#645: Ruling on singling out the First of Muharram for Fasting
QUESTION:
“Assalãmu alaykum warahmatullāh .Admin please is it allowed to single out the first of Muharram for fasting, or is it an act of bid’a?”
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
Alhamdulillāh!
Singling out the first day of Muharram for fasting has not been sanctioned by the Sharī’ah.
The Ulamā have warned against the taking of any particular day and singling it out for ‘Ibādah which has not been sanctioned by the Sharī’ah.
However, there is a general Recommendation to observe fasts in the Month of Muharram. This has been recorded in the Sahih by Imām Muslim from the Noble Companion Abū Hurayrah – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – that the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ، بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ، شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ. وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّلاةِ، بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ، صََلاةُ اللَّيْلِ.
“The best of Fasts after Ramadān in merits is Allāh’s month of Muharram. And the best of Salāt after the Obligatory ones is the Salāt in the Middle of the Night.”
The Author of Mirqātu Al-Mafātih Shar’h Mishkāti Al-Masābīh mentioned that this applies to the entire Month of Muharram, and that it means fasting any days in the month.
This said, to single out the first like the day of the New Year as some Muslims do today is not recommended and it is against the Practice of Sunnah.
We ask Allāh to grant us goodness and steadfastness on His Path, Amin
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazakumullāhu Khayran
24th Dhul Hijjah 1439A.H
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