The Month Of Muharram

The Month Of Muharram

By: Sheikh Mufti Taqi Uthmaani (Hafidhahullah)

Muharram is the month with which the Muslims begin their lunar Hijrah Calendar. It is one of the four sanctified months about which the Holy Quran says, “The number of the months according to Allah is twelve months (mentioned) in the Book of Allah on the day in which He created heavens and the earth. Among these (twelve months) there are four sanctified”. These four months, according to the authentic traditions are the months of Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. All the commentators of the Holy Quran are unanimous on this point, because the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) in his sermon on the occasion of his last Hajj, has declared: One year consists of twelve months, of which four are sanctified months, three of them are in sequence; Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab. 

 

 

The specific mention of these four months does not mean that any other month has no sanctity, because the month of Ramadhan is admittedly the most sanctified month in the year. But these four months were specifically termed as sanctified months for the simple reason that their sanctity was accepted even by the pagans of Makkah. In fact, every month, out of the twelve, is originally equal to the other, and there is no inherent sanctity which may be able which may be attributed to one of them in comparison to the other months. When Allah Almighty chooses a particular time for His special blessings, the same acquires sanctity out of His grace. Thus, the sanctity of these four months was recognized right from the days of Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam). Since the Pagans of Makkah attributed themselves to Sayyidina Ibrahim (Alayhis salaam) they observed the sanctity of these four months and despite their frequent tribal battles, they held it unlawful to fight in these months. In the Shariah of our Noble Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) the sanctity of these months was upheld and the Holy Quran referred to them as the “sanctified months”. The month of Muharram has certain other characteristics peculiar to it which are specified below.

Fasting During The Month:

The Noble Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said: ‘The best fasts after the fasts of Ramadhan are those of the month of Muharram.”

 Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, yet, the one who fasts in these days out of his own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by Allah Almighty. The Hadith cited above signifies that the fasts of the month of Muharram are most rewardable ones among the Nafl fasts i.e. the fasts one observes out of his own choice without being obligatory on him. The Hadith does not mean that the award promised for fasts of Muharram can be achieved only by fasting for the whole month. On the contrary, each fast during this month has merit. Therefore, one should avail of this opportunity as much as he can.



The day of ‘Ashurah’ 

Although the month of Muharram is a sanctified month as a whole, yet, the 10th day of Muharram is the most sacred among all its days. The day is named ‘Ashurah’. According to the Holy Companion Ibn ‘Abbas (Radhiallaahu Anhu). The Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), when migrated to Madinah, found that the Jews of Madinah used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram. They said that it was the day on which the Holy Prophet Musa (Moses) (Alayhis salaam) and his followers crossed the Red Sea miraculously and the Pharaoh was drowned in its waters. On hearing this from the Jews, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “We are more closely rotated to Musa (Alayhis salaam) than you” and directed the Muslims to fast on the day of ‘Ashura’. (Abu Dawood) It is also reported in a number of authentic traditions that in the beginning, fasting on the day of ‘Ashura’ was obligatory for the Muslims. It was later that the fasts of Ramadhan were made obligatory and the fast on the day of ‘Ashura’ was made optional. Sayyidina ‘Aisha (Radhiallaahu Anha) has said: “When the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) came to Madinah, he fasted on the day of ‘Ashura’ and directed the people to fast it. But when the fasts of Ramadhan were made obligatory, the obligation of fasting was confined to Ramadhan and the obligatory nature of the fast of ‘Ashura’ was abandoned. Whoever so desires should fast on it and any other who so likes can avoid fasting on it.” (Sunan Abu Dawud) However, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to fast on the day of ‘Ashura’ even after the fasting in Ramadhan was made obligatory. Abdullah ibn Musa (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) preferred the fast of ‘Ashura’ on the fasts of other days and preferred the fasts of Ramadhaan on the fast of ‘Ashura’. (Bukhari and Muslim)

In short, it is established through a number of authentic Hadiths that fasting on the day of ‘Ashura’ is Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and makes one entitled to a great reward.

According to another Hadith, it is more advisable that the fast of ‘Ashura’ should either be prefixed or suffixed by another fast. It means that one should fast two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram or the 10th and 11th of it. The reason of this additional fast as mentioned by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is that the Jews used to fast on the day of ‘Ashura alone, and the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) wanted to distinguish the Muslim way of fasting from that of Jews. Therefore, he advised the Muslims to add another fast to that of ‘Ashura’. Some traditions signify another feature of the day of ‘Ashura. According to these traditions one should be more generous to his family by providing more food to them on this day as compared to other days. These traditions are not very authentic according to the science of Hadith. Yet, some Scholars like Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban have accepted them as reliable. What is mentioned above is all that is supported through authentic sources about Ashura. However, there are some legends and misconceptions with regard to ‘Ashura’ that have managed to find their way into the minds of the ignorant, but have no support of authentic Islamic sources, some very common of them are these: This is the day in which Adam (Alayhis salaam) was created. This is the day in which Ibrahim was born. This is the day in which Allah accepted the repentance of Sayyidina Adam (Alayhis salaam) This is the day on which the Qiyaamah (doomsday) will take place. Whoever takes bath in the day of ‘Ashura’ will never get ill.

