Islamic Fiqh > Fasting > Fasting Ashura and Arafah
The year's two great supererogatory fasts: their reported rewards, historical context and preparation rules.
Updated on 31 August 2026 at 3:55 AM
The fuqaha agree upon the recommended character of the fast of Ashura (the tenth of Muharram) and of Tasu'a (the ninth). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I hope from Allah that it expiates the previous year" (Muslim 1162). And he said: "If I remain alive next year, I shall fast the ninth"; Ibn Abbas said: "The following year did not come before the messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed away" (Muslim 1134).
Fasting the ninth with the tenth: an-Nawawi reports three wisdoms: differing from the Jews who limit themselves to the tenth (Ibn Abbas's view); joining Ashura to a fast, as fasting Friday alone is disliked; guarding against a moon-sighting error that would make the apparent ninth the real tenth. The Hanafis explicitly dislike fasting Ashura alone, without the ninth or the eleventh (al-Kasani notes most Hanafis do not dislike it, Ashura being a day of merit); the Hanbalis do not dislike fasting it alone. The Hanafis, Malikis and Shafi'is also recommend the eleventh; al-Shafi'i, in al-Umm, recommends the three days together. The hadith "Fast Ashura differing from the Jews, fast a day before or a day after" is judged weak (reported by Ahmad 2154 and Ibn Khuzayma).
The fuqaha agree: the fast of the day of Arafa (the ninth of Dhul-Hijja) is recommended for whoever is not a pilgrim, and it expiates two years, the past and the coming one: Abu Qatada reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The fast of the day of Arafa: I hope from Allah that it expiates the previous year and the coming year" (Muslim 1348). Al-Shirbini calls it the best of days, and it is reported in Muslim's Sahih that no day frees more servants from the Fire.
For the pilgrim standing at Arafa: the majority (Malikis, Shafi'is, Hanbalis) does not recommend his fasting; it is disliked among the Malikis, the Hanbalis and some Shafi'is, as shown by Umm al-Fadl who sent the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a cup of milk which he drank standing on his mount, on Arafa's evening (al-Bukhari 5313, Muslim 1123). Ibn Umar said: "I performed hajj with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) without fasting it, with Abu Bakr, with Umar and with Uthman without fasting it; I do not fast it, I do not order it and I do not forbid it" (at-Tirmidhi 751, sahih hadith).
Ashura is fasted in pairs (ninth and tenth) as the safest usage, Arafa for whoever is not a pilgrim. These fasts are valid with the night intention; whoever adds them to owed make-up days follows the rule of the page on qada.