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.
bukhari:2000Abū ʿĀṣim > ʿUmar b. Muḥammad > Sālim from his father

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever wishes may fast on the day of 'Ashura'."  

البخاري:٢٠٠٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ إِنْ شَاءَ صَامَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:2003ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Muʿāwiyah b. Abū Sufyān Yawm ʿĀshūrāʾ ʿĀm Ḥaj > al-Minbar > Yā Ahl al-Madīnah Ayn ʿUlamāʾukum

That he heard Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan on the day of 'Ashura' during the year he performed the Hajj, saying on the pulpit, "O the people of Medina! Where are your Religious Scholars? I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'This is the day of 'Ashura'. Allah has not enjoined its fasting on you but I am fasting it. You have the choice either to fast or not to fast (on this day).' "  

البخاري:٢٠٠٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ ؓ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ عَامَ حَجَّ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ يَا أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ أَيْنَ عُلَمَاؤُكُمْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ هَذَا يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ وَلَمْ يُكْتَبْ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامُهُ وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَصُمْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُفْطِرْ  

muslim:1125bAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And ʾAbū Kurayb > Ibn Numayr

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention in the first part of the hadith that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe fast, and said about the second part that he abandoned the (fast) of Ashura, and he who wished observed the fast and who wished otherwise abandoned it, and he did not hold it as the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as mentioned in the narration transmitted by Jarir.  

مسلم:١١٢٥bوَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِي أَوَّلِ الْحَدِيثِ

وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَصُومُهُ وَقَالَ فِي آخِرِ الْحَدِيثِ وَتَرَكَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كَرِوَايَةِ جَرِيرٍ  

muslim:1176bAbū Bakr b. Nāfiʿ al-ʿAbdī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Sufyān > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿĀʾishah

The Apostle of Allah ﷺ did not observe fast in the ten days of Dhul-Hijja.  

مسلم:١١٧٦bوَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَصُمِ الْعَشْرَ  

tabarani:16862Muṭṭalib b. Shuʿayb al-Azdī > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > al-Layth > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Khālid b. Musāfir > Ibn Shihāb > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Muʿāwiyah / > al-Minbar

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "This day, the day of Ashura, is not obligatory for you to fast. But I am fasting, so whoever wishes may fast on this day," referring to the day of Ashura.  

الطبراني:١٦٨٦٢حَدَّثَنَا مُطَّلِبُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ مُسَافِرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ هَذَا اليَوْمُ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ وَلَمْ يُكْتَبْ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامُهُ وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ فَلْيَصُمْهُ يَعْنِي يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ  

nasai-kubra:2886ʿAmr b. Yazīd > ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Sufyān > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿĀʾishah

The Apostle of Allah ﷺ did not observe fast in the ten days of Dhul-Hijja. (Using translation from Muslim 1176b)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٨٨٦أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ يَزِيدَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ «لَمْ يَصُمِ الْعَشْرَ قَطُّ»