That which has been recorded in our hadith s is that fasting...

That which has been recorded in our hadith s is that fasting on the day of ‘Ashura was wajib before the enactment of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.

Among the people who narrated these hadith s are Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim.”[^2] Allamah Majlisi relates from the book, “ Al-Muntaqi ” that in the first year of migration to Medina, Allah’s Prophet (S) fasted on ‘Ashura and the other people followed suit.”[^3] Upon study of the sayings of the Shi‘ah scholars, we infer that they have not put forward a definite opinion about fasting on the day of ‘Ashura.

They have contented themselves with narrating the differences which exist among the scholars and in hadith s. Only the renowned researcher Muhaqqiq Qummi has cited hadith s that apparently indicate the necessity of fasting on this day. The opinions of Sunni jurisprudents Qadi ‘Ayni says, “They have differed about the judgement of fasting during the early days of Islam. Abu Hanifah has said that it was wajib to fast on the day of ‘Ashura in the past.

Shafi‘i’s companions have given two opinions: the most famous opinion is that it was highly recommended [ mustahabb-e mu’akkad ] right from the beginning of Islam and Islamic law and never has it been wajib for the Islamic ummah . After the revelation of the Qur’anic verse enacting the fast of Ramadan, it remained mustahabb , but lost the recommendation and emphasis it enjoyed before. The second opinion of Shafi‘i’s companions is similar to that of Abu Hanifah.

‘Ayad has said that some predecessors used to believe that this fast was wajib and remained wajib without any abrogation even after the verse enacting the fast of Ramadan, but supporters of this opinion have been weakened and vanquished and hence common consensus is that this fast is not wajib , and they maintain that it is mustahabb .”[^4] Ibn Qudamah says, “There are differing opinions about the fast of the day of ‘Ashura as to whether it was wajib or not.

Qadi says that it was wajib and this is as a result of religious deduction and conclusion. He has deduced this using two rationales.