The day of ‘Āshūrā’ is the tenth day of Muharram. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on fasting the day of ‘Āshūrā’ and he would urge others to fast it. Its fasting was obligatory before Ramadan, and when the fasting of Ramadan was ordained upon the Muslims, only the fasting of Ramadan became the obligatory one, and the fasting of ‘Āshūrā’ became optional; whoever wished could fast it, and whoever wished could leave it. In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Al-Hakam ibn al-A‘raj says that he came to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was putting his garment and clothing underneath his head near the well of Zamzam inside the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. He asked Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) about the fasting of the day of ‘Āshūrā’: When should it be observed? Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: When you see the crescent of the month of Muharram and its beginning is verified, start to count the days until you reach the ninth day and observe the fast on it. In other words: Fast the ninth day along with the tenth one. This does not mean that the tenth day should be neglected and only the ninth day should be fasted. Thereupon, Al-Hakam ibn ‘Abbās asked: Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to fast the ninth day? In reply, Ibn ‘Abbās said: Yes, referring to the Hadīth narrated by Muslim about the Prophet's intention to fast the ninth day along with the tenth one. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I live to the next year, I will fast the ninth day", lest it would resemble the Jews in fasting the tenth day only. On the merit of fasting this day, a Hadīth narrated in the Sahīh Muslim Collection mentions that it expiates the sins of the preceding year..