Fasting on 'Ashura
Narrated Abu Qatada: The Prophet ﷺ said, “And fasting on the Day of Ashura, I hope that Allah will thereby expiate [the sins of] the previous year.” [Muslim]
Imam Nawawi said it refers to the minor sins , Tawbah is required for Major sins [Al Minhaj of Nawawi]
Ibn 'Abbas said: I never saw the Prophet ﷺ so keen to make sure he fasted any day and preferring it over another except this day, the day of 'Ashura, and this month – meaning Ramadaan [Bukhari, Muslim]
Ibn ‘Abbas reports that Nabi ﷺ said: “Fast on the day of ‘Ashura (tenth of Muharram) and be different from the Jews regarding it. Fast one day before it or one day after it” [Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaymah, Bayhaqi]
Similar is narrated from Ibn Abbas as a Mawquf narration.
Hafsah reports that Nabi ﷺ would never leave out four things, Fasting on ‘Ashura [10th of Muharram] Fasting ten days [i.e., the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah] Fasting three days every month Two rak’ahs [Sunnah] before Fajr
[Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban, Ahmad]
Fasting on the 9th, 10th and 11th is considered the best according to Ibn Hajar [Fath al Bari] Fasting only on tenth is a matter of ikhtilaf in the Hanafi Madhab, Some consider it Makruh while others do not. It is better to add the fast of 9th or 11th or both
Scholars like Qastalani, Ibn Hajar and Ibn Qayyim have said there are three levels of fasting in order of recommendation:
- 9th, 10th and 11th.
- 9th and 10th.
- Only 10th.
[Al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, Fath al-Bari, Zad al Ma'ad ]
Many other scholars have mentioned 10th and 11th as another option above the third one [Nukhab al-Afkar, Mirqat al-Mafatih]