The day Musa was saved
When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, he found the Jews of the city fasting on the tenth of Muharram. He asked why, and they told him it was the day Allah saved Musa and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh, and Musa had fasted it in gratitude. He said, “We have more right to Musa than you,” and he fasted it and told the Muslims to fast it (Bukhari 2004).
Before Ramadan was made obligatory, the Prophet ﷺ had told the Muslims to fast Ashura. Once Ramadan was prescribed, it became voluntary: whoever wished fasted it, and whoever wished left it (Bukhari and Muslim).
The Quran tells the moment itself. With the sea in front of them and Pharaoh's army behind, Musa's people were sure they were finished. His answer is below.
From the Quran
فَلَمَّا تَرَـٰٓءَا ٱلۡجَمۡعَانِ قَالَ أَصۡحَٰبُ مُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّا لَمُدۡرَكُونَ قَالَ كَلَّآۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهۡدِينِ
And when the two companies saw one another, the companions of Moses said, "Indeed, we are to be overtaken." [Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me."
How to keep Ashura
The Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting Ashura and said he hoped from Allah that it would expiate the sins of the year before it (Muslim 1162). If you can't fast because of illness, travel or pregnancy, the day still has room for you: thank Allah for the times He opened a way for you when you could see none, and make dua.
Near the end of his life he said, “If I live until next year, I will fast the ninth” (Muslim 1134), so that the Muslim fast would be distinct. He passed away before that year came. From this, scholars drew a few ways of keeping the day:
- Fast the 9th and the 10th. This is what most scholars recommend.
- If you can only manage one day, fast the 10th. Some scholars disliked fasting it alone; many others saw no harm in it.
- Some scholars also mention fasting the 10th and 11th, or all three days.
- Fast more of Muharram if you can. The Prophet ﷺ called it the month of Allah and said its fasting is the best after Ramadan (Muslim 1163).
- Make dua and give charity. There is no special dua or prayer for Ashura, so ask in your own words.
Karbala, and the customs around the day
Ashura is also the day al-Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, was killed at Karbala along with members of his family. For Shia Muslims it is a day of mourning and remembrance, and many Sunni Muslims also remember him on this day with love and sorrow. The Prophet ﷺ called al-Husayn and his brother al-Hasan the leaders of the youth of Paradise (Tirmidhi).
In Turkey and the Balkans, families cook aşure, a pudding of wheat, beans, dried fruit and nuts, and send bowls of it to their neighbours. It's a lovely custom, though it isn't part of the Sunnah.
You may also see long lists of events said to have happened on Ashura: Adam's repentance accepted, Nuh's ark coming to rest, Ibrahim saved from the fire. Most of these have no reliable source. What is authentic is the rescue of Musa and the fast of the Prophet ﷺ.
Questions people ask
Can I fast only on the day of Ashura?
Yes. The fast is valid and carries its reward. Adding the 9th is better, following what the Prophet ﷺ intended (Muslim 1134). Some scholars considered fasting the 10th alone mildly disliked; many others did not.
What does fasting Ashura forgive?
The Prophet ﷺ said he hoped from Allah that it would expiate the sins of the previous year (Muslim 1162). Scholars generally understand this to mean minor sins; major sins need sincere repentance of their own.
Is there a special dua or prayer for Ashura?
No specific dua or prayer for Ashura is authentically reported. Some circulate, often with long lists of rewards attached, but they lack a reliable source. The sunnah of the day is the fast. Spend the rest of it in dua, in your own words.