Journal of Islamic Studies > Volume 26, No. 2, 2014

Ashura’ Hadiths on Fasting In Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: Refuting Contemporary Controversies and Doubts / Bassam Abdullah Saleh Alatawi

This research surveys and refutes the controversies and doubts raised on the Internet by anti-Sunnis against the established
Hadiths on fasting the ‘Ashura’ day mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The raised controversies and doubts are meant to
allege inconsistencies in the Hadiths, and hence to claim their invalidity. In response, the research aims to refute the alleged inconsistencies
on the one hand, and to defend Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and hence the Sunnah on the other hand. The research follows an
analytical, inductive approach. It surveys and discusses the allegations raised against the Hadiths in question. Fourteen allegations are
indentified. Each allegation is presented and discussed in the light of the views of early and later scholars. According to the research results,
all the raised controversies and doubts have been proven unfounded. Also, alleged inconsistencies have been refuted. The research
recommends that Hadith specialists be especially aware of what doubts anti-Sunni campaigners on the Internet spread against the Sunnah.
They should combat anti-Sunnah campaigns by refuting false allegations, and defending the Sunnah and Islam in general.