Some traditions are found in
Sunni books to the effect that the Prophet (s.a.w.) on migrating
to Medina found the Jews fasting on the 10th of Muharram. He
asked them why, and was told: "It is an auspicious day; it is
the day when God delivered the children of Israel from their
enemy (i.e. Pharaoh); and, therefore, Moses fasted on that day."
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "I am worthier of Moses than you
are." Thereupon, he fasted on that day and ordered (the Muslims)
to fast.
1. al-Sahih of al-Bukhari,
Vol.3; Egypt ed.; p.54
2. Mishkatul-Masabih; Delhi
ed.; 1307 A.H.; p.l72
It is noted by the commentator
of Mishkatul-Masabih that "it was in the second year, because in
the first year the Prophet had arrived at Medina after 'Ashura,
in Rabi'ul-awwal."
How much importance was this
fast supposed to have may be judged from another tradition
narrated in al-Sahih of. al-Bukhari: "The Prophet (s.a.w.)
ordered a man from the (tribe of) Aslam: Announce to the people
that whoever has eaten should fast the rest of the day, and
whoever has not eaten should fast (the whole day), because today
is the 'Ashura (10th day of Muharram)."
That very year the fast of
Ramadan was ordained and the obligation to fast on 'Ashura was
abrogated, as has been claimed in other traditions narrated in
the same book. Still, reportedly, it carries much importance as
a voluntary fast.
Now let us look closely at
these traditions:
First: The Jews had their own calendar and
months. There is no logic in saying that they fasted on the 10th
of Muharram - unless it could be proved that this date always
coincided with a Jewish day of fast.
It was mentioned in my
article, "Martyrdom of Imam Husayn and the Muslim and the Jewish
Calendars" (Alserat, Vol.VI, No's 3 & 4; Muharram 1401 Nov.1980)
that the first month of the Jews (Abib, later named Nisan)
coincided with Rajab of the Arabs. W.O.E.Oesterley and Theodore
H.Robinson have written that in Arabia "the most important of
all the new-moon festivals was that which fell in the month of
Ragab (sic), equivalent to the Hebrew month 'Abib, for this was
the time when the ancient Arabs celebrated the Spring festival."
(Hebrew Religion; S.P.C.K., London; 1955; p.128)
Probably, in ancient times the
two branches of Abraham's house followed the same system of
intercalating an additional month 7 times in a cycle of 19
years. And in this way the 7th Jewish month, Tishri I, coincided
with Muharram. And the 'Ashura of Muharram synchronized with
10th of Tishri I, the Jewish Day of Atonement - a day of fast.
In that article, it was observed that the two calendars lost
their synchronization when Islam, in the 9th year of hijra,
disallowed intercalation. But on deeper consideration it
transpired that that parity was lost long before the advent of
Islam, because the Arabs did not follow any mathematical
calculation in their intercalation. That was why the Muharram of
the 2nd year of Hijra began on 5th July, 623 C.E. (Al-Munjid,
21st ed.), months before Tishri I (which always coincides with
September-October).
Clearly, 'Ashura of Muharram
in that year (or, for that matter, during the Prophet's whole
life at Medina) had no significance whatsoever for the Jews.
The question is: Why did they
fast on that day?
Second: The Jewish Midrashic literature relates
the 10th day of the 7th month (Yom Hakippurim - Day of
Atonement) to the event of bringing the tablets of the Covenant
from Mount Sinai, as Dr. Mishael Maswari-Caspi has written in
his letter, quoted in my previous article, mentioned above.
The question is: If the Jews
had wanted to keep the long-lost synchronization of Tishri I and
Muharram in view, how was it that they forgot to narrate this
tradition to the Prophet?
Third: The month in which God delivered the
Israelites from Pharaoh was Abib (i.e. Rajab), as the Bible
clearly says: "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover
unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God
brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." (Deut., 16:1)
The question is: How could the
Jews transfer an event of Abib (originally coinciding with
Rajab) to Muharram, in open defiance of their Torah?
And lastly here is a point to
ponder for the Muslims: The Prophet (s.a.w.) was sent with a
religion to abrogate all previous religions and shari'ah. How
was it that he deigned to imitate the custom of the Jews?
It is clear from
above-mentioned facts that the Jews had no reason at all to fast
on 'Ashura of Muharram at that period; and this story, built on
that premise, is just that - a fiction. Obviously, it was
invented by a narrator who only knew that once upon a time
Muharram coincided with the Jews' Tishri I; but was totally
unaware of contemporary Jewish religion and culture.
One feels constrained to
mention here that this and other such traditions were forged by
camp-followers of the Umayyads, after the martyrdom of Imam
Husayn, as a part of their campaign to turn the 10th of Muharram
into a day of rejoicing. These traditions are of the same genre
as those which say that it was on the 10th of Muharram that
Noah's ark rested on Mount Arafat, the fire became cool and safe
for Abraham, and Jesus ascended to the heaven. In the same
category came the traditions exhorting the Muslims to treat
'Ashura as a festival of joy, and to store one's food-grain on
this very day as it would increase one's sustenance and bring
the blessings of Allah to the household.
