Ashura is one of the major religious observances in Islam, observed by both Sunni and Shia Muslims, albeit for different reasons. Somalia, predominantly being a Sunni Muslim nation, observes Ashura as a day of fasting, commemoration, and reflection. The date of Ashura is based on the Islamic lunar calendar, thus it is a tentative date. It falls on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic year.
For the Somali Sunni majority, Ashura is a day of remembrance for the day when Prophet Moses (Musa) and his followers were saved from Pharaoh by Allah parting the Red Sea. Many Somali Muslims choose to fast on Ashura following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad who, when he arrived in Medina and found the Jews fasting in commemoration of Moses' rescue, advocated for Muslims to fast as well.
It is important to note that Somali's Ashura observance might differ from Shia observance in other parts of the world, which is marked with mourning for the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein in the Battle of Karbala. However, whether for remembrance or mourning, Ashura in Somalia is a significant and respected day of reflection and prayer.