Moosa fasted ‘Aashoora' out of thanks to Allaah

19-12-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu Alaikum, Is there any other reason why Musa fasted on the day of Ashoora beside the following hadith: The hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (1865) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora’. He said, “What is this?” They said, “This is a good day, this is the day when Allaah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moosa fasted on this day.” He said, “We are closer to Moosa than you.” So he fasted on this day and told the people to fast.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The Hadeeth mentions that Prophet Moosa (Moses) observed fasting on the Day of ‘Ashooraa’ (the tenth of Muharram) as an expression of gratitude to Allaah and we know of no other reason for which he fasted on that day.

The Hadeeth was reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad with the following wording: "...and this is the day when the ship (of Prophet Nooh [Noah]) came to rest on (Mount) Judi, so Nooh and Moosa fasted on it to show gratitude to Allaah." Shaykh Shu‘ayb Al-Arnaa'oot classified its chain of narrators as weak in his revision of the Musnad.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 276160.

Allaah Knows best.