Ashoora is for fasting.. some sahih shia sources..

All the ahadith about Ashura fast being makruh or haraam are weak and therefore scholars such as Ayatullah Shaykh al-Maiad consider it mustahab to fast on the day of Ashura as mentioned in the sahih akhbar of Imams of Ahlul bayt .

ما رأيكم في صيام يوم عاشوراء ؟

الذي أفتي به هوَ استحباب صوم يوم عاشوراء . و في صيامه ثواب عظيم , فينبغي للمسلم أن يصوم هذا اليوم تقرباً الى الله تعالى و كسباً لثواب صيامه , فيكون صومه له بهذه النية و على هذا الوجه لا على أي وجه آخر .


و أما ما ورد في الجوامع الحديثية للشيعة الإمامية من أخبار تنهى عن صوم يوم عاشوراء فهي بأجمعها ضعيفة لا إعتبار بها و لا تنهض أمام الأخبار المعتبرة الدالة على استحباب صوم يوم عاشوراء سواءً ما ورد منها في طرق الإمامية أو ما ورد من طرق غيرهم .

ـ محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده عن زرارة بن أعين ومحمد بن مسلم جميعا ، أنهما سألا أبا جعفر الباقر ( عليه السلام ) عن صوم يوم عاشوراء ؟ فقال : كان صومه قبل شهر رمضان ، فلما نزل شهر رمضان ترك


Muhammad b. `Ali b. al-Husayn (Shaykh Saduq) with his isnad from Zurara b. A`yan and Muhammad b. Muslim, both of them, that they asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (as) about the fast of the day of `Ashura. So he said: Its fast was before the month of Ramadan, so when the month of Ramadan descended, it was abandoned. (sahih)


ـ وبإسناده عن سعد بن عبدالله ، عن أبي جعفر ، عن جعفر بن محمد بن عبدالله ، عن عبدالله بن ميمون القداح ، عن جعفر ، عن أبيه ( عليهما السلام ) قال : صيام يوم عاشوراء كفارة سنة .



(Shaykh Tusi) with his isnad from Sa`d b. Abdullah from Abu Ja`far from Ja`far b. Muhammad b. `Abdullah from `Abdullah b. Maymun al-Qaddah from Ja`far from his father (as). He said: Fasts of the day of `Ashura are an atonement (kaffara) of a year. (sahih)



وعنه ، عن هارون بن مسلم ، عن مسعدة بن صدقة ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) عن أبيه ، أن عليا ( عليه السلام ) قال : صوموا العاشوراء التاسع والعاشر ، فانه يكفر ذنوب سنة .


(Shaykh Tusi) from Harun b. Muslim from Mas`ada b. Sadaqa from Abu `Abdillah (as) from his father, that `Ali (as) said: Fast (on) al-`Ashura, the ninth and the tenth, for it atones (for) the sins of a year. (muwaththaq)

chain of narration is: Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated from Nuh Ibn Shuayb al-Naysabury from Yasin Al Darir from Hariz from Zurarah

I once heard Abu Jafar(as) say you must not fast on the Day of ashura(10th of Muharram) and on the day of Arafah in Makkah and Medina, in your homeland or in any other city.

source- Al kafi(book of fasting part 2) chapter 14 hadith number 3


محمد بن يعقوب عن علي بن إبراهيم عن أبيه عن نوح ابن شعيب النيشابورى عن ياسين الضرير عن حريز عن زرارة عن ابي جعفر


The narration is weak b/c of majhool narrators Nuh b. Shuayb and Yasin al-Zarir.
Al-khoei also said:
وهي أيضاً ضعيفة السند بنوح بن شعيب وياسين الضرير

Najabah ibn Al Harith Al attar said I once asked Abu Jafar(as) about fasting on the day of ashura. He(the imam) said It is a discarded fast after the coming of Shahr Ramadan and what is discarded and abandoned is Heresy, Najabah then asked Abu Abdullah(as) after his father about it and he answered just like his father and then said “ it is a fast about which there is not anything in the book or the established sunnah except the sunnah of the family of Ziyad for their murdering Al-Husayn Ibn Ali(as)

Source- Al kafi(book of fasting part 2) chapter 14 hadith number 4


عن الحسن بن علي الهاشمي عن محمد بن موسى عن يعقوب بن يزيد عن الوشا قال: حدثني نجية بن الحارث العطار

This narration is also weak b/c of majhool narrator al-Hasan b. Ali al-Hashimi
Allama Majlisi also graded it as majhool in Mirat al-Uqul and Syed Khoei in Sharh Urwah al-Wuthqa.

