"إِنَّ هذا يَوْمٌ كان يصومُه أهل الجاهليِة، فمن أَحبَّ أَن يصومَه فليصُمْه، ومن أَحب أَن يترُكه فليترُكه. يعنى يوم عاشوراءَ".
See similar narrations below:
Collected by Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, SuyūṭīThat was a day on which the people of pre-Islamic days used to observe fast. So he who amongst you likes to observe fast should do so, and he who does not like it should abandon it.
أَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَوْمًا يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَ فَلْيَدَعْهُ
It is a day on which the people of pre-Islamic days observed fast. So he who liked to fast on this day should do so, and he who liked to abandon it should abandon it. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) did not observe fast except when it coincided (with the days when he was in the habit of observing voluntary fasts during every month).
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمٌ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ؓ لاَ يَصُومُهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُوَافِقَ صِيَامَهُ
“That was a day when the people of the Ignorance used to fast. So whoever among you wants to fast may do so, and whoever does not want to may leave it.”
أَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَوْمًا يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَهُ فَلْيَدَعْهُ
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "This is the day of Ashura, which the Quraysh used to fast during the time of ignorance. So whoever among you wishes to fast on this day, let them fast, and whoever wishes to abandon it, let them abandon it." Ibn Umar used to observe this fast except when it coincided with his own fast.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «هَذَا يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ كَانَتْ قُرَيْشٌ تَصُومُهُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ» وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ لَا يَصُومُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُوَافِقَ صِيَامَهُ
“That was a day when the people of the Ignorance used to fast. So whoever among you wants to fast may do so, and whoever does not want to may leave it.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1737)
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ كَانَتْ تَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَهُ فَلْيَدَعْهُ»
“That was a day when the people of the Ignorance used to fast. So whoever among you wants to fast may do so, and whoever does not want to may leave it.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1737)
أَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «كَانَ يَوْمًا يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَهُ فَلْيَدَعْهُ»
It is a day on which the people of pre-Islamic days observed fast. So he who liked to fast on this day should do so, and he who liked to abandon it should abandon it. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) did not observe fast except when it coincided (with the days when he was in the habit of observing voluntary fasts during every month). (Using translation from Muslim 1126d)
أَنَّهُ سَمَعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمٌ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ لَا يَصُومُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُوَافِقَ صِيَامَهُ
"عَنِ ابْن عُمَرَ أنَّهُ ذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ الله ﷺ يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ، فَقَالَ: هُوَ يَومٌ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ أَهْلُ الجَاهِلية، فَمَنْ شَاءَ منْكُمْ فَلْيَصُمْهُ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ، وَفِى لَفْظٍ: فمن أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَصُومَه فَلْيَصُمْه، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَترُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ".