In Zad al-Ma’ad, ‘Allamah al-Majlisi says that it is preferable not to observe fasting on the ninth and tenth of Muharram because the Umayyads used to observe fasting on these two days in order to express delight for and to gloat over the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.). Having seen a good omen in the killing of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.), the Umayyads and their fans fabricated many lies against the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and falsely ascribed to him that he mentioned many merits to be the reward of those who would observe fasting on these two days. On the other hand, the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) are reported to have warned against observing fasting on these two days in general and on the tenth of Muhammad, the Day of ‘Ashura’, in particular.
The Umayyads - may Allah curse them - used to store up their annual nutriment in their houses on the tenth of Muharram; accordingly, Imam al-Rida(a.s.) is reported to have said, “If one refrains from arranging for any worldly benefit on the tenth of Muharram, Almighty Allah will grant him all his needs for this world and the world to come. If one considers the tenth of Muharram to be the day of his misfortune, sadness, and weeping, Almighty Allah will make the Resurrection Day the day of his delight and happiness; and he will be delighted by us in Paradise. If one considers the tenth of Muharram to be a blessed day and he thus stores up any annual nutriment on that day, Almighty Allah will not bless that which he stored up and will add him to the gang of Yazid, ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, and ‘Umar ibn Sa’d - may Allah curse them all.”
In conclusion, it is required to suspend any worldly activity on this day and to devote oneself to weeping, mourning the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.), recalling his misfortunes, and ordering one’s family members to hold a consolation ceremony in the same way as one may hold for his dearest people. It is also required to abstain from eating and drinking up to the last hour of the day at which one may break the abstention with a drink of water at least, without intending ritual fasting, since to observe fasting on this day is discommended except in cases of obligatory fasting, such as vow fasting and the like. It is also required not to store up anything in the houses, not to laugh, not to entertain oneself, and not to play. It is recommended, on this day, to invoke Almighty Allah to lay curse on the slayers of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) one thousand times by saying following statement:
The summary of the aforementioned worthy essay of ‘Allamah al-Majlisi is that the reports that are ascribed to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) concerning the merits of the tenth of Muharram, the Day of ‘Ashura’, are all in all fabricated. This topic has been discussed at length by the author of Shifa’ al-Sudur at explaining the famous Ziyarat ‘Ashura’ and, precisely, the statement that reads, “O Allah, verily, the descendants of Umayyah saw a good omen in this day... etc.”
The summary of the author’s explanation is as follows: The Umayyads used to regard this day as good omen and they thus used to do many things on it.
(1) They betook as custom on this day storing up the annual nutriment considering such to achieve happiness, good livelihood, and luxury up to the next year. In order to deny this bad habit, the Holy Imams (a.s.) warned against it in many narrations.
(2) They considered the tenth of Muharram a feast day on which they would commit to the manners of celebration, such as conferring upon the family members with whatever they need, procuring new clothes, having one’s mustache cut, trimming the nails, and shaking hands with each other as well as other norms.
(3) They and their fans have been observing fasting on the tenth of Muharram after they have fabricated numerous traditions entailing the significance of observing fasting on this day.
(4) They and their fans have declared that it is recommended to supplicate Almighty Allah on this day
Hadees e Rasool ( s.a.w.a )
Rayyan ibn Shabeeb relates that once when he visited the Prophet's 8th Infallible Successor, Imam Reza (A.S), on the advent of Muharram, the Imam said: "O Ibn Shabeeb! Muharram is the month in which the people of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya) had forbidden the committing of any oppression as well as armed conflicts. Yet, this ummah did not respect the sanctity of this month or the dignity of their own Prophet. In this month, they killed the Prophet’s offspring… God will never forgive them.
"O Ibn Shabeeb! If you wish to cry, then cry for Husain who was slaughtered like a sheep, and was killed along with the members of his household. Eighteen people were martyred along with him who had no equal on Earth. The seven heavens and the earths mourned in his martyrdom…
"O Ibn Shabeeb! If you cry for Hussein (A.S) in such a way that tears flow down your cheeks, then God will forgive all the sins that you have committed whether minor or major, whether they be a few instances or a lot…
"O Ibn Shabeeb! If you would like to meet the Honourable the Exalted God without having any sins then visit (the shrine of) Hussein (A.S).
"O Ibn Shabeeb! If you would like have the company of the Prophet in the halls of Paradise, then curse the murderers of Hussein (A.S).
"O Ibn Shabeeb! If you would like to be in the same high ranks in Paradise with us, then be sad when we are sad and be happy when we are happy."