Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates that before the obligation of Ramadan, we used to fast on the day of Ashura, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would encourage us to fast on this day and would supervise us regarding it. Then, when the fasts of Ramadan were made obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) no longer encouraged us regarding it nor supervised us about it, and we used to fast on this day. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the basis of the hadith of Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) is the hadith of Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with both of them). In this is evidence that the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) continued to fast on the day of Ashura even after the obligation of Ramadan was revealed, as is found in the narrations of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar and Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them), that whoever wished would fast on this day and whoever wished would not fast. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that our companion Musaddad asked me about the meaning of the hadith of Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with both of them), so I replied to him saying that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave his Ummah a command once, it is not obligatory to give that command every year or at every other time. Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a command, it was obligatory upon his Ummah to act upon it; if that command was obligatory, then it would remain obligatory forever until he clarified at another occasion that the obligation had been lifted, and if that command was for recommendation, guidance, or for attaining virtue and reward, then that act would always remain virtuous until he forbade it at another time. And his silence on another occasion, after having given the command previously, is not evidence for the obligation being lifted if it was originally given as an obligatory command, nor is his silence on another occasion evidence for the invalidation of a virtuous act if he had previously given a recommended command. Because when he gives a command about something once, that is always sufficient unless he gives a contrary command. His silence does not abrogate that command. On this issue, I explained this meaning to the questioner, and perhaps at that time I explained the matter in more detail, and gave the questioner a brief answer at that time.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, he found the Jews observing the fast of Ashura. When they were asked about this, they replied that on this day Allah Almighty granted Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel victory and dominance over Pharaoh, so they fast on this day to honor it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We are closer and more deserving of Musa (peace be upon him) than you." And he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the observance of fasting on this day. A narration from Abu Bishr is also reported in the same manner. In it, it is mentioned that "He (the Prophet) fasted on the day of Ashura and also ordered fasting on this day." Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Imam Muslim bin Hajjaj had asked me about this matter.

It is narrated from Hazrat Humaid bin Abdur Rahman that Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah Munawwarah on the day of Ashura, and while delivering a sermon, he said: "O people of Madinah, where are your scholars? I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'This is the day of Ashura. Fasting on this day has not been made obligatory upon you. However, I am fasting, so whoever wishes to fast may do so.'" Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that "lam" (did not) is used only for the past.

Ubaidullah bin Yazid reports that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked about the fasting of Ashura, so he replied: I do not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) observed the fast of any day, seeking its excellence, except for the fast of Ashura and the fasts of the month of Ramadan.

Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Regarding the day of Ashura, I hope from Allah Almighty that it will be an expiation for the sins of the previous year, and regarding the day of Arafah, I hope from Allah Almighty that it will be a cause for the forgiveness of the sins of the previous year and the coming year." Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has informed that the fast of the day of Arafah becomes an expiation for the sins of the previous and coming year. This is evidence that a good deed can sometimes precede the action. In this way, a previous good deed becomes an expiation for the sins of the coming year.

Hazrat Rabi’ bint Mu’awwiz bin ‘Afra reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent a message to the Ansari settlements around Madinah that whoever has started the morning in a state of fasting should complete his fast, and whoever has started the morning without fasting should complete the rest of the day (in the state of fasting). After that, we used to fast on that day and also made our small children fast. We would take them to the mosque and make toys for them out of cotton. When any of them cried (due to hunger), we would give them that toy until it was time for iftar (then we would give them milk).

Ghaleelah bint Ameenah, the servant of Allah bint Razeenah, narrates that I asked my mother, "Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say anything about Ashura?" She replied that he used to honor this day. He would call his and Sayyidah Fatimah's (may Allah be pleased with her) infant children and put his blessed saliva in their mouths, and he would instruct their mothers not to nurse them until evening.