Virtue of fasting the first ten days of Muharram
Fatwa No: 43810

Question

Are there any Hadeeths about the virtue of fasting the first ten days of Muharram? May Allaah reward you.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Muharram." [Muslim, An-Nasaa’i, Abu Daawood and others] An-Nawawi said that this Hadeeth is a direct indication that Muharram is the best month for fasting (after Ramadan).

The best days of the month of Muharram are the first ten days. Al-Mardaawi said, "The best days of Muharram are the tenth then the ninth then the rest of the first ten days of it.”

Ibn Rajab said, "The best days of Muharram are the first ten days." He quoted Abu ‘Uthmaan An-Nahdi as saying, "They (the pious predecessors) would glorify three tens: the last ten days of Ramadan, the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah and the first ten days of Muharram."

However, there is not any authentic Hadeeth regarding the virtue of fasting the first ten days of Muharram altogether.

Allaah Knows best.

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