Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
bukhari:1893 – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Layth > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > ʿIrāk b. Mālik > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

(The tribe of) Quraish used to fast on the day of Ashura' in the Pre-Islamic period, and then Allah's Apostle ordered (Muslims) to fast on it till the fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed; whereupon the Prophet ﷺ said, "He who wants to fast (on 'Ashura') may fast, and he who does not want to fast may not fast."  

البخاري:١٨٩٣ – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ عِرَاكَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا كَانَتْ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِصِيَامِهِ حَتَّى فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَ۔»  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Dārimī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:2001 – Abū al-Yamān > Shuʿayb > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > ʿĀʾishah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered (the Muslims) to fast on the day of 'Ashura', and when fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed, it became optional for one to fast on that day ('Ashura') or not.  

البخاري:٢٠٠١ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَ بِصِيَامِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ كَانَ مَنْ شَاءَ صَامَ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَ  

muslim:1125e – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd And Muḥammad b. Rumḥ > al-Layth b. Saʿd > Ibn Rumḥ > al-Layth > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > ʿIrāk > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

He who wishes to fast should do so, and he who wishes to break it may do so.  

مسلم:١١٢٥e – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ جَمِيعًا عَنِ اللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ ابْنُ رُمْحٍ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ عِرَاكًا أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ

أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا كَانَتْ تَصُومُ عَاشُورَاءَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِصِيَامِهِ حَتَّى فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُفْطِرْهُ  

darimi:1804 – ʿAbd al-Wahhāb b. Saʿīd > Shuʿayb b. Isḥāq > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

The Quraish used to fast on the day of 'Ashurah in pre Islamic days. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would fast on it in pre-Islamic period. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, he fasted on it and commanded to fast on it. When the fast of Ramadan was prescribed, that became obligatory, and (fasting on) 'Ashurah was abandoned. He who wishes may fast on it and he who wishes may leave it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2442)   

الدارمي:١٨٠٤ – أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

«كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمًا تَصُومُهُ قُرَيْشٌ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ صَامَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ كَانَ رَمَضَانُ هُوَ الْفَرِيضَةُ وَتُرِكَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ»  

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ} [البقرة: 183]

nasai-kubra:10949 – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Layth > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > ʿIrāk > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

(The tribe of) Quraish used to fast on the day of Ashura' in the Pre-Islamic period, and then Allah's Apostle ordered (Muslims) to fast on it till the fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed; whereupon the Prophet ﷺ said, "He who wants to fast (on 'Ashura') may fast, and he who does not want to fast may not fast." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1893)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٩٤٩ – أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ عِرَاكًا أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا كَانَتْ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِصِيَامِهِ حَتَّى فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَهُ»  

nasai-kubra:2850 – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Layth > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > ʿIrāk > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

(The tribe of) Quraish used to fast on the day of Ashura' in the Pre-Islamic period, and then Allah's Apostle ordered (Muslims) to fast on it till the fasting in the month of Ramadan was prescribed; whereupon the Prophet ﷺ said, "He who wants to fast (on 'Ashura') may fast, and he who does not want to fast may not fast." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1893)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٨٥٠ – أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ عِرَاكًا أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ قُرَيْشًا كَانَتْ تَصُومُ عَاشُورَاءَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِصِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَفْطَرَهُ»