MUHARRAM
Le Mois Sacré des Nouveaux Débuts
1er Mois · Sacré“Imam Ghazali said in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din: "Fasting is definitely desirable in certain meritorious days, some of them being found in every year, others in every month, and others in every week. Those that are found in every year after the days of Ramadan are:" - the Day of 'Arafa = [9th of Dhu 'l-Hijja] - the Day of 'Ashura' = [10th of Muharram] - the first Ten Days of Dhu 'l-Hijja - the first ten days of Muharram "And all the sacred months are preferred for fasting… and they are: Dhu 'l-Qi'da, Dhu 'l-Hijja, Muharram, and Rajab."”
'Ashura is a day of great historical significance. On this day:
- Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta`ala) accepted the repentance of Sayyidina Adam (ع) after his exile from Paradise
- Allah (س) saved Sayyidina Nuh (ع) and his companions in the Ark
- Allah extinguished the fire in which Sayyidina Ibrahim (ع) was thrown by Nimrod
- Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta`ala) spoke directly to Sayyidina Musa (ع) and gave him the Commandments
- Sayyidina Ayyub (ع) was restored to health from leprosy
- Sayyidina Yusuf (ع) was reunited with his father Ya'qub (ع)
- Sayyidina Yunus (ع) was taken out from the belly of the fish
- The sea was divided as the nation of Israel was delivered from captivity and Pharaoh's army was destroyed
- Sayyidina Dawud (ع) was forgiven
- The kingdom of Sulaiman (ع) was restored
- Sayyidina 'Isa (ع) was raised to Jannah
- Sayyidina al-Husayn (ر) (the Holy Prophet's grandson) achieved the honor of Martyrdom
The Blessed Day of `Ashura — by Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
A long-form khutbah covering the migration to Madinah, the fast of `Ashura, honors given on this day, the ship of Nuh, and final advice. In the original page this opened as an in-page modal; in the CMS the full text is embedded below.
All praise be to Allah who has granted us to see one more year of the Hijri calendar. From the time Prophet ﷺ migrated to al-Madinah it has been 1423 years.
Alhamdulillah He sent him rahmatan lil-`alameen — Mercy to all the worlds. When we say rahmah, it means mercy. If your health is good that is a mercy; if your business is good that is a mercy; if your life is good that is a mercy; if your children are raised well and good that is a mercy. If your neighbors are good with you and friendly that is a mercy from Allah swt. If Allah swt sent rain to you that is a mercy. Whatever is good is a mercy.
And Allah described the Prophet ﷺ as mercy to all the worlds, rahmatan lil-`alameen.
That means "Ya Muhammad! I made you to be a mercy for all My servants. Your presence in their lives is a mercy for them. You are My servant and they are My servants. But you are my perfect servant. Innaka laala khuluqin adheem — 'Indeed you are on a tremendous character.' [68:4] So I made them, and if they follow you, you will be a mercy for them."
If we follow the way of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, we will never see difficulties, we will never see problems. If we are going to follow our bad desires, we are going to find problems in our life. Try to save yourself by following what the Prophet ﷺ brought.
The Migration to Madinah
O Muslims! This what changed the life of the universe — the migration from Makkah to Madinah. That took place eight days ago; some say ten days ago and some say eleven, that the Prophet ﷺ arrived in al-Madinah.
This is the month in which Allah ordered the Prophet ﷺ to move to Madinah to establish the infrastructure of Islam, to establish the state, and the khilafah of Islam. It was in this month that Allah gave a place to the Prophet ﷺ from which Islam spread everywhere.
The Fast of Ashura
Today's topic is the importance of the day of `Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, that the Prophet ﷺ has mentioned.
When he reached al-Madinat al-munawwara — at that time it was called Yathrib or Taiyyaba — and entered, and established his place he found the Jews fasting the tenth of Muharram. And he asked, "Why are they fasting on that day?" They said, "Because on that day Allah saved Musa from Pharoah." And the Prophet ﷺ fasted that day and ordered the Muslims to fast that day.
“Muslim narrated in one of the hadith of `Ashura, "`an abi qatadata an rasulullahi saama yawma `Ashura… kaffaaratan lis saanat almaadiya." Abu Qatada (r) reports that the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts that day, will be forgiven all the sins of the previous year.”
Imam Abu Hanifa said, Kaana waajiban fee awwali zhuhur al-Islam — "that day was an obligatory fast in the beginning of Islam." Imam Shafi`i said, "It is a Sunnah to fast it but not obligatory." Imam Abu Hanifa says that it was an obligation to fast this day in the first decade of Islam.
