If this month is the best after Ramadhaan then it is the best month in which fasting is encouraged. Fasting all of it is recommended. So if one fasted the days of Dhu al-Hijjah and then carried on fasting during the month of al-Muharram, then this person has completed the year with good deeds and started the new year with good deeds. So his first deeds are good ones and his final deeds are good ones.
It is narrated that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “There are no two angels that take the deeds of the person up to Allaah, every morning and every mid-afternoon, that has good in them except that Allaah says to the angels, ‘Bear witness! I have Forgiven My Slave what is between these two times’. ” This is narrated in at-Tabaranee and others.
Ibn al-Mubaarak said, “Whoever begins and ends his day with Dhikr of Allaah, then it will be written that he did Dhirk for the whole day.” This shows that ones goods deeds are dictated by the state he ended them in (i.e. a sign of reward for his deeds is that he ends his good deeds in a good way).
It is reported in Saheeh Muslim the authority of Aboo Hurayrah [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “The best of fasting after Ramadhaan is fasting the Month of Allaah, al-Muharram. The best of the Salaat after the obligatory ones is the night prayer.”
This is clear proof that the best of fasting after Ramadaan us the Month of Allaah. What this means that it is the most virtuous month to fast, all of it, after Ramadhaan. There are some days during the year which could be specifically better than the day in al-Muharram, such as the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, especially the Day of ‘Arafah, and the six days of Shawwal and the likes….
What appears to be the case to me is that voluntary fasting in al-Muharram is of two types:
Firstly, that which is unrestricted. So the month of al-Muharram generally is the best month to optionally fast just like the best prayers is the night prayer after the obligatory ones.
Secondly, what is connected to Ramadhaan (i.e. Sha’baan and Sahwwaal), before it and after it. This type of fasting is not voluntary in and of itself, rather they are connected to Ramadhaan. So if one fasts the six of Shawwaal after Ramadhaan then he gets the reward of fasting a lifetime.
So this is connected to Ramadhaan but general voluntary fasting is virtuous in al-Muharram.
It is narrated that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] ordered some men to fast in the month of al-Muharram and the generality of the Hadeeth above proves that the best of voluntary fasting is in this month.
Adapted from Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif (Pg. 24-25) by Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (795 H) [May Allaah have Mercy on him]
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