Answer
✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَعْیَنَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ جَمِیعاً أَنَّهُمَا سَأَلَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الْبَاقِرَ عَنْ صَوْمِ یَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ کَانَ صَوْمُهُ قَبْلَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ- فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ تُرِکَ.
📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 85
Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Ashura. The Imam said: 'It was a fast before the month of Ramadan, but when the fast of the month of Ramadan was revealed, it was abandoned!'
2 عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِکِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ صَوْمِ تَاسُوعَاءَ وَ عَاشُورَاءَ مِنْ شَهْرِ الْمُحَرَّمِ فَقَالَ تَاسُوعَاءُ یَوْمٌ حُوصِرَ فِیهِ الْحُسَیْنُ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ رَضِیَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ بِکَرْبَلَاءَ وَ اجْتَمَعَ عَلَیْهِ خَیْلُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَ أَنَاخُوا عَلَیْهِ وَ فَرِحَ ابْنُ مَرْجَانَةَ وَ عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ- بِتَوافر الْخَیْلِ وَ کَثْرَتِهَا وَ اسْتَضْعَفُوا فِیهِ الْحُسَیْنَ وَ أَصْحَابَهُ کَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَ أَیْقَنُوا أَنْ لَا یَأْتِیَ الْحُسَیْنَ نَاصِرٌ وَ لَا یُمِدَّهُ أَهْلُ الْعِرَاقِ بِأَبِی الْمُسْتَضْعَفُ الْغَرِیبُ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ أَمَّا یَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ- فَیَوْمٌ أُصِیبَ فِیهِ الْحُسَیْنُ صَرِیعاً بَیْنَ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ صَرْعَی حَوْلَهُ أَ فَصَوْمٌ یَکُونُ فِی ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمِ کَلَّا وَ رَبِّ الْبَیْتِ الْحَرَامِ مَا هُوَ یَوْمُ صَوْمٍ وَ مَا هُوَ إِلَّا یَوْمُ حُزْنٍ وَ مُصِیبَةٍ دَخَلَتْ عَلَی أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ وَ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ وَ جَمِیعِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَ یَوْمُ فَرَحٍ وَ سُرُورٍ لِابْنِ مَرْجَانَةَ وَ آلِ زِیَادٍ وَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ- غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ عَلَی ذُرِّیَّاتِهِمْ وَ ذَلِکَ یَوْمٌ بَکَتْ عَلَیْهِ جَمِیعُ بِقَاعِ الْأَرْضِ خَلَا بُقْعَةِ الشَّامِ فَمَنْ صَامَهُ أَوْ تَبَرَّکَ بِهِ حَشَرَهُ اللَّهُ مَعَ آلِ زِیَادٍ مَمْسُوخَ الْقَلْبِ مَسْخُوطاً عَلَیْهِ وَ مَنِ ادَّخَرَ إِلَی مَنْزِلِهِ فِیهِ ذَخِیرَةً أَعْقَبَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَی نِفَاقاً فِی قَلْبِهِ إِلَی یَوْمِ یَلْقَاهُ وَ انْتَزَعَ الْبَرَکَةَ عَنْهُ وَ عَنْ أَهْلِ بَیْتِهِ وَ وُلْدِهِ وَ شَارَکَهُ الشَّیْطَانُ فِی جَمِیعِ ذَلِکَ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 147
Abdul-Malik said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Tasu'a and Ashura from the month of Muharram.' The Imam said: 'The day of Tasu'a was the day that Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were besieged in Karbala and the horsemen of the people of Shaam gathered against him and stayed with him, and the son of Marjanah and Umar ibn Sa'd were happy with the abundance and multitude of the horsemen, and they considered Husayn (peace be upon him) and his companions, may Allah honor their faces, to be weak, and they were certain that no helper would come to Husayn (peace be upon him) and that the people of Iraq would not help him. May my father be a ransom for that oppressed stranger!'
