ḤADĪTH OF THE DAY

“ Al- Ḥakam Ibnul-A'raj said, "I came to Ibn-'Abbās , who he was bolstered on his cloak at Zamzam, and said, 'Tell me which day is the Day of 'Āshūrā' (2) so that I fast it.' He replied, 'When you see the crescent (3) of [the month of] Muharram, count [the days] then begin fasting from the ninth day (4).' I asked, 'Is this how Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to fast ['Āshūrā']?' He confirmed, 'yes.'" Footnotes: 1. The well located in the vicinity of the Sanctified House of God, the Ka'bah, where the prophet Ishmael's mother, Hagar, found water under her son's feet. The well produces water to this day. 2. The day on which prophet Moses used to fast to give thanks to God for saving the Children of Israel from their enemy. Fasting on the Day of 'Ashūrā' is optional. However, the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said that the reward for fasting on that day is the expiation of sins committed during the year leading up to it. 3. The appearance of the crescent signals the beginning of the month. 4. The majority of scholars consider the Day of 'Āshūrā' to be the tenth of Muharram. Ibn-'Abbās also narrated another hadīth clearly identifying the tenth of Muharram as the Day of Āshūrā'. However, the Jews of Madīnah used to fast on that day long before the arrival of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. In order to distinguish the Muslims from them, the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, decided to fast an extra day the following year; only he did not live long enough to do so. In which case, he would indeed have started to fast the morning of the ninth of Muharram, as indicated by Ibn-'Abbās. ”

Sunan at-Tirmithiy كتاب الصوم باب ما جاء فى العمل فى أيام العشر

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ هُوَ الْبَطِينُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ عِمْرَانَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ. فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَىْءٍ. وَفِى الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَجَابِرٍ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ.
Abdullāh Ibn-Abbās said, "The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said, 'On no other days are righteous deeds preferable to God than on these ten days (1).' So, they (the Companions) exclaimed, 'O Messenger of God, not even jihād (2)?!' The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, replied, 'Not even jihād, except for [that of] a man who left for jihād risking his life and his wealth, then did not return with either of them.'" Footnotes: 1. The first ten days of Thul-Hijjah. 2. Jihād is defined as any earnest striving for the sake of God that promotes righteousness and stands against wrong-doing. If it entails fighting, no woman, child or innocent civilian may be harmed, nor a tree cut down. Islām calls for moderation and tolerance, and abhors extremism, terrorism, oppression and discrimination. Click on ḥadīth to read more