Explaining Ash Wednesday
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. It is a day of fasting. It occurs 46 days before Easter. These 46 days include the 40 days of fasting, and the 6 Sundays, which are not days of fast. It can fall as early as the 04 th February or as late as the 10 th March. According to three of the four canonical gospels, the synoptic Gospels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus ( a.s. ) spent 40 days fasting in the desert, enduring the temptation by Satan. Lent is meant to be a commemoration of this. The 40 days do not include Sunday because Sunday is seen as a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ’s ( a.s. ) alleged resurrection and so, as a feast day, fasting is inappropriate. Christian who fast, fast from Wednesday to Saturday in the first week, and from Monday to Saturday for six weeks. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes m...