Then he said: 'And as for the day of Ashura, it is the day that Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed and fell to the ground among his companions, and his companions also fell to the ground around him. Is there a fast on such a day?! Never, by the Lord of the Ka'bah! Such a day is not a day of fasting, it is only a day of sorrow and calamity that befell the people of the sky and the earth and all believers, and it is a day of joy and happiness for the son of Marjanah and the family of Ziyad and the people of Shaam, upon whom be the wrath of Allah and their descendants. And it is a day on which all parts of the earth, except the land of Shaam, wept for him. So whoever fasts that day or seeks blessing from it, Allah will resurrect him with a heart that has been distorted and is under wrath, with the family of Ziyad, and whoever stores something for his house on that day, Allah will leave hypocrisy in his heart until the day he meets Him, and He will take away the blessing from him and his family and his children, and the devil will become a partner in all of them!'
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3 عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عِیسَی قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا عَنْ صَوْمِ یَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ وَ مَا یَقُولُ النَّاسُ فِیهِ فَقَالَ عَنْ صَوْمِ ابْنِ مَرْجَانَةَ تَسْأَلُنِی ذَلِکَ یَوْمٌ صَامَهُ الْأَدْعِیَاءُ مِنْ آلِ زِیَادٍ لِقَتْلِ الْحُسَیْنِ وَ هُوَ یَوْمٌ یَتَشَاءَمُ بِهِ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ- وَ یَتَشَاءَمُ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ الْیَوْمُ الَّذِی یَتَشَاءَمُ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْإِسْلَامِ لَا یُصَامُ وَ لَا یُتَبَرَّکُ بِهِ وَ یَوْمُ الْإِثْنَیْنِ یَوْمُ نَحْسٍ قَبَضَ اللَّهُ فِیهِ نَبِیَّهُ وَ مَا أُصِیبَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ إِلَّا فِی یَوْمِ الْإِثْنَیْنِ- فَتَشَاءَمْنَا بِهِ وَ تَبَرَّکَ بِهِ عَدُوُّنَا وَ یَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ قُتِلَ الْحُسَیْنُ وَ تَبَرَّکَ بِهِ ابْنُ مَرْجَانَةَ- وَ تَشَاءَمَ بِهِ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ فَمَنْ صَامَهُمَا أَوْ تَبَرَّکَ بِهِمَا لَقِیَ اللَّهَ تَبَارَکَ وَ تَعَالَی مَمْسُوخَ الْقَلْبِ وَ کَانَ مَحْشَرُهُ مَعَ الَّذِینَ سَنُّوا صَوْمَهُمَا وَ التَّبَرُّکَ بِهِمَا.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 146
Ja'far ibn Isa said: 'I asked Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Ashura and what people say about it.' The Imam said: 'Are you asking me about the fast of the son of Marjanah?! That is a day that the children of Ziyad, the bastards, fasted because of the killing of Husayn (peace be upon him), and it is a day that the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them) consider to be an ill omen, and the people of Islam also consider it to be a bad omen, and a day that the people of Islam consider to be a bad omen is not fasted and is not sought for blessing. And Monday is also an ominous day on which Allah took the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and the family of Muhammad were not afflicted with a calamity except on a Monday, so we consider it to be an ill omen, and our enemy sought blessing from it. And on the day of Ashura, Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed, and the son of Marjanah sought blessing from it and the family of Muhammad considered it to be an ill omen, so whoever fasts these two days or seeks blessing from them, he will meet Allah, the Blessed and Most High, with a distorted heart, and his resurrection will be with those who made it a tradition to fast on these two days and to seek blessing from them!'
