Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Ashura

Every year, the tenth of Muharram arrives, and with it comes one of the most significant days in the Islamic calendar. For many Muslims, Ashura is synonymous with fasting, while for others it is a day of grief and remembrance. Yet beneath these familiar associations lies a remarkable history that spans prophets, generations, and struggles against oppression.

It is the day in Islamic history, on which Allah parted the Red Sea for Musa (AS) and Bani Isra’il during their persecution by Pharaoh and his army. It also commemorates the Battle of Karbala where Imam Hussein (the Prophet’s grandson) and his companions were tragically martyred.

But Ashura is not simply a day marked by events. It is a thread that runs through Islamic history, carrying lessons of gratitude, sacrifice, and steadfastness.

1. Ashura's story began long before Islam

Many people assume that Ashura became significant only after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Madinah. Its history stretches back much further.

Before Islam, the Quraysh of Makkah fasted on this day, and the Prophet ﷺ himself observed it. After the migration to Madinah, he found that the Jewish community were also fasting. They explained that it was a day on which Allah had saved Musa (AS) and Bani Isra'il from Pharaoh.

Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ said:

We have more right to Musa than they do.

He then fasted the day and encouraged the Muslims to do likewise. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Before Ramadan became obligatory, fasting on Ashura was compulsory. Once the fast of Ramadan was prescribed, Ashura became a voluntary act of worship, but its virtues remain plentiful.

2. Ashura is a day of gratitude

At the heart of Ashura lies one of the most dramatic moments in human history.

After years of oppression at the hands of Pharaoh’s tyrannical rule, Musa (AS) led Bani Isra'il out of Egypt while Pharaoh pursued them with his army. Trapped between the sea and their enemies, there was no escape.

Yet Musa (AS) responded with complete trust in Allah:

No! Indeed, my Lord is with me; He will guide me.

(Qur'an 26:62)

Allah commanded Musa to strike the sea with his staff, and the waters parted. Bani Isra'il crossed safely while Pharaoh and his army were drowned.

The Prophet ﷺ commemorated this deliverance not with celebration or feasting, but with gratitude expressed through fasting. In fact, Ibn Abbas (RA) said:

I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ so keen to fast any day and give it preference over another except this day, the Day of Ashura.

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

3. Ashura connects two of history's greatest stands against oppression

The themes of Ashura did not end with Musa (AS).

Nearly seven centuries after the Prophet ﷺ, his beloved grandson, Imam Husayn (RA), stood against injustice and tyranny of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I at Karbala. Outnumbered and deprived of water, he and his companions were martyred on the tenth of Muharram in 61 AH.

For Sunni Muslims, Ashura primarily commemorates Allah's salvation of Musa (AS). For Shia Muslims, it is also a day of mourning and remembrance for Imam Husayn (RA). Yet both events share a common thread: Musa (AS) refused to bow to Pharaoh and Husayn (RA) refused to legitimise oppression.

Despite being separated by centuries, both stories remind believers that truth and justice are worth standing for, even when victory appears impossible.

4. The Prophet ﷺ wanted Muslims to preserve a distinct tradition

Although the Prophet ﷺ fasted the tenth of Muharram, he intended to distinguish the Muslim practice from that of others. Towards the end of his life, he said:

If I live until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth.

(Sahih Muslim)

For this reason, many Muslims fast on both the ninth and tenth of Muharram, while others add the eleventh day as well. In this way, Islam does not merely inherit traditions of the past but shapes them with its own identity and purpose.

5. Not every story linked to Ashura is authentic

Over the centuries, many stories have become attached to the day. Some reports claim that it was the day Allah accepted Adam's repentance, the day Nuh's Ark came to rest, the day Ibrahim (AS) was saved from the fire, and the day Yunus (AS) emerged from the whale.

While these accounts are widespread in popular literature, many scholars regard their narrations as weak. What is beyond doubt, however, is what Ashura teaches us through authentic revelation: gratitude in times of ease, trust in times of hardship, and courage in the face of oppression.

Allah says:

Indeed, in the stories of the prophets are lessons for people of understanding.

(Qur'an 12:111)

Perhaps that is the beauty of Ashura. It is not merely a day to remember what happened long ago. It is a reminder that Allah stands with the oppressed, that faith demands gratitude, and that every generation is called to stand for truth in its own time.

From the shores of the Red Sea to the plains of Karbala, Ashura reminds us that while tyranny rises and falls, sincerity, patience, and trust in Allah endure.