Ashura 2027: Date, Fasting the 9th and 10th of Muharram
Ashura 1449 (10 Muharram) is expected on Tue 15 June 2027. Fasting the 9th and 10th (Muslim 1162), its reward, and what the day means to different Muslims.
This guide explains common views and sources. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a scholar or imam you trust.
Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Hijri year. In 1449 AH it is expected on Tuesday 15 June 2027 (Umm al-Qura), nine days after the Islamic New Year on Sunday 6 June. Where Muharram began a day later, Ashura is Wednesday 16 June. The actual date depends on moon sighting or the local authority and may differ by a day. The Hijri converter shows the live date.
The fast of Ashura
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on Ashura in gratitude for the deliverance of Musa and his people from Pharaoh. He said that the Muslims had more right to Musa, fasted the day and told the companions to fast it (reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). When the fast of Ramadan was prescribed, Ashura became voluntary: whoever wishes may fast it, and whoever wishes may leave it.
Its reward is stated plainly. Asked about fasting Ashura, the Prophet said it expiates the sins of the year before (Muslim 1162). The same hadith gives the Day of Arafah two years and the Monday fast its own reason. Scholars explain the expiation as covering minor sins; major sins need sincere repentance.
Muharram as a whole is also singled out: the best fasting after Ramadan is in the month of Allah, Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory is the night prayer (Muslim 1163).
Why the 9th is fasted with it
Towards the end of his life the Prophet said that if he lived to the following year he would fast the 9th as well (Sahih Muslim). He passed away before the next Muharram, so the companions and later scholars took the statement as a recommendation: fast the 9th and 10th together. The reason given in the sources is to differ from the practice of the People of the Book, who fasted the 10th alone.
In Sunni sources the recommended practice is therefore:
| Option | Days | 2027 (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| Best | 9th and 10th | Mon 14 and Tue 15 June |
| If the 9th was missed | 10th and 11th | Tue 15 and Wed 16 June |
| Minimum | 10th alone | Tue 15 June |
Some scholars mention fasting all three (9th, 10th, 11th) as a precaution against error in the month's start.
Practical notes for June 2027
- Length of the fast: mid-June is close to the summer solstice. In London, Fajr to Maghrib is about 18.5 hours; in Toronto about 17 hours; in Kuala Lumpur and Lagos about 13 hours; in Sydney and Johannesburg about 11 hours. Check the prayer times for your city.
- Weekdays: the 9th and 10th fall on a Monday and Tuesday in 2027. Monday is itself a recommended fasting day (Muslim 1162), so the Monday fast and the 9th coincide for most of the world.
- Intention: a voluntary fast can be decided before Fajr; the majority allow forming the intention during the morning if nothing has been eaten since dawn.
- If your country's date differs: fast according to the Hijri date announced where you live. A one-day difference between countries is normal; see moon sighting explained.
- Health: anyone with a medical condition should talk to their doctor before a long summer fast. The fasting and health conditions guide has general information.
Ashura for Shia Muslims
Ashura is also the anniversary of the death of al-Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet, at Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). For Shia Muslims it is the most solemn day of the year, marked by mourning gatherings, recitation of the events of Karbala, and processions; many also fast or abstain from food until the afternoon as an act of grief rather than as the sunnah fast described above. Sunni Muslims also honour al-Husayn and regard his death as a tragedy, while observing the day primarily through the fast.
Both communities agree on the date and on the gravity of what happened at Karbala. Differences in how the day is marked go back centuries and are not resolved on a web page; Salah Table describes both without taking a side. For your own practice, follow your community and a scholar you trust.
A simple plan for the two days
Sunday 13 June (evening): decide to fast Monday and Tuesday. Set the suhoor alarm; check Fajr and Maghrib on the prayer times page. Prepare simple suhoor food.
Monday 14 June (9 Muharram): fast. It is also a Monday, when deeds are presented (Tirmidhi 747). Break the fast at Maghrib with dates and water.
Tuesday 15 June (10 Muharram, Ashura): fast. Spend some of the day in Qur'an and dhikr; remember Musa's deliverance, and the family of the Prophet at Karbala. Make dua at iftar, which is a time when dua is accepted.
Wednesday 16 June: if you missed the 9th, fast the 11th today instead.
What Ashura is not
- It is not a festival. There is no Eid prayer, no prescribed gathering, and no obligatory act beyond what is normal every day.
- It is not the start of the year; that is 1 Muharram, nine days earlier.
- It is not obligatory. Missing the fast carries no sin.
For the rest of the year's fasting days, see the white days and Mondays and Thursdays; the Islamic calendar 2027 places Ashura among the year's other dates.
Useful tools
Questions and answers
When is Ashura in 2027?
10 Muharram 1449, expected on Tuesday 15 June 2027 (Umm al-Qura). Where Muharram began a day later it falls on Wednesday 16 June. The actual date depends on moon sighting or the local authority.
Why fast the 9th as well as the 10th?
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said near the end of his life that if he lived to the next year he would fast the 9th as well, reported in Sahih Muslim. Scholars understood this as distinguishing the Muslim fast from that of others, so fasting the 9th and 10th together is the recommended practice in Sunni sources.
What if I can only fast one day?
Fast the 10th. The expiation in the hadith is for the day of Ashura itself. Some scholars suggest the 10th and 11th if you missed the 9th.
Is fasting Ashura obligatory?
No. It was obligatory before the fasting of Ramadan was prescribed, and became voluntary afterwards (reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). It remains a strongly recommended sunnah fast.
Are there other special acts on Ashura?
The established sunnah is the fast. Reports about special spending, bathing or cooking on Ashura are not considered reliable by most hadith scholars. Ask a scholar you trust if your community has a custom you are unsure about.
Sources
- Sahih Muslim 1162
- Sahih Muslim 1163
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (the Prophet fasted Ashura in Madinah; it became voluntary after Ramadan)
- Sahih Muslim (if I live to next year I will fast the ninth)