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Fasting in Muharram

▫️Virtue of fasting in al-Muharram ▫️Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best fast after Ramadan is in the month of Allah al-Muharram .” (Narrated by Muslim, 1982) ▫️The phrase “the month of Allah (shahr Allah)” is indicative of the veneration this month deserves, as it is attributed to Allah (in a genitive or idafah phrase). Al-Qari said: What appears to be the case is that what is meant is the entire month of al-Muharram. ▫️But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never fasted any month in full apart from Ramadan. So this hadith is to be understood as meaning that it is encouraged to fast a great deal during the month of al-Muharram , not to fast the entire month. ▫️The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fasted a great deal during Sha‘ban, and perhaps the virtue of al-Muharram was not revealed to him until the end of his life, before he was able to fast during this month. (Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Sahih Muslim) ▫️Allah chooses whatever He wills of times and places ▫️Al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd as-Salam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Superiority of times and places is of two types, the first of which is in worldly terms and the second is in religious or spiritual terms because of what Allah bestows upon His slaves at those times and in those places of a greater reward for deeds, such as the greater virtue of fasting Ramadan over fasting in other months or on the day of ‘Ashura. Its virtue is due to Allah’s generosity and kindness to His slaves during it.” (Qawa‘id al-Ahkam, 1/38 ▫️▫️▫️