4 عَنْ زَیْدٍ النَّرْسِیِّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عُبَیْدَ بْنَ زُرَارَةَ یَسْأَلُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ صَوْمِ یَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ- فَقَالَ مَنْ صَامَهُ کَانَ حَظُّهُ مِنْ صِیَامِ ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمِ حَظَّ ابْنِ مَرْجَانَةَ وَ آلِ زِیَادٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ: وَ مَا کَانَ حَظُّهُمْ مِنْ ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمِ قَالَ النَّارُ- أَعَاذَنَا اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ یُقَرِّبُ مِنَ النَّارِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 147
Zayd al-Narsi said: 'I heard Ubayd ibn Zurarah asking Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Ashura.' The Imam said: 'Whoever fasts it, his share from the fast of that day is the share of the son of Marjanah and the family of Ziyad.' He said: 'I said: 'What was their share from that day?' He said: 'Fire!' 'May Allah protect us from hell and every action that brings us close to hell!'
5 عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِیٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِی نَجِبه بْنُ الْحَارِثِ الْعَطَّارُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ صَوْمِ یَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ صَوْمٌ مَتْرُوکٌ بِنُزُولِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ الْمَتْرُوکُ بِدْعَةٌ قَالَ نَجِیَّةُ فَسَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَبِیهِ عَنْ ذَلِکَ فَأَجَابَنِی بِمِثْلِ جَوَابِ أَبِیهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ صَوْمُ یَوْمٍ مَا نَزَلَ بِهِ کِتَابٌ وَ لَا جَرَتْ بِهِ سُنَّةٌ إِلَّا سُنَّةُ آلِ زِیَادٍ بِقَتْلِ الْحُسَیْنِ بْنِ عَلِیٍّ
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 146
Najba said: 'I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Ashura.' He said: 'It is a fast that was abandoned with the revelation of the month of Ramadan, and what is abandoned is an innovation!'
Najba said: 'After Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), I also asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about it.' So he answered me the same as his father's answer. Then he said: 'Be aware that this is a fast that neither the Qur'an was revealed for it nor was a tradition established for it except the tradition of the family of Ziyad for the killing of Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him)!'
6 عَنْ حَرِیزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالا لَا تَصُمْ فِی یَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ وَ لَا عَرَفَةَ بِمَکَّةَ- وَ لَا فِی الْمَدِینَةِ وَ لَا فِی وَطَنِکَ وَ لَا فِی مِصْرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْصَارِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 146
Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them both) said: 'Do not fast on the day of Ashura and the day of Arafa, neither in Mecca nor in Medina nor in your hometown nor in any city!'
✅ Regarding the reason for the prohibition of fasting on the day of Arafa, there are separate narrations.
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7 عَنِ الْحُسَیْنِ بْنِ أَبِی غُنْدَرٍ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ صَوْمِ یَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ- فَقَالَ عِیدٌ مِنْ أَعْیَادِ الْمُسْلِمِینَ وَ یَوْمُ دُعَاءٍ وَ مَسْأَلَةٍ قُلْتُ فَصَوْمُ عَاشُورَاء قَالَ ذَاکَ یَوْمٌ قُتِلَ فِیهِ الْحُسَیْنُ فَإِنْ کُنْتَ شَامِتاً فَصُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ آلَ أُمَیَّةَ علیهم لعنة اللّه و من أعانهم علی قتل الحسین من أهل الشام نَذَرُوا نَذْراً إِنْ قُتِلَ الْحُسَیْنُ و سلم من خرج إلی الحسین (علیه السلام) و صارت الخلافة إلی آل أبی سفیان أَنْ یَتَّخِذُوا ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمَ عِیداً لَهُمْ یَصُومُونَ فِیهِ شُکْراً وَ یُفَرِّحُونَ أَوْلَادَهُمْ فَصَارَتْ فِی آلِ أَبِی سُفْیَانَ سُنَّةً إِلَی الْیَوْمِ فی الناس و اقتدی بهم الناس جمیعا فَلِذَلِکَ یَصُومُونَهُ وَ یُدْخِلُونَ عَلَی عِیَالاتِهِمْ وَ أَهَالِیهِمُ الْفَرَحَ ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الصَّوْمَ لَا یَکُونُ لِلْمُصِیبَةِ وَ لَا یَکُونُ إِلَّا شُکْراً لِلسَّلَامَةِ وَ إِنَّ الْحُسَیْنَ أُصِیبَ یَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَإِنْ کُنْتَ فِیمَنْ أُصِیبَ بِهِ فَلَا تَصُمْ وَ إِنْ کُنْتَ شَامِتاً مِمَّنْ سَرَّهُ سَلَامَةُ بَنِی أُمَیَّةَ فَصُمْ شُکْراً لِلَّهِ تَعَالَی
📚 Amali al-Tusi, Vol. 2, p. 279
Abi Ghundar said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about fasting on the day of Arafa.' The Imam said: 'It is a festival of the festivals of the Muslims and a day of supplication and request.' I said: 'What about fasting on the day of Ashura?' He said: 'That is the day that Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed in it, so if you intend to gloat and show happiness, fast!'