I heard Zurarah(RAA) asking Abu Abdullah(as) about the fast on the day of Ashura, Abu Abdullah(as) said whoever fasts on this day his share for such fasts is like the share of ibn Marjana and the family of Ziyad, I then asked what was their share that day? he said(as) it is the fire, I seek protection with Allah against it and against the deeds against the deeds that take one closer to the fire.

Source- Al kafi(book of fasting part 2) chapter 14 hadith number 6


وعنه عن الحسن بن علي الهاشمي عن محمد بن عيسى قال: حدثني محمد بن ابي عمير عن زيد النرسي قال

This narration is also weak b/c of majhool narrator al-Hasan b. Ali al-Hashimi
Daif a/c to Majlisi in Mirat al-Uqul and Syed Khoei in Sharh Urwah al-Wuthqa.

for more hadiths with the same meaning, refer to the same chapter 14 hadiths number 5 and 7.

These all are also weak. Weak a/c to Majlisi and Khoei too. See mirat al-Uqul.

there are marjas who actually consider it mustahab to fast on Ashura, such as Ayatullah Shaykh al-Maiad. . .


ما رأيكم في صيام يوم عاشوراء ؟
الذي أفتي به هوَ استحباب صوم يوم عاشوراء . و في صيامه ثواب عظيم , فينبغي للمسلم أن يصوم هذا اليوم تقرباً الى الله تعالى و كسباً لثواب صيامه , فيكون صومه له بهذه النية و على هذا الوجه لا على أي وجه آخر .


و أما ما ورد في الجوامع الحديثية للشيعة الإمامية من أخبار تنهى عن صوم يوم عاشوراء فهي بأجمعها ضعيفة لا إعتبار بها و لا تنهض أمام الأخبار المعتبرة الدالة على استحباب صوم يوم عاشوراء سواءً ما ورد منها في طرق الإمامية أو ما ورد من طرق غيرهم

Sayyid al-Khoei discusses this over here (starting on page 313):

Code:

http://alkhoei.com/data/almaktaba/U22/301-320.htm

He says that none of the prohibitive narrations on fasting on the day of `Ashura has sound isnads, rather all of them he considers to be da`if. The only sahih one that he says there is, is this one:


ـ محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده عن زرارة بن أعين ومحمد بن مسلم جميعا ، أنهما سألا أبا جعفر الباقر ( عليه السلام ) عن صوم يوم عاشوراء ؟ فقال : كان صومه قبل شهر رمضان ، فلما نزل شهر رمضان ترك

Muhammad b. `Ali b. al-Husayn (Shaykh Saduq) with his isnad from Zurara b. A`yan and Muhammad b. Muslim, both of them, that they asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir about the fast of the day of `Ashura. So he said: Its fast was before the month of Ramadan, so when the month of Ramadan descended, it was abandoned. (sahih)


However he says that this is not actually prohibitive, but is describing that the fast of `Ashura was in place prior to the fasting of the month of Ramadan, after which it was not an obligation to fast on `Ashura, i.e. that this had become mansukh.


These other hadiths however indicate it being mustahabb, which is the view he favors:


ـ وبإسناده عن سعد بن عبدالله ، عن أبي جعفر ، عن جعفر بن محمد بن عبدالله ، عن عبدالله بن ميمون القداح ، عن جعفر ، عن أبيه ( عليهما السلام ) قال : صيام يوم عاشوراء كفارة سنة .

(Shaykh Tusi) with his isnad from Sa`d b. Abdullah from Abu Ja`far from Ja`far b. Muhammad b. `Abdullah from `Abdullah b. Maymun al-Qaddah from Ja`far from his father . He said: Fasting the day of `Ashura is an atonement (kaffara) of a year. (sahih)


وعنه ، عن هارون بن مسلم ، عن مسعدة بن صدقة ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) عن أبيه ، أن عليا ( عليه السلام ) قال : صوموا العاشوراء التاسع والعاشر ، فانه يكفر ذنوب سنة .

