Ashura: Fasting, Deliverance, and Remembrance in Sunni Islam
Ashura, observed on the 10th of the lunar month of Muharram (with the 9th, called Tasu’a, observed alongside it), is recognized as a day of profound historical and religious significance in Sunni Islam. Derived from an Arabized Aramaic word meaning “the tenth” (‘ashr), it is marked primarily as a day of voluntary fasting, ethical reflection, and quiet devotion.
Pre-Islamic Origins and the Connection to Moses
The tradition of fasting on the 10th of Muharram predates the formal establishment of Islam. Historical sources, including traditions attributed to the Prophet’s wife Aisha, note that the Quraysh tribe in Makkah observed Ashura as a day of fasting during the pre-Islamic “Days of Ignorance.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also participated in this practice before his emigration (Hijra) to Medina. (The Vision of Islam, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, p. 32)
Upon arriving in Medina, the Prophet observed that the local Jewish communities were also fasting on this day – which corresponded to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement on the tenth of Tishri. When he asked them why, they answered that it was the day God delivered Musa (Moses) and the Israelites from Egypt by drowning the Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. (The History of al-Tabari, volume 7, W. Montgomery Watt, p. 26). The Prophet declared, “We have more right to Musa than they do,” and he subsequently fasted that day, ordering his followers to do the same. (The History of al-Tabari, volume 6, W. Montgomery Watt). Following this shift, ” approximately sixteen to eighteen months after the Hijra, the mandatory fast was changed to the month of Ramadan. (The History of al-Tabari, volume 7, W. Montgomery Watt, p. 28).
The Shift from Obligatory to Voluntary
In the early days of Islam in Medina, fasting on the day of Ashura was a primary religious obligation. Historical reports mention that the Prophet would even send a crier on the day of Ashura to inform people that those who had already eaten could still choose to fast for the remainder of the day.
However, the status of the fast changed approximately fifteen to eighteen months after the Hijra, following the Battle of Badr in 2 A.H. At this time, the month of Ramadan was inaugurated by divine mandate as the obligatory fasting period for Muslims. Consequently, the obligation to fast on Ashura was lifted. (Introduction to the Qur’an , W. Montgomery Watt, p. 163).
Today, it remains a highly recommended voluntary (nafl) fast. The reward for observing it is significant; the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting the day of Ashura , I hope from Allah, expiates the sins of the previous year” (Sahih Muslim).
Distinguishing Islamic Practice
To distinguish the Muslim practice from that of the People of the Book, the Prophet (peace be upon him) later stated: “If I live until next year, I will fast the ninth as well” (Sahih Muslim). Although he passed away before the next Muharram, the established Sunni practice is to fast the 9th (known as Tasu’a) alongside the 10th, or alternatively the 11th, rather than fasting the 10th alone.
The Tragedy of Karbala in Sunni Thought
While Ashura is defined by fasting and gratitude for the deliverance of Musa, it is also inevitably tied to the tragic events of 61 A.H., when the Prophet’s grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, and his family were massacred at the Battle of Karbala. All Muslims generally acknowledge Ashura as a day of mourning and are “horrified” by the slaughter of Husayn ibn Ali and his family. (The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle, Barnaby Rogerson, p. 70).
Sunni Muslims generally acknowledge Ashura as a day of mourning regarding these events and express universal grief over the slaughter of Husayn. In Sunni historical and ethical discourse, the Umayyad caliph Yazid and his army are viewed as corrupt and tyrannical. Still, there are accounts that under the Umayyad dynasty (“the family of Ziyad and the residents of Sham”), Ashura was historically treated as a “day of rejoice and happiness.” (Commemorating the Mourning Rights of Imam al-Husayn, Sayed Hassan al-Shirazi), p. 124) Husayn’s sacrifice is frequently cited by modern Sunni writers as the ultimate model for the religious duty of “commanding right and forbidding wrong” (al-amr bi’l-ma‘ruf wa’l-nahy ‘an al-munkar) – a righteous leader standing firmly against tyranny.
Differences in Ritual Observance
Ashura is not Eid and is not a festival, but the Sunni observance differs significantly from Shi‘a practices. While Ashura serves as the central, defining public ritual of Shi‘a identity, Sunni observance remains largely private and devotional.
Unlike Shi‘a communities, Sunnis do not typically participate in passion plays (taziya), public processions, or self-mortification (matam or tathbir). (What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, John Esposito, p. ) Many Sunni scholars classify these intense public mourning rituals as bid’ah (innovation). Instead, the Sunni emphasis remains strictly on the fast tied to Musa, honoring the sacred status of the month of Muharram (Surah at-Tawbah 9:36), and quietly reflecting on the historical stand against injustice.