Salaam Kamila,

The purpose of the post was simply to inform the readers about fasting for Ashura, and was posted by the staff. If this is your first time on the site, you can view other articles by the Authors on a variety of different topics. This article by Shibli Zaman is informative:

http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/worship/fasting-ramadan/ashura-and-the-jews-of-medina-at-a-glance/

Hi HA,

Thank you for your response.

There’s no need to be aware of anything; Karbala does not have to do with fasting on Ashura, and I wasn’t saying that. The post is just titled, “Ashura,” not “fasting on Ashura” so I think I have fair reason to wonder why the battle of Karbala/Husain’s death wasn’t also mentioned considering it falls on Ashura and the purpose of the post is to educate readers on Ashura’s significance.

I was just trying to understand the approach/perspective of the authors. Perhaps they don’t agree that the event on Ashura related to the Prophet’s grandson is significant to inform and remind the populus of. It’s their prerogative. It’s my first time reading this site, so I would just like to know their ideology a bit… and I’m still hoping someone responds.

Salaam alaikm

I just came across this fatwa by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradhawi which may be on some assistance inshAllah:

http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=7424&version=1&template_id=225&parent_id=17

Basically he says that the hadith about expiating sins did not specify minor or all sins, but he says scholars were of the opinion that it refers to minor sins only because of another hadith of the Prophet (pbuh):

“الصلوات الخمس، والجمعة إلى الجمعة ورمضان إلى رمضان، مكفرات ما بينهن إذا اجتنبت الكبائر”
“The five [daily] prayers, Friday to Friday, and Ramadan to Ramadan make atonement for what has happened since the previous one if major sins have been avoided.” (Saheeh Muslim)

For if these great acts described require us to avoid the kaba’ir for our sins to be expiated, then it would seem that it applies to Ashura as well.