Fasting was observed on the day of 'Ashura' (i.e. 10th of Muharram) by the people of the Pre-lslamic Period. But when (the order of compulsory fasting) in the month of Ramadan was revealed, the Prophet said, "It is up to one to fast on it (i.e. day of 'Ashura') or not."

كَانَ عَاشُورَاءُ يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ مَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ لَمْ يَصُمْهُ

'Ashura is one of the days of Allah, so he who wished should observe fast and he who wished otherwise should abandon it.

أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَامَهُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ رَمَضَانُ فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

'Ashurah was a day on which we used to fast in pre-Islamic days. When (fasting of) Ramadan was prescribed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: This is one of the days of Allah ; he who wishes may fast on it.

كَانَ عَاشُورَاءُ يَوْمًا نَصُومُهُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَذَا يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

'Ashurah was a day on which we used to fast in pre-Islamic days. When (fasting of) Ramadan was prescribed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: This is one of the days of Allah ; he who wishes may fast on it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2443)

كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمًا يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ رَمَضَانُ سُئِلَ عَنْهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ هُوَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللهِ تَعَالَى مَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

'Ashura is one of the days of Allah, so he who wished should observe fast and he who wished otherwise should abandon it. (Using translation from Muslim 1126a)

أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَامَهُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ رَمَضَانُ فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللهِ تَعَالَى فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ said, "The day of Ashura was a day the Quraysh used to fast in the jahiliyya, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used also to fast it during the jahiliyya. Then when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madina he fasted it and ordered that it be fasted. Then Ramadan was made obligatory, and that became the fard instead of Ashura, but whoever wanted to, fasted it, and whoever did not want to, did not fast it."

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمًا تَصُومُهُ قُرَيْشٌ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَصُومُهُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ صَامَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ كَانَ هُوَ الْفَرِيضَةَ وَتُرِكَ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ

[AI] "And that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast it, and the Muslims as well, before the obligation of Ramadan was revealed. But when Ramadan was made obligatory, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Indeed, Ashura is a day from the days of Allah, so whoever wishes, let him fast it, and whoever wishes, let him leave it.'"

وَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَامَهُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ رَمَضَانُ فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللهِ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَ

"إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ من أيَّام اللَّهِ تَعالى، فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ، ومن شَاءَ تركه".

أنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، وأَنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ صَامَهُ، والْمُسْلِمُونَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْتَرضَ رَمَضَانُ، فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ : إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّام الله فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