Muharram & Aashura

All Praise to Allah, who has blessed us with the final Rasul, Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who brought a complete Deen upon which the Sahabah (Radhiallahu anhu) acted and obtained success in e!ery field" #his newsletter is a summary of a boo$let which was compiled under auspicious guidance of Shei$hul Hadith Hadhrat Moulana %a&lur Rehman of Darul 'loom, A&aad!ille, May Allah grant him long life" #H( S)*+)%),A+,( -% M'HARRAM A+D ASH'RA %rom time to time many boo$lets and phamplets are published wherein some baseless .facts. appear" #hus it is imperati!e that full references be furnished in all publications" )t is in this light that this pamphlet on Muharram has been compiled with /uotations from authentic sources only" #H( SA,R(D M-+#HS %rom among the months of the )slaamic year, the .Ashurul Hurum. (Sacred Months) en0oy a greater significance" Hafi& )bn 1atheer (Rahmatullahi alaih) has /uoted the saying of Hadhrat 2atadah (Radhiallahu anhu) in his famous tafseer" He writes3 .Allah #a4aala has indeed distinguished some of His ,reation from among man and 5inn, He has chosen Messengers" He has granted special !irtue to His remembrance (6i$r) o!er all speech and tal$" %rom the land He has chosen the Masaa0id" He distinguished the Day of 5umu4ah (%riday) from amongst the days and 7aitatul 2adr (the +ight of Power) from amongst the nights" #herefore respect what Allah #a4aala has honoured for !erily to honour things due to the !irtue which Allah #a4aala bestowed upon them is among the traits of the intelligent." 8#afseer )bn 1hateer, !ol 9 pg :;<=" #he sanctity of the .Ashurul Hurum. has been mentioned by Allah #a4aala Himself in the 2ur4aan e 1areem" Allah #a4aala says3 .7o> #he number of the months with Allah is twel!e months by Allah4s ordinance on the day that He created the hea!ens and the earth" %our of them are sacred3 that is the right Deen" So wrong not yoursel!es in them." 8Surah #auba, !erse :;=" #he sanctity of these four months was obser!ed in the Shari4ah of all the Ambiyaa" Hence all preached to their followers that any act of obedience and !irtue in these months earn an increased reward" 7i$ewise any transgression or disobedience perpetrated in these months is more se!ere and the sin is multiplied" )n the Shari4ah of !arious Ambiyaa, wars and fighting (e!en for 0ust causes) too was forbidden" 8(?tracted from Ma Ariful 2ur4aan, !ol @, pg :AB=" #H( M-+#H -% M'HARRAM #he Rasul of Allah #a4aala (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has described the fasts of this month as the

best fasts after the month of Ramadaan" )n a Hadith Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is reported to ha!e said3 .#he best of fasts besides the month of Ramadaan is the fasting of Allah4s month of Muharram and the best of Salaats besides the %ardh (obligatory Salaat) is the #aha00ud Salaah (performed after midnight)." 8Suhih Muslim, !ol C, pg :;D=" .He who fasts on the Day of Arafat, his fast will be a compensation for the sins of two years and the one that $eeps a fast in the month of Muharram will recei!e a reward of thirty fasts for each fast (in the sacred month)." 8At #argheeb Eat #arheeb, !ol 9, pg CC@=" %AS#)+* -+ #H( DAF -% ASH'RA (CB#H -% M'HARRAM) )bn Abbaas (Radhiallahu anhu) says3 .) did not see the messenger of Allah #a4aala an?iously await the fast of any day, which he ga!e preference to o!er other days, but this day (i"e" the Day of Ashura) and this month (i"e" the month of Ramadaan). 8Suhih Gu$hari, !ol 9, pg 9;D=" )n !arious Ahaadith an e?planation is gi!en as to why Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) $ept this fast and e?horted his companions to do the same" A narration of Sahih Muslim concisely e?plains the reason )bn Abbaas (Radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) came to Madinah and found the 5ews fasting on the Day of Ashura" Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in/uired of them .Ehat is the significance of this day on which you fastH. #hey replied3 .#his is a great day" -n this day Allah #a4aala sa!ed Moosa and his people and drowned %iroun and his nation." #hus Moosa (Alaihis Salaam) fasted on this day as a to$en of than$sgi!ing, therefore, we too fast on this day" #he Rasul of Allah #a4aala (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said3 .Ee are more worthy of Moosa (Alaihis Salaam) and nearer to him than you." #hereafter he fasted on this day and ordered his companions that a fast be $ept on this day" 8Suhih Muslim, !ol C, pg :I<=" %rom the abo!e Hadith it is clear that the fast of Ashura is lin$ed to the sal!ation of Moosa (Alaihis Salaam)" Gesides this no other Hadith of this category (Sahih) e?plains the reason for Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ha!ing $ept a fast on this day" %-R*)J(+(SS -% A F(ARS S)+S Eith regards to the blessings of this fast, it is recorded in a narration of Sahih Muslim that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was as$ed regarding (the !irtue of) the fast of Ashura" Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) answered3 .)t is compensation for the sins of the past year, i"e" the sins of the year that has 0ust gone by will be forgi!en." 8Suhih Muslim, !ol C, pg :;D=" -PP-S)+* #H( 5(ES

