The Prophet ﷺ used to instruct his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to fast on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’ before the obligation of fasting on Ramadan was prescribed due to the virtue of that day. In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Humayd ibn ‘Abdul-Rahmaan stated that the Caliph Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him) ascended the pulpit of the Prophet’s Mosque in Al-Madeenah once while visiting to perform Hajj. The first Hajj he performed was after assuming the Caliphate in 44 A.H., and the last one was in 57 A.H. The day coincided with the Day of ‘Aashooraa’, the tenth day of Muharram. It seems that he remained longer in Makkah or Al-Madeenah until the Day of ‘Aashooraa’. On that day, he said: “O people of Al-Madeenah, where are your scholars?!” He (may Allah be pleased with him) said so because he had heard that some people were deeming fasting on that day either obligatory, forbidden, or disliked. He (may Allah be pleased with him) summoned the scholars to edify them on the correct ruling in this regard, or to familiarize himself with the different information they might have had on that matter, or to rebuke them upon seeing or hearing of someone adopting a different opinion on that mater. Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed them that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “This is the Day of ‘Aashooraa’. Allah, Exalted is He, has not enjoined its fasting on you but I am fasting it.” He ﷺ wanted to inform them that fasting on that day was not deemed obligatory on them. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed His Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that he was fasting and gave them the choice either to fast voluntarily or refrain from fasting, and those who did not fast would not bear any sin for that because it was not incumbent to observe fasting on that day. This hadeeth is an affirmation of the virtue of fasting on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’ because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ singled it out for fasting, commanded Muslims to observe fasting on that particular day, urged them to do so, and told them that he ﷺ was fasting it. All this wasonly so that they would follow his example and to highlight the merits of fasting on that blessed day. Verily, he ﷺ is the best example for us to follow. It is noteworthy that this hadeeth does not contradict the one narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)stating: “The Prophet ﷺ had ordered to observe fast (on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’) before the fasting in Ramadan was deemed obligatory, but when this became obligatory, it (fasting on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’) became optional; whoever wished fasted on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’, and whoever wished did not observe fasting (on that day).” Moreover, Mu‘aawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reverted to Islam after the Conquest of Makkah; this means that he had heard this hadeeth after his conversion to Islam, in 9 or 10 A.H., after the relevant ruling was abrogated (when the obligation of fasting on Ramadan was prescribed). Therefore, the meaning of the relevant report would be, “It is not prescribed to fast on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’ after the obligatory fasting on Ramadanhas been prescribed.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) may also mean that the following ayah does not apply to fasting on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fastingas it was decreed upon those before you.} [Quran 2:183]. It has been reported in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that fasting on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’ expiates the sins committed in the previous year. Furthermore, it has also been reported in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the next year comes, Allah willing, we will observe fast on the 9th day of Muharram as well,” meaning that he ﷺ would fast on the 9th and the 10th of Muharram. He ﷺ prescribed fasting on the Day of ‘Aashooraa’ as a voluntary act of worship. .