A large section of the Muslims maintain that Ashura is a blessed day when Allah bestowed one prophet / nation or another with some divine favour. They claim that to show gratitude to Allah for these favours, it is highly recommended to fast on Ashura.
Then there are Muslims across sects, who have discredited reports on the Ashura fast by proving from history that the so-called fast of the Jews which is basis of Ashura fast was in Rabi al-Awwal during the migration (Hijrat) and not in Muharram / Ashura.
Shias have even proved from their sources that so-called blessed occasions which all magically coincided with Ashura (as propagated by the Umayyads to wipe out Imam Husain’s (a.s.) sacrifice) in fact fall on different days of the year.
Here is an interesting report from Meesam (Maytham) al-Tammar (r.a.) on Ashura and how stories will be cooked up by the enemies of Ahle Bait (a.s.) to make Muslims forget the real significance of the Day. The most interesting part is that Meesam foretold this to his companion even before the tragedy of Karbala based on the foreknowledge (Ilme manaya wa balaya) gifted to him by his master Ameerul Momineen (a.s.).
Meesam informs his companion about the tragedy of Karbala when Imam Husain (a.s.) would be killed and the Muslims would go on to take the occasion as a day of blessing.
Narrator to Meesam: O Meesam, how can the people take the day on which Husain Ibn Ali (a.s.) was martyred as a day of blessing.
So Meesam (r.a.) wept and said:
Soon they will cook up a report that it was the day when Allah accepted the repentance of Adam (a.s.) while Allah accepted Adam’s (a.s.) repentance in the month of Zilhajj (on day of Arafah, which is widely acknowledged by all Muslims).
And they will cook up a report that it was the day when Allah accepted the repentance of Dawood (a.s.) while Allah accepted Dawood’s (a.s.) repentance in the month of Zilhajj.
And they will cook up a report that it was the day when Allah rescued Yunus (a.s.) from the belly of the fish, while Allah rescued Yunus (a.s.) from the belly of the whale in the month of Zilqad.
And they will cook up a report that it was the day when the ark of Nuh (a.s.) settled on the mount Judi, while the ark settled on Judi on 18th of Zilhajj.
And they will cook up a report that this was the day when Allah split open the sea for the Bani Israel while this happened in the month of Rabi al-Awwal….
- Al-Amali of Shaikh Sadooq (r.a.) p 127-128
Clearly Muslims have been brainwashed to forget the real significance of Ashura as a day of mourning when the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) grandson was massacred mercilessly at Karbala along with his companions. Although the Umayyads and their paid scribes as also latter-day scholars perpetuated these lies for generations, other spirited Muslims have been quick to counter with the truth behind Ashura by proving that the blessed occasions don’t really coincide with Ashura but with other dates over the year.