews? It is clear from above-mentioned facts that the Jews had no reason
at all to fast on 'Ashura of Muharram at that period; and this story, built on that
premise, is just that - a fiction. Obviously, it was invented by a narrator who only knew
that once upon a time Muharram coincided with the Jews' Tishri I; but was totally unaware
of contemporary Jewish religion and culture. One feels constrained to mention here that this and other such
traditions were forged by camp-followers of the Umayyads, after the martyrdom of Imam
Husayn, as a part of their campaign to turn the 10th of Muharram into a day of rejoicing.
These traditions are of the same genre as those which say that it was on the 10th of
Muharram that Noah's ark rested on Mount Arafat, the fire became cool and safe for
Abraham, and Jesus ascended to the heaven. In the same category came the traditions
exhorting the Muslims to treat 'Ashura as a festival of joy, and to store one's food-grain
on this very day as it would increase one's sustenance and bring the blessings of Allah to
the household.