But it is important to remember that Allah swt will waive one year's sins you have committed. This is a mercy that Allah sent to us, by means of wa ma arsalnaaka illa rahmatan lil-`alameen — We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. [21:107] By following what the Prophet ﷺ did, they are forgiven their sins.
The Significance of Fasting
Look, if you are in prison, if you keep good behavior, they might release you early, parole. On the Day of Judgment we will be looking for anything that can parole us, that can waive our sins. Do you have the fast of `Ashura on that day?
So everything that the Prophet ﷺ brought is a mercy for Muslims. It is one day, only one day, Sunday or Monday. If your intention is to fast Monday with belief it is `Ashura, then fast it and you will be rewarded on your intention.
“Ibn `abbas (r) the greatest mufassir of Qur'an, said that the Prophet ﷺ fasted the day of `Ashura [because of its importance] and he ordered the people to fast it. [Bukhari and Muslim] He ordered the Sahaba to fast that day. That is its importance — to waive one year's sins.”
Abi Saeed al-Khudri (r) related that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever fasts the day of Arafah Allah will waive the preceding year's sins and the following year's sins." That is more than Ashura. That means he will be waived the sins of the future, meaning he will be protected from sinning. And whoever fasts Ashura, Allah will forgive the preceding year's sins.
Honors Given on Ashura
On that day, Allah gave honor to many prophets, upon whom be peace:
- Allah has chosen Adam (as) to be father to human beings on that day
- He raised Idris (as) to heaven on that day
- He saved Sayyidina Nuh (as) with people in his ship on that day
- He saved Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) on that day
- He forgave Sayyidina Dawud (as) on that day
- He returned Sulayman's (as) kingdom to him on that day
- He swt relieved Ayyub (as) [of his afflictions] on that day
- He swt raised Sayyidina `Isa (as) [to heaven] on that day
- Allah made Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to marry Sayyidata Khadijah (r) on that day
- He made him to migrate to Madinah on that day
- He created heavens and earth on that day
- He created the Pen (al-Qalam) on that day
And that was a Friday — not a Saturday or Sunday. That is a very important day in Islamic calendar.
The Meaning of Ashura
And in the end, I want to give the meaning of Ashura. It is mentioned in many Islamic traditions that Ashura means the one who respects and honors that day on which Allah saved all anbiya from the abuse of their communities Allah will lift to a lightened life. It means `asha nura — to live a 'lightened day.' They took the nun out to connect the two words.
The Ship of Nuh
“Al-Hamadani — one of the greatest muhaddiths — related that when Allah swt ordered Nuh to build his ship, he built it from 124,000 planks. And we know in Islamic tradition in the tafsir of Ibn `Abbas regarding Surat al-`Araf, that Allah sent 124,000 prophets, and among them were 313 messengers. When Sayyidina Nuh (Noah) began to put each plank in place, the names of the prophets appeared on them. When he reached one before the last plank, number 123,999 the name of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ appeared on plank 124,000. Then Nuh (as) knew that he was the last Prophet ﷺ. He then needed four more planks to complete the ship. As soon as he put these, the names of the four rightly-guided caliphs appeared on those planks. Allah swt said to him, "For the sake of Muhammad I am saving the ship."”
Thus Sayyidina al-Hamadani said, "For Allahs' love of them, He put their names on that ship." Whoever loves the Prophet ﷺ and his companions, Allah will love them.
Final Advice
May Allah give us the baraka to fast on `Ashura.
I would like to bring to your attention the verse: Atiullah wa atiur-rasul, wa ulil amri minkum. Obey Allah, obey the Prophet and those in authority among you. [4:159]
It is a very difficult time. Muslims must be aware that they must keep love of Islam in their homes, in their communities and with their neighbors. Else we will be in danger. Allah protected Islam, and no one can add or subtract anything from it. Muslims might be in danger, and therefore they must take their precautions.
We came here not to make it an Islamic state. It is not like that. We came to live peacefully, to work, to raise our children Islamically and to raise a new generation. If we seek more than that and we will be in problems.
“The Prophet ﷺ said, "In Last Days chunks of darkness will come on my Ummah. At that time the one sitting is better than the one who is walking and the one who is walking is better than the one who is riding…"”
If you have a problem sit at home. If we involve ourselves we will harm ourselves. Sit by yourself, read Qur'an and hadith and go to your work. Don't involve yourself in anything these days — it is not advisable. May Allah protect all who protect people from miseries and disasters.
