The Day of Ashura
The sacred month of Muharram brings with it one of the most beautiful days of the Islamic year: The Day of Ashura.
This is the historic day Allah split the Red Sea and saved Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel from the tyranny of Firawn. When our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ arrived in Madinah and saw this day being honored, he reminded us that we have the ultimate right to celebrate Musa's victory.
To help your family maximize this blessed time without the stress of planning, I’ve put together a quick, text-and-go resource guide. Below, you’ll find free child friendly resources and the authentic Hadith references behind the fast, the immense reward of catching this day, and why scholars recommend fasting the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram. Teaching the story of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) is such an engaging experience for kids. His narrative is filled with adventure, miracles, and profound lessons on tawakkul (trusting Allah) and courage.
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| A sweeping view of the River Nile cutting through the desert landscape. In Islamic tradition, these are the historical waters where Prophet Musa (Moses) was placed in a basket as an infant by his mother, trusting in Divine protection as the current carried him toward the palace of Pharaoh. |
Several excellent Islamic platforms offer high-quality, completely ,free resources ranging from comprehensive activity packs to creative crafts, designed specifically for children.
Top Free Printable Resources & Worksheets
1. Primary Ilm (Activity Booklets & Sequencing)
Primary Ilm is fantastic for structured, visually clean Islamic worksheets. They offer a dedicated Prophet Musa Resource Pack that includes:
- Story Worksheets: Coloring and writing pages covering his life from infancy in the Nile to the confrontation with Firawn.
- Activity Booklet: Includes fill-in-the-blanks, true/false questions to clear up common misconceptions, keyword-to-definition matching, a word search, and a tracing activity for the dua of Musa (Rabi-shrah-li sadri...).
2. Barakah Blooms (Interactive Story Wheel)
If you want a hands-on project that helps children retell the story chronologically, Barakah Blooms provides a brilliant Prophet Musa Story Wheel craft.
- The Resource: A free downloadable template where kids color distinct scenes (Baby Musa in the basket, the burning bush, the splitting of the Red Sea), cut them out, and fasten them together so they can spin through the events.
- Bonus Content: They also provide free lesson slides and a two-part video series tailored for ages 4–10.
3. A Muslim Home School (Prophets Timeline Project)
If you want to place Prophet Musa's life into the broader context of Islamic history, this site offers a massive, free Stories of the Prophets Timeline Pack.
- The Resource: A 31-page printable timeline document. It features dedicated fact-file sheets and storyboard templates for each prophet, including a specialized layout for younger children with wider lines and extra drawing space.
Simple, Low-Prep Activity Ideas
If you want to supplement printables with hands-on learning using everyday household items, these classic activities pair beautifully with the lessons:
🌊 The Parting of the Sea (Water & Pepper Science)
Fill a shallow bowl with water and sprinkle black pepper across the surface (representing the barrier or Firawn's army). Have the child dip a toothpick or their finger into a little bit of dish soap and touch the center of the water; the pepper will instantly split to the sides, giving a visual illustration of the sea parting.
🧺 Baby Musa's Basket Craft
Use an empty egg carton or a small paper bowl. Let the child line it with green tissue paper or fabric "reeds" and place a small peg doll or paper drawing of a baby inside to simulate the basket floating down the Nile.
🗣️ Oral Narration & Review
Because Prophet Musa's story has distinct phases, try breaking it down into a multi-day series. At the start of a new session, instead of summarizing the previous events yourself, ask the child: "Can you retell me what happened yesterday?" It's a wonderful way to see which details resonated with them and practice their speaking skills.
Authentic references to read and discuss with your children.
1. The Prophet’s Connection to Prophet Musa (The Origin of the Fast)
When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah, he found the Jewish community fasting on the 10th of Muharram because it marked the day Prophet Musa and his people were saved.
Hadith Reference:
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madinah and he found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura.
The Prophet said, "What is this?" They said, "This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy, so Musa fasted on this day." The Prophet said, "We have more right to Musa than you." So, the Prophet fasted on that day and commanded the people to fast.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (2002) and Sahih Muslim (1130)
2. The Prophet’s Intention to Fast the 9th
To distinguish the Muslim practice from the traditions of the People of the Book, the Prophet ﷺ expressed his intention to add the day before Ashura.
Hadith Reference:
Abdullah ibn Abbas reported: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasted on the day of Ashura and commanded its fasting, the companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is a day that the Jews and Christians honor."
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If I live until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth day [as well]." But the Prophet passed away before the next year.
Source: Sahih Muslim (1916)
3. Why Fasting the 9th, 10th, and 11th is Recommended (The Levels of Fasting)
Scholars like Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (Zad al-Ma'ad) and Ibn Hajar explain that there are different levels of fasting Ashura, with adding surrounding days being the most complete way to practice.
The Core Virtues Explained for Your Resource Page:
The 9th and 10th (Most Recommended): This fulfills the direct Sunnah and explicit intention of the Prophet ﷺ to differ from other communities by joining another day to the 10th.
The 9th, 10th, and 11th (The Safest & Fullest Reward): Some classical scholars (including the Hanafi and Shafi'i positions) recommend fasting all three days for two practical reasons:
Certainty: It ensures you definitely catch the true 10th of Muharram, even if there was a slight human error or variation in regional moon-sighting for the start of the month.
Abundance: Muharram as a whole is highly praised for voluntary fasts.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the prayer in the middle of the night, and the best fast after the month of Ramadan is the fast in the month of Allah, Muharram." (Sahih Muslim 1163).
The Ultimate Reward to Highlight:
Hadith Reference:
The Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting on the day of Ashura and he said, "It expiates the sins of the past year."
Source: Sahih Muslim (1162)
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