Muharram and Ashura
The Battle of Karbala
The day of Ashura was a very respectable day for the Quraysh of Makkah in the era of Jahiliyyah. On that day, a new cover was put on the Kaaba and the Quraysh fasted on that day. It was the rule of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that the Quraish used to agree and participate in the good deeds that the Quraysh did towards the nation of Abraham. Therefore, he used to observe the fast of Ashura along with Quraysh; But he did not order others to do so, then when he came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on Ashura, and this tradition reached them that this is the blessed historical day, in which Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and Allah Tabarak and Taala had given salvation to their nation and had drowned Pharaoh and his army, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made more arrangements for fasting on that day and gave a general command to Muslims to fast on that day as well. Keep it (Bukhari 1/481) In some hadiths, it is said that he gave such a strong order as is given for duties and obligations; Thus, it is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Salama bin Al-Aku' and Rabi' bint Mu'awz bin Afra' that the Messenger of Allah, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, sent a message to the villages around Medina where the Ansar lived on the morning of Ashura. People who have not eaten or drunk anything should fast today, and those who have eaten should not eat anything for the rest of the day. Rather, stay like the fasting people. Later, when the fasting of Ramadan became obligatory, the obligation of fasting on Ashura was canceled and its status was left as a Nafl fast (Bukhari Sharif 1/268, Muslim Sharif 1/360) but after that. It was also the custom of the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he used to fast most of the post-mortem fasts in addition to the obligatory fasts of Ramadan, as is mentioned in the hadith (Ma'arif al-Hadith 4/168).
Historical significance of Ashura day
The day of Ashura is a day of great glory and greatness, the great events of history are connected with it; Historians have written that:
(1) On the day of Ashura, the heavens and the earth, the pen and Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) were created.
(2) On the same day, Adam's repentance was accepted.
(3) On the same day Hazrat Idris (peace be upon him) was lifted up to heaven.
(4) On the same day, Noah's ark was saved from the terrible flood and anchored on Mount Jodi.
(5) On the same day, Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was made "Khalilullah" and fire fell on him.
(6) Hazrat Ismail (peace be upon him) was also born on the same day of Ashura.
(7) On the same day Hazrat Yusuf (peace be upon him) was released from prison and got the government of Egypt.
(8) On the same day, Hazrat Yusuf (peace be upon him) met Hazrat Yaqub (peace be upon him) after a long time.
(9) On the same day of Ashura, Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and his people Bani Israel were freed from the oppression of Pharaoh.
(4) On the same day, Noah's ark was saved from the terrible flood and anchored on Mount Jodi.
(5) On the same day, Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was made "Khalilullah" and fire fell on him.
(6) Hazrat Ismail (peace be upon him) was also born on the same day of Ashura.
(7) On the same day Hazrat Yusuf (peace be upon him) was released from prison and got the government of Egypt.
(8) On the same day, Hazrat Yusuf (peace be upon him) met Hazrat Yaqub (peace be upon him) after a long time.
(9) On the same day of Ashura, Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and his people Bani Israel were freed from the oppression of Pharaoh.
Drowned Pharaoh and his Army
(10) On the same day, the Torah was revealed to Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him).
(11) On the same Ashura day, Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) got the kingdom back. (12) On the same day, Hazrat Ayub (peace be upon him) was cured of a serious illness.
(13) On the same day, Hazrat Yunus (peace be upon him) was taken out after staying in the belly of the fish for forty days.
(14) On the same day, the repentance of the people of Hazrat Yunus (peace be upon him) was accepted and the punishment was averted from them.
(15) On the same day, Jesus was born.
(16) And on the same day, Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) was rescued from the evil of the Jews and raised to heaven.
(17) On the same day, the first rain of mercy fell on the earth.
(18) On the same day of Ashura, Quraysh used to put a new cover on the Kaaba.
(19) On the same day, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) married Hazrat Khadija Al-Kubra (RA).
(19) On the same day, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) married Hazrat Khadija Al-Kubra (RA).
(20) On the same day, the Kufi impostors martyred the grandson of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his companions in the field of Karbala.
(21) And on that day the Hour will be established. (Nuzha al-Majlis 1/347, 348, Maarif al-Qur’an p. 11 verse 98. Maarif al-Hadith 4/168)
From the above-mentioned events, the special importance of Ashura day is known, besides, there are many virtues of this day from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Thus:
(1) Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, says: What was the opinion of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that fasting on a day of grace is permissible except for this day, the day of Ashura, and this city, that is, the city of Ramadan (Bukhari Sharif 1/268, Muslim Sharif 1/360, 361).