Ibn al-'Abbas (ر)
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts the last day of Dhu 'l-Hijjah and the first day of Muharram, he completes a whole year's worth of fasting in that previous year, and Allah gives him penance for fifty [50] years."
Anas (ر)
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts the first Friday of Muharram Allah will forgive his preceding sins, and whoever fasts three days of Muharram — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Allah will write for him worship and prayers for nine hundred [900] years."
'A'ishah Umm al-Mu'minin (ر)
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts the first ten days up till 'Ashura, he will inherit the Paradise al-Firdaws."
'A'ishah (ر) — Sunnah Mu'akkadah
Fasting of 'Ashura is Sunnah Mu'akkadah, that which is highly desired. When the Prophet ﷺ saw the Jews of Madinah fasting on that day, he asked them for what it was. They told him it was the day Musa (ع) led the Bani Isra'il from Pharaoh. The Prophet ﷺ said: "I have more rights with Musa than you Jews." So he fasted that day and ordered for its observance.
Merits of fasting 'Ashura
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts the 'Ashura (10th Muharram), Allah will write for him a thousand [1000] wishes and a thousand years of age, and will grant him the reward of a thousand martyrs, and will write for him the reward of Isma'il (ع), and writes for him seventy [70] palaces in paradise, and makes his flesh forbidden from the hellfire."
Reciting Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad
In another Hadith the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts the 'Ashura, he will be granted the reward of a thousand angels. And whoever recites 'Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad' a thousand [1000] times on the day of 'Ashura, Allah will glance at him with the Eyes of Mercy, and will write him from amongst the Siddiqin [The Truthful]."
Distinguishing from Jews
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Distinguish yourselves from the Jews by fasting either the day before 'Ashura or the day after it as well."
Whoever prays in 'Ashura four [4] sunnah rak'ats on the day of 'Ashura, where after the Fatihah in each rak'ah recites "Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad" eleven [11] times, Allah will forgive his sins of fifty years, and will build for him a pulpit from light. And whoever takes the sunnah shower on 'Ashura he will not suffer sickness in that year except the illness of death, and whoever wears the kohl on his eyes on 'Ashura he will not suffer sickness on that year.
Recite 70 times:
“"Hasbun Allahu wa ni'ma 'l-wakeel, ni'ma 'l-Mawla wa ni'ma 'n-Naseer"”
And recite 7 times:
“"Hasbun Allahu mila 'l-Meezaan wa muntahaa 'l-'ilma, wa mablagha 'r-ridaa, wa zinatu 'l-'arsh, laa maljaa wa laa manjaa min Allahi illa ilayhi. Subhan Allahi 'adada 'sh-shaf'i wa 'l-'arshi, wa 'adada kalimaati Rabbina 't-taammati kullihaa. As'aluka 's-salaamata bi rahmatika ya Arham ar-Rahimeen, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billahi 'l-'Aliyyi 'l-'Azheem. Wa Huwa hasbee wa ni'ma 'l-wakeel, ni'ma 'l-Mawla wa ni'ma 'n-Naseer. Wa Sallallahu 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammadin wa 'alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma'in."”
About an hour before the Adhan for Maghrib towards 'Ashura, sit facing the Qiblah and finish the daily Adab of Tariqah. And then make Tawassul with Sayyidina al-Husayn (ر) and the martyrs of Karbala, where on that day they died Shaheed with Sayyidina al-Husayn (ر) and those who were with him, may Allah's favors be upon them. After breaking your fast dedicate the blessings and rewards of your fast and daily Awrad upon the Prophet ﷺ for the oceans secrets that lie open on the 14th of Muharram.
Muharram is also a month of great importance to Naqshbandi. Our Master and Imam of the Tariqah Shah Naqshband (ق) was born on the 14th of this month. It is thus important and most desired that the People of the Tariqah congregate on the eve of this holy day for Khatm and Dhikr, and read the Mawlid al-Nabi ﷺ in dedication to Mawlana Shah Naqshband, and also reading excerpts from his saintly life.
It is a tradition and practice of Mawlana Sultan al-Awliya Shaykh 'AbdAllah al-Daghestani (ق) to make Qurban of two sheep on the day of 'Ashura and distribute the meat to the poor and needy members of the Tariqah. He also did this on the birthday of Shah Naqshband (ق).
Excerpted from Al-Futuhat al-Haqqaniyyah by Shaykh 'Adnan Kabbani ق.
Qu’Allah (ﷻ) bénisse notre nouvelle année et nous fasse témoigner du bien d’’Ashura.
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