Doha – Qena:
The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs urged all Muslims to fast on Ashura, the tenth of Muharram 1448 AH, following the Sunnah of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry reminded all Muslims of the recommendation to fast on Ashura, explaining that fasting on this day is desirable according to Islamic law.
She pointed out that there are three levels of fasting on the day of Ashura according to scholars, the first of which, which is the best, is fasting the day before and the day after it, the second is fasting the ninth and tenth, and the third level is singling out the tenth alone for fasting. It is also permissible to fast the tenth and eleventh for those who missed fasting the ninth, and all of these categories are permissible.
The statement added: “Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from the hadith of Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them, that he said: The Messenger of God – may God bless him and grant him peace – came to Medina and saw the Jews fasting on Ashura, so he said: What is this? They said: This is a righteous day, on which God saved Moses and the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Moses, peace be upon him, fasted on it, and he said: I have more right to Moses than you, so he – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – fasted on it and ordered his fasting.
He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: If I stay until the end of the month, I will fast on the ninth, meaning on the tenth.
The Ministry explained that fasting on Ashura expiates the previous year. In the authentic hadith of Abu Qatada Al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked about fasting on the day of Ashura, and he said: It expiates the past year.