(Shaykh Tusi) from Harun b. Muslim from Mas`ada b. Sadaqa from Abu `Abdillah from his father, that `Ali said: Fast (on) `Ashura, the ninth and the tenth, for it atones (for) the sins of a year. (muwaththaq)

Imam Mohammed Baqirasws and Imam Abi Abdullahasws both said: Don’t fast on the day of Arafa and Ashura, neither in Mecca and Medina, nor in your country and in any other city.241
Faroo-e-Kafi, tradition 3, vol. 3, pp. 321.


This sanad is weak by Nuh b. Shu`ayb and Yasin ad-Darir.

I asked about the ‘Soam’ on the 9th and 10th of Moharram from Imam Aba Abdullahasws. Imamasws replied, Syrian army, on the planes of Karbala, rejoiced on the 9th, after forming and moving forward to surround Imam Huassinasws and hisasws companions. Ibn Ziadla reinforced his army and
proudly looked at the endless rows of his soldiers which had outnumbered few companions of Imam Hussainasws, he was convinced no one will come forward to join Imam Hussainasws’s camp and people of Iraq will consider himasws weak and will not dare to protect Imamasws against his huge build-up. Ashora (10th) was that day when Imam Hussainasws along with companions were lying on the sand of Karbala, with heads removed from their bodies.
Is it appropriate to fast on that day? Surely not. By the Lord of Kabah! It is not a fasting day, it’s the day of sadness and moaning. All momaneen, on the earth and in the heavens should be grieving on this day. This was a day of joy for the people of Syria, decedents of Marjana and Ibn Ziadla. Allahazwj admonished them on this day; this is the day when all parts of the world cried expect the Syrian segment.
Allahazwj will resurrect him with ‘dead’ heart and punish him severely whoever would fast on this day for the purpose of seeking blessings. Allahazwj will take back Hisazwj blessings and implant disbelief in his heart, to remain there, until the final day, whoever would indulge in acquiring and piling worldly goods, not only for him but also for his family and relatives. And Iblisla will have share in their deeds and activities.243
Faroo-e-Kafi, tradition 7, vol. 3, pp. 321



The sanad is weak by Muhammad b. Sinan in it. Also, this and the three other narrations preceding it are all narrated from one al-Hasan (or al-Husayn) Ibn `Ali al-Hashimi, for whom we do not have tawthiq (being considered reliable) nor madh (praise) for him in our books.

Code:


http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f15/ashoora-meant-fasting-flagellation-31886/#post323096


Their ayatullat al-khuï said the same thing in his book al-mustanab al-urwa al-wuthqa

Code:


http://www.u-of-islam.net/uofislam/maktaba/Fiqh/mostanad1/al-soum/02/a305.htm


فالروايات الناهية غير نقية السند برمتها، بل هي ضعيفة بأجمعها، فليست لدينا رواية معتبرة يعتمد عليها ليحمل المعارض على التقية كما صنعه صاحب الحدائق. واما الروايات المتضمنة للامر واستحباب الصوم في هذا اليوم فكثيرة، مثل صحيحة القداح: " صيام يوم عاشوراء كفارة سنة " وموثقة مسعدة بن صدقة: " صوموا للعاشوراء التاسع والعاشر فانه يكفر ذنوب سنة " (2)، ونحوها غيرها، وهو مساعد للاعتبار نظرا إلى المواساة مع أهل بيت الوحي وما لا قوه في هذا اليوم العصيب من جوع وعطش وساير الآلام والمصائب العظام التي هي أعظم مما تدركه الافهام والاوهام. فالاقوى استحباب الصوم في هذا اليوم من حيث هو كما ذكره في الجواهر أخذا بهذه النصوص السليمة

hadiths saying that it's mustahab to fast during ashura are sahih according to their standard, and hadith forbidding to fast during ashura are weak.

Code:

http://islamic-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=11194&st=0

Shia one of the narrator of hadith about ashura fasting is Zurrah:
But Zurrah are known fabricators as even shia Imams Jafir As Sadiq & Imam Muhammed Al Baqir cursed them for lying about the narrations, these can be found in shia books.

Ikhtiyar Ma'`rifat ar-Rijal, vol. 1 p. 361
Ikhtiyar Ma'`rifat ar-Rijal, vol. 1 p. 394
Ikhtiyar Ma'`rifat ar-Rijal, vol. 1 p. 397
al-Ardabili, Jami' ar-Ruwat vol. 3 p. 43
Ikhtiyar Ma'rifat ar-Rijal vol. 2 p. 612
Ikhtiyar Ma'rifat ar-Rijal vol. 2 p. 614