Then he said: 'Indeed, the family of Umayyah, may Allah curse them, and those from the people of Shaam who helped them in killing Husayn (peace be upon him) vowed that if Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed and those who went out to Husayn remained safe and the caliphate reached the family of Abu Sufyan, they would make that day a festival for themselves and fast for gratitude and make their children happy. So this became a tradition among the people in the family of Abu Sufyan until today, and all the people followed them, so for this reason, they fast it and bring joy to their families on that day. Then he said: 'Indeed, fasting is not for a calamity, it is only for gratitude for well-being. And indeed, Husayn (peace be upon him) was afflicted on the day of Ashura, so if you are from those who have been afflicted by his calamity, do not fast, and if you are from those who show joy and are made happy by the well-being of the Banu Umayyah, then fast for gratitude to Allah, the Most High!'
8 عَنْ عَبْداللَّه بْنِ سِنَانٍ قال: دَخَلْتُ عَلَی أَبِی عَبْداللَّه یَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فالقیته کاسف اللون ظاهر الحزن وَ دُمُوعُهُ تَنْحَدِرُ عَلَی عَیْنَیْهِ کَاللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمُتَسَاقِطِ فَقُلْتُ مِمَّ بُکَاؤُکَ فَقَالَ أَ فِی غَفْلَةٍ أَنْتَ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الْحُسَیْنَ أُصِیبَ فِی مِثْلِ هَذَا الْیَوْمِ فَقُلْتُ مَا قَوْلُکَ فِی صَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ لِی صُمْهُ مِنْ غَیْرِ تَبْیِیتٍ وَ أَفْطِرْهُ مِنْ غَیْرِ تَشْمِیتٍ وَ لَا تَجْعَلْهُ یَوْمَ صَوْمٍ کَمَلًا وَ لْیَکُنْ إِفْطَارُکَ بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ بِسَاعَةٍ عَلَی شَرْبَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَإِنَّهُ فِی مِثْلِ ذَلِکَ الْوَقْتِ مِنْ ذَلِکَ الْیَوْمِ تَجَلَّتِ الْهَیْجَاءُ عَنْ آلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
📚 Misbah al-Mutahajjid, p. 724
Abdullah ibn Sinan said: 'I entered upon Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura, and I found him with a pale color and with clear sorrow, and his tears were pouring from his eyes like pearls. I said: 'What is your crying for?' The Imam said: 'Do you not know?! Do you not know that Husayn (peace be upon him) was afflicted on a day like this?!' I said: 'What is your word about fasting on it?' The Imam said: 'Fast it without an intention at night and break it without intending to gloat, and do not make it a complete fast, and your breaking of the fast should be one hour after the Asr prayer with a drink of water, for indeed at a time like this on that day, the fighting was lifted from the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)....'
✅ According to the above narrations and others, fasting on the day of Ashura is one of the traditions of the Banu Umayyah and the family of Ziyad, may Allah curse them all, and it is forbidden to fast on it. And according to narration 8, it is recommended that we be in a state of fasting without the intention of fasting until one hour after the Asr prayer, and at that time, we should break the fast with a drink of water so that it is not a complete fast.
Some narrations that have been narrated regarding the virtue of fasting on this day are in agreement with the general public and are not to be acted upon.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