"A man asked Ali: "Which month do you order me to fast after the month of Ramadan?' He said to him, 'I have not heard anyone ask this except for a man whom I heard asking the Messenger of Allah while I was sitting with him. He said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which month do you order me to fast after the month of Ramadan?" He said: "If you will fast after the month of Ramadan, then fast Al-Muharram, for indeed it is Allah's month in which there is a day that Allah accepted the repentance of a people, and in which He accepts the repentance of other people."
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ أَىُّ شَهْرٍ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَصُومَ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ لَهُ مَا سَمِعْتُ أَحَدًا يَسْأَلُ عَنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ رَجُلاً سَمِعْتُهُ يَسْأَلُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا قَاعِدٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ شَهْرٍ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَصُومَ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَائِمًا بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَصُمِ الْمُحَرَّمَ فَإِنَّهُ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ فِيهِ يَوْمٌ تَابَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ وَيَتُوبُ فِيهِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ .
Tirmizi
The Book on Fasting • Hadith 740