Is there anything Jewish about "Ashura?"
Question
Do Jews fast on Ashura as Muslims claim?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
There is no connection between Ashura and any Jewish fast day.
The confusion lies in the fact that Mohammed instituted a fast for Muslims to observe on the 10th day of the 7th month which was intended to correspond to Yom Kippur, which is also on the 10th day of the 7th month. However, keep in mind that the 7th Islamic month and the 7th Jewish month rarely coincide. But they did coincide in the year when Mohammed saw the Jews fasting and decided to copy them.
There are many more examples of how ancient religions copied Judaism in the formation of their religion.
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