I have not seen the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arranging fasting on any special day, except for this day, the day of Ashura, and except for this month, the month of Ramadan.
This means that Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, understood this from his behavior that, as much as he used to fast on the day of Ashura, he did not do any other fasts.
Virtue of Ashura Day
From the above-mentioned events, the special importance of Ashura day is known, besides, there are many virtues of this day from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Thus:
(1) Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, says: What was the opinion of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that fasting on a day of grace is permissible except for this day, the day of Ashura, and this city, that is, the city of Ramadan (Bukhari Sharif 1/268, Muslim Sharif 1/360, 361).
I have not seen the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arranging fasting on any special day, except for this day, the day of Ashura, and except for this month, the month of Ramadan.
This means that Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with him, understood this from his behavior that, as much as he used to fast on the day of Ashura, he did not do any other fasts.
(2) On the authority of Hazrat Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: There is no better day in fasting than the month of Ramadan and the day of Ashura. (Narrated by Al-Tabarani and Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Turghaib and Al-Tarheeb 2,115)
No day has superiority over any other day in relation to fasting; But the month of Ramadan and the day of Ashura (that they have superiority over other days).
(3) On the authority of Abi Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: I count on Allah to disbelieve in the Sunnah of the Qiblah. (Muslim Sharif 1,367, Ibn Majah 125)
Hazrat Abu Qatadah (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I hope that fasting on the day of Ashura will atone for the sins of the previous year." (In a tradition of Ibn Majah, there are the words "Al-Sunnah al-Baadha")
It is clear from these hadiths that the day of Ashura is very great and sacred; So we should take full advantage of the blessings of this day.
Along with the day of Ashura, the entire month of Muharram has a special dignity in Shariat Mutahira; Therefore, this month has sanctity due to four reasons:
(1) The first reason is that the excellence of this month has been mentioned in the hadiths;
No day has superiority over any other day in relation to fasting; But the month of Ramadan and the day of Ashura (that they have superiority over other days).
(3) On the authority of Abi Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: I count on Allah to disbelieve in the Sunnah of the Qiblah. (Muslim Sharif 1,367, Ibn Majah 125)
Hazrat Abu Qatadah (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I hope that fasting on the day of Ashura will atone for the sins of the previous year." (In a tradition of Ibn Majah, there are the words "Al-Sunnah al-Baadha")
It is clear from these hadiths that the day of Ashura is very great and sacred; So we should take full advantage of the blessings of this day.
Virtues of the month of Muharram and its reasons
Along with the day of Ashura, the entire month of Muharram has a special dignity in Shariat Mutahira; Therefore, this month has sanctity due to four reasons:
(1) The first reason is that the excellence of this month has been mentioned in the hadiths;
So, someone asked Hazrat Ali (RA) that after the month of Ramadan, in which month should I fast? Hazrat Ali (RA) replied that a person once asked the same question to the Prophet (PBUH), and I was sitting next to him, and he replied: "I did not fast after the month of Ramadan." So the month of Muharram is the city of Allah in which day Allah repents in it to the people and repents in it to the other people. (Tirmidhi 1/157)
That is, after the month of Ramadan, if you want to fast, fast in the month of Muharram; Because it is the month of Allah Ta'ala (the special mercy of Allah), there is a day in it in which Allah Ta'ala accepted the repentance of a nation and He will accept the repentance of a nation on this day.
Also, on the authority of Hazrat Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Fasting after fasting in Ramadan is the month of Allah. (Tirmidhi 1/157) That is, after the fasts of the month of Ramadan, the best fast is the month of Muharram.
Similarly, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, said: Whoever fasts on a day of the Muharram, it will be thirty days on the whole day. (Al-Targheeb and Al-Tarheeb 2/114) That is, the person who fasts on one day of Muharram, and he will get the reward of fasting for thirty days in return for every day of fasting.
(2) The second reason from the above hadiths is that it is the "City of Allah" which means it is the month of special blessings of Allah, so adding this month to Allah proved its special greatness and virtue.