Any act which bears a resemblance with the 5ews and the ,hristians is frowned upon in the Shari4ah" Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said3 .Should ) li!e the following year, ) will definitely fast on the ninth also." 8Suhih Muslim, !ol C, pg :I<=" Hence it is important that either the ninth or ele!enth of Muharram should be 0oined in $eeping fast with the Day of Ashura" #o fast only on the day of Ashura is Ma$rooh (reprehensible)" Howe!er, the .1arahat. (reprehendsibility) is not se!ere" )t is stated in Durrul Ma$htar3 .)t is KMa$rooh #ahrimi. to fast on the days of (id and KMa$rooh #an&ihi4 to fast on the Day of Muharram only." 8Durrul Ma$htar, !ol 9, pg CC@=" SP(+D)+* %R((7F -+ -+(4S %AM)7F Gesides fasting on the day of Ashura, being generous to one4s family and spending on what is normally spent on food, etc" is a !ery meritorious act" ,ertain scholars are of the opinion that the Ahaadith in this regard are not authentic" Hence, there is no special !irtue for increased generosity on the Day of Ashura" Howe!er, this is not correct" #o substantiate this, Allama Sa$hawi (Radhiallahu anhu) writes3 .He who will be generous on his family on the Day of Ashura, Allah will be generous to him throughout the year. #his Hadith has been transmitted by #abrani and Gaiha/i in his boo$ .As Shaub. and %adaail ul Aw/aat and Abu Shai$h, all of them ha!ing narrated it from )bn Masood" #abrani and Gaiha/i ha!e also transmitted it from Abu Saeed (Radhiallahu anhu)" )n his boo$ .Ash Shaub., Gaiha/i has also narrated this Hadith from 5aabir and Abu Hurairah" Gaiha/i therefore says3 .#he chains of narrators of these Ahaadith are KDaeef4 Eea$, Howe!er, when they are considered collecti!ely, the chain of narrators becomes strong (i"e" the Hadith becomes reliable)." Allamah Shaami too has indicated towards the authenticity of this Hadith" He says3 .#he hadith of generosity upon ones family is an established and authentic (Sahih) narration as mentioned by Hafi& Suyuti in KAd Durar4." 8Shaami, !ol 9, pg CII=" R(,#)%),A#)-+ -% G(7)(% Many erroneous beliefs e?ist regarding the Day of Ashura" )t is necessary that such beliefs be discarded" #he day of Ashura is regarded by many as the day of mourning the martyrdom of Sayyidina Husein (Radhiallahu anhu)" #o attribute the significance of Ashura to the martyrdom of Sayyidina Husein (Radhiallahu anhu) is baseless" #he significance of Ashura is from the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) whilst Sayyidina Husein (Radhiallahu anhu) was martyred fifty years later than the demise of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam)"

Similarly, the significance of Ashura is attributed to many such occurrences and e!ents, most of which are not pro!en by authentic sources" )n refutation of such fallacious beliefs and customs, Shei$h Abdul Ha/ Muhaddith Dahlawi (Rahmatullahi alaih) writes3 .Geware, do not participate in inno!ations of the Rawafidh" Do not in!ol!e yourself in mourning, lamenting and displaying grief" #his is not the conduct of Gelie!ers or else the date of the demise of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would ha!e been more worthy of being obser!ed (by mourning and lamenting)." Similarly, refrain from participating in the inno!ations of those who harbour hatred for the Ahlul bait (the family of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), or the inno!ations of the ignorantL those who oppose corruptions with corruption, inno!ations with inno!ations and e!il with sin" Hence, they display great 0oy and happiness" #hey regard this day as an occasion of merryma$ing and adornment and indulgence in 1hidaab, applying surmah, wearing new clothes, sending la!ishly and coo$ing !arious foods which are not generally prepared" All these actions are regarded as Sunnah by these ignorant people whereas the true Sunnah is to shun these practices, since no authentic narrations sanctioning such actions has been recorded" 8Ma thabata bis Sunnah, pg 9I@=" Regarding the !arious beliefs about the significance of the Day of AshuraL many of which are often /uoted in our timeL Shei$h Muhaddith Dahlawi (Rahmatullahi alaih) writes3 )t is said that3 a" #he person who applies Ksurmah4 on the Day of Ashura will not ha!e sore eyes for the entire year" b" #he person who ta$es a bath on this day will not fall ill till the ne?t year" c" #he person who spends freely on his family on the Day of Ashura, Allah #a4aala will increase his sustenance for the whole year" and the claims such as3 C" #he !irtue of Salaah on this day" 9" -n the day the repentance of Adam (Alaihis Salaam) was accepted" :" #he Ar$ of +uh (Alaihis Salaam) settled on mount K5udi4 when the flood waters subsided" @" )brahim (Alaihis Salaam) was remo!ed from the fire" I" )smail (Alaihis Salaam) was sa!ed from being sacrificed" ;" Fusuf (Alaihis Salaam) was returned to Fa/oob (Alaihis Salaam)" All the abo!e are %AGR),A#)-+S (M,(P# the Hadith of the Ar$ of +uh(Alayhis Salaam) and of spending freely on one4s family" Howe!er one of the narrators is not absolutely reliable. 8Ma thabata bis Sunnah, pg 9I@=" %rom the list of fabrications which ha!e been /uoted from Shei$h Muhaddith Dahlawi (Rahmatullahi alaih), the Ar$ of +uh (Alaihis Salaam) settling on the mountain will be e?cluded from being a fabricated Hadith" #his e?clusion is due to the Hadith which appears in the .Musnad. of )maam Ahmad (Alaihis Salaam) !ol 9, pg 9I<"

,-+,7'S)-+ #he Day of Ashura is a great day" Ehile obser!ing it4s greatness, let us shun all inno!ations and unfounded customs which depri!e us of blessings and reward" 7et us firmly cling onto the 2ur4aan and Sunnah and attain success of both the worlds" Ameen