The 365 · Sunnah · Day 353 · Special Days
Fasting the 9th of Muḥarram (Tāsūʿāʾ)
The hadith
«لئن بقيت إلى قابل لأصومنّ التّاسع».
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'If I live until next year, I will fast the 9th (along with the 10th).' (Muslim 1134)
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ sade: 'Om jag lever till nästa år, ska jag fasta den 9:e (tillsammans med den 10:e).' (Muslim 1134)
Muslim 1134
The story
Ibn ʿAbbās narrated this hadith. The Prophet's ﷺ intention was clear: be distinct in worship even when sharing an act. The Ummah adopted Tāsūʿāʾ in his memory.
Why it's here
The Prophet ﷺ intended to distinguish from the Jewish practice (who fast only the 10th). He intended to fast the 9th and 10th together. He passed before the next year arrived; the Ummah adopted the practice in his honor.
Try it today
Fast both the 9th and 10th of Muḥarram. If you can only do one, the 10th is the priority. The pairing is the Sunnah-ic distinction.
In your day
Calendar both days. Two days of fasting in Muḥarram is small effort for the reward and the Sunnah-honoring.
A reflection to carry
Honor his intention by fulfilling what he meant to do. Two days, not one.
Read the longer reflection
Tāsūʿāʾ is one of the Sunnahs born of an unrealized Prophetic intention. He meant to fast the 9th the next year; he passed before. The Ummah fulfills what he meant. May Allah accept our Tāsūʿāʾs alongside our ʿĀshūrāʾs.
Sources: Sahih Muslim. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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