بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, All Praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah and his family and companions: 
Many questions have been raised this year about the beginning date of the month of Muharram. Based on that there has been disagreement as to the exact date of the 10th of Muharram, the day of Aashoora which is recommended to fast. The reason for this confusion is that the Egyptian Fatwa Council announced that according to a moon sighting, Wednesday, October 14th was the first of Muharram, and the 10th of the month would be on Friday the 23rd. While Saudi Arabia announced that the moon was not sighted on Wednesday, therefore Thursday was the first of the month and Aashoora would be this Saturday the 24th.  

This kind of disagreement is always a possibility due to the fact that human error can occur in sighting the new moon. It also depends on weather conditions which may make the new moon visible in some areas and not in others. Therefore this issue should not lead to argumentation or hatred!

Fasting the day of Aashoora is Sunnah, and one should also fast the day before it or after it. So if we fast both Friday and Saturday then we have fulfilled the Sunnah. For if Aashoora is truly on Friday we fasted the day after it along with it, and if it is Saturday then we have fasted the day before it.

Therefore AMJA and its Resident Fatwa Committee advise the Muslims in the United States to be tolerant in matters of difference of opinion such as this and not to let it be a cause of division. We ask Allah to make this year full of goodness, blessings, and mercy for Muslims all over the world, and to guide us to the best of actions which are pleasing to Him.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم