Is It Permissible to Celebrate Ashura?

Question

Is it permissible to celebrate Ashura with customs like applying kohl, cooking special foods, exchanging greetings, or mourning rituals, or fireworks?

Bottom Line

Ashura is neither a day of festivals nor of mourning. The Sunnah is to fast and remember Allah, not to invent rituals.

Quick Answer

Nothing authentic from the Prophet ﷺ supports celebrations or grief rituals on Ashura. Practices like wearing kohl, preparing special meals, or holding mourning ceremonies are bid‘ah. The Sunnah is simple: fasting on the 10th of Muharram (preferably with the 9th) as the Prophet ﷺ taught.

Key Points

• No authentic hadith supports celebrating or mourning on Ashura.
• Both extremes, treating it as Eid or as a day of grief, are misguided.
• The Prophet ﷺ fasted Ashura to honor Allah’s saving of Musa (AS).
• The best Sunnah: fasting the 9th and 10th of Muharram together.

Detailed Answer

Ashura has been misused by two extremes. One group turned it into mourning, wailing, and lamentation over al-Husayn’s martyrdom. Another invented celebrations, kohl, feasts, and greetings. Both paths miss the essence of Islam: worshipping Allah as He prescribed.

Innovations in religion are rejected by Allah

The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘

“Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it, it will be rejected.” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2697, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1718

Instead, he ﷺ taught fasting on Ashura. When he came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting in gratitude for Musa’s deliverance, he said: “We have more right to Musa than you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2004, Sahih Muslim 1130) He then commanded the fast and later encouraged pairing it with the 9th.

Islamic practice is built on two anchors: worshipping Allah alone, and worshipping Him only by what He revealed. Anything else, be it mourning rituals or festive customs, adds what Allah did not command. Imam Ghazali would remind us: the heart’s sincerity is tested not by how much we add, but by how purely we follow what was already perfected.

What This Means for You

Ashura is a day to fast, reflect, and remember Allah’s mercy. Don’t add grief rituals. Don’t invent festivities. Hold on to the Sunnah—it’s enough, and it’s beautiful.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Qur’an

1. Al-Kahf 18:110: Worship Allah sincerely, without partners, and only with righteous deeds.

Hadith

2. Sahih al-Bukhari 2004: The Prophet ﷺ fasted Ashura and said, “We have more right to Musa than you.”
3. Sahih Muslim 1130: The Prophet ﷺ encouraged fasting the 9th and 10th together.
4. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2697, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1718: Whoever introduces innovations in religion will have them rejected.

Secondary Sources

5. Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Fatawa al-Kubra, vol. 5.
6. Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim.
7. Al-Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din (reminder on sincerity and rejecting excess).