06/19/2026
Reminder to fast the 9th, 10th and 11th of Muharram. This year these days coincide with:
- Wednesday, June 24th
- Thursday, June 25th
- Friday, June 26th
Fasting the day of ^Ashuraa’ (the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram) is unanimously agreed upon by scholars of Islam to be a recommended deed. Many great events in the history of Islam happened on the day of ^Ashuraa’. Allaah saved Prophet Moses from the evil Pharaoh who drowned on that day; Allaah accepted the repentance of Adam on that day after he committed the small sin in which he ate from the forbidden tree in Paradise (note: this was a small sin without meanness); Prophet Noah’s ark also landed in Al-Joudiyy in Iraq after the flood on the day of ^Ashuraa’.
The validity of fasting ^Ashuraa’ began when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) arrived at Al-Madinah. He saw Jews fasting on that day, and when he inquired about the reason behind their fasting, they said this day is special to them because it is the day that Allaah gave Moses victory over the Pharaoh.
Prophet Muhammad then said what means: “We are more deserving of Moses than you are.” He said this because Moses was Muslim, as were all of the Prophets, and we as Muslims are worthy of rejoicing in his victory. The Prophet then continued to urge the Muslims to fast the day of ^Ashuraa’ and the day before it, by saying that which means: “If I remain alive until Muharram
of next year, I will fast the ninth and tenth of it.”
Prophet Muhammad specified two days of fasting rather than the single day that the Jews were fasting, for two reasons: Firstly, to set us apart from from the Jews, and secondly, to ensure that the Muslims do not miss fasting the tenth of Muharram, due to the possibility of an error in confirming the beginning of Muharram.