(3) The third reason is that this month is "Ashar Haram" i.e. among the four months that have a special place over other months, these are the four months:
(1) Dhu Qa'dah (2) Dhu al-Hijjah (3) Muharram al-Haram (4) Rajab (Bukhari Sharif 1/234, Muslim 2/60)
(4) The fourth reason is that the Islamic year begins with this month; So Imam Ghazali writes that "The reason for the excellence of fasting in the month of Muharram is that the year begins with this month; Therefore, it should be filled with good deeds, and it should be expected from God the Holy One that He will keep the blessing of these fasts throughout the year. (Ahyaya Uloom Urdu 1/601)
Things to do on the day of Ashura
Only two things are proven on the day of Ashura from the Tayyaba hadiths: (1) Fasting: As the traditions in this regard have been passed down; But it should be remembered that in the hadiths, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has forbidden to imitate the disbelievers and polytheists and to imitate the Jews and Christians. On the other hand, to leave him was to deprive him of his blessings; Therefore, the Holy Prophet of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught us that one day of fasting and fasting on the day of Ashura, it is better to miss the fast of the ninth and tenth days, and if for some reason the ninth day is not fast. If you can keep it, then fast on the eleventh with the tenth; So that the Jews would be opposed and there would be no resemblance to them, as it was narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, fasted on the day of Ashura and ordered the Muslims to do the same. So some of the Companions said, O Messenger of Allah! This day is celebrated by Jews and Christians as a great day. Allah zammna al-yum ix said, “I did not come until the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) (Muslim Sharif 1/359), that is, when the next year comes, we will also fast on the ninth. Ibn Abbas states that before the next year comes. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died.
Also, on the authority of Hazrat Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Fasting after fasting in Ramadan is the month of Allah. (Tirmidhi 1/157) That is, after the fasts of the month of Ramadan, the best fast is the month of Muharram.
Similarly, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, said: Whoever fasts on a day of the Muharram, it will be thirty days on the whole day. (Al-Targheeb and Al-Tarheeb 2/114) That is, the person who fasts on one day of Muharram, and he will get the reward of fasting for thirty days in return for every day of fasting.
(2) The second reason from the above hadiths is that it is the "City of Allah" which means it is the month of special blessings of Allah, so adding this month to Allah proved its special greatness and virtue.
(3) The third reason is that this month is "Ashar Haram" i.e. among the four months that have a special place over other months, these are the four months:
(1) Dhu Qa'dah (2) Dhu al-Hijjah (3) Muharram al-Haram (4) Rajab (Bukhari Sharif 1/234, Muslim 2/60)
(4) The fourth reason is that the Islamic year begins with this month; So Imam Ghazali writes that "The reason for the excellence of fasting in the month of Muharram is that the year begins with this month; Therefore, it should be filled with good deeds, and it should be expected from God the Holy One that He will keep the blessing of these fasts throughout the year. (Ahyaya Uloom Urdu 1/601)
Things to do on the day of Ashura
Only two things are proven on the day of Ashura from the Tayyaba hadiths: (1) Fasting: As the traditions in this regard have been passed down; But it should be remembered that in the hadiths, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has forbidden to imitate the disbelievers and polytheists and to imitate the Jews and Christians. On the other hand, to leave him was to deprive him of his blessings; Therefore, the Holy Prophet of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, taught us that one day of fasting and fasting on the day of Ashura, it is better to miss the fast of the ninth and tenth days, and if for some reason the ninth day is not fast. If you can keep it, then fast on the eleventh with the tenth; So that the Jews would be opposed and there would be no resemblance to them, as it was narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, fasted on the day of Ashura and ordered the Muslims to do the same. So some of the Companions said, O Messenger of Allah! This day is celebrated by Jews and Christians as a great day. Allah zammna al-yum ix said, “I did not come until the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) (Muslim Sharif 1/359), that is, when the next year comes, we will also fast on the ninth. Ibn Abbas states that before the next year comes. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died.
Important benefit
Some jurists have written that it is makruh to fast only on the day of Ashura; But Hazrat Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri has said that there are three forms of fasting on Ashura: (1) Fasting on the ninth, tenth and eleventh (2) Fasting on the ninth, tenth and eleventh (3) Only the tenth date. Fasting should be observed. Among them, the first form is the best, and the second form is inferior to it, and the third form is the least. So Hazrat Shah Sahib said that the lowest level of the third form has been interpreted by the jurists as aversion, otherwise how can the fast you have observed and only desire to observe the ninth fast in the future be abominable? It can be said. (Maarif al-Sunan 5/434)
(2) Generosity in sustenance for family members: Islamic law has given another teaching for this day that it is good to be generous and generous in food and drink for your family members on this day; Because with the blessing of this action, Allah Almighty opens the doors of abundant sustenance throughout the year; Thus: On the authority of Hazrat Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whoever extends to his family and household, on the day of Ashura, may Allah extend to the rest of the Sunnah.” (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Turghaib and Al-Tarheeb 2/115) That is, the person who is generous and expansive in terms of food and drink for his family and friends on the day of Ashura, then Allah will expand his sustenance for the whole year.
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