All these and other similar whims and fancies are totally baseless and the traditions referred to in this respect are not worthy of any credit.

Some people take it as Sunnah to prepare a particular type of meal in the day of ‘Ashura’. This practice, too, has no basis in the authentic Islamic sources.

Some other people attribute the sanctity of ‘Ashura’ to the martyrdom of Sayyidina Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu) during his battle with the Syrian army. No doubt, the martyrdom of Sayyidina Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu) is one of the most tragic episodes of our history. Yet, the sanctity of ‘Ashura’ cannot be ascribed to this event for the simple reason that the sanctity of ‘Ashura’ was established during the days of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) much earlier than the birth of Sayyidna Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu). On the contrary, it is one of the merits of Sayyidna Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that his martyrdom took place on the day of ‘Ashura’. Another misconception about the month of Muharram is that it is an evil or unlucky month, for Sayyidna Husain was killed in it. It is for this misconception that people avoid holding marriage ceremonies in the month of Muharram. This is again a baseless concept which is contrary to the express teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. Such superstitions have been totally negated by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). If the death of an eminent person in a particular day renders that day unlucky for all times to come, one can hardly find a day, free from this bad luck, out of 360 days of the whole year, because each and every day has a history of the demise of some eminent person. The Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) have made us free from such superstitious beliefs, and they should deserve no attention.

 Another wrong practice related to this month is to hold the lamentation and mouming ceremonies in the memory of martyrdom of Sayyidna Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu). As mentioned earlier, the event of Karbala is one of the most tragic events of our history, but the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has forbidden us from holding the mourning ceremonies on the death of any person. The people of jahiliyyah (ignorance) used to mourn over their deceased through loud lamentations, by tearing their clothes and by beating their cheeks and chests. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) stopped the Muslims from doing all this and directed them to observe patience by saying “Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon”. A number of authentic Ahaadith are available on the subject. To quote only one of them: “He is not from our group who slaps his checks, tears his clothes and cries in the manner of the people of jahiliyyah“. (Sahih Bukhari) All the authentic jurists are unanimous on the point that the mourning of this type is absolutely impermissible.


 Even Sayyidna Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu) at shortly before his demise, had advised his beloved sister Sayyidah Zainab (Radhiallaahu Anha) at not to mourn over his death in this manner. He said, “My dear sister, I swear upon you that you, in case I die, shall not tear your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor curse anyone for me or pray for your death”. (Al-Kamil, ibn Kathir vol. 4 pg. 24) It is evident from this advice of Sayyidna Husain, (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that this type of mourning is condemned even by the blessed person for the memory of whom these mourning ceremonies are held. Every Muslim should avoid this practice and abide by the teachings of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his beloved grand child Sayyidna Husain (Radhiallaahu Anhu).  

 -Mufti Taqi Uthmaani    

Moon sighting Issue - To sight or to calculate?

So we are close to that season when the bickering happens when it comes to deciding when to start the 1st day of Fasting in Ramadan and when to end Ramadan. It is always interesting to see that the same arguments happen EACH AND EVERY YEAR during Ramadan (and Eid ul Adha). We need to get past this issue but at the same time, scholars should not avoid answering questions about this issue. The Ummah is really divided because of these small issues because the scholars fail to address these issues. But I'm not going to lay all the blame on the scholars, everyday Muslims also need to pick a side, let others pick the side they want, and move on with their Ibadah, supplication and fasting.

So we all know that this issue for sighing the moon or calculating comes mainly during the Ramadan/Eid ul Fitr time and then again during the Eid ul Adha time. For some, it starts during the month of Shabaan (right before Ramadan). But my question to those who are hardcore moon sighters, do you sight the moon for every month of the Islamic calender or just for selected months? If you sight the moon only for certain months, then its best to keep you mouths shut and go with the opinion you have chosen to follow and not hinder those who choose to follow the calculation method...which they follow throughout the year. And for those who follow the calculation method, its best to keep you mouths shut and let the moon sighters do their sighting because it's actually the recorded sunnah. Don't go about making excuses why its the better one to follow because people can set dates ahead of time and let their employers know ahead of time and on and on. It does make life a bit easier in the west, to deal with your employers and non Muslim colleagues, friends, and acquaintances.

I have been on the side of both Alhumdulillah. My Islamic Center that I follow tends to do everything the calculation method. They even came out with a small book the explains why the calculating method works over the moon sighting view (but its mainly directed towards the west i think...sorry, its been a while since I read it). It seems to work for our community since its so big and people use it for their benefit. I think there is a benefit to using technology and that Muslims need to be on top of technological advancements that are going to benefit Islam, Muslims, and the general Insan/human being.

As for the moon sighting, I was was in a place where they followed moon sighting strictly. It was a small community so that worked for them. I went with a few friends to go and sight the moon with them and I'll tell you, that was an AMAZING experience. The sky wasn't clustered with all the lights and the nightly brightness of the sky like it is in the United States so it was an amazing view to look for the moon. There were a few of us and one brother spotted the moon just as it was about to be covered with a cloud. His sharp eyes (alhumdulillah) had us all excited and he pointed out the moon to the rest of us. (when I refer to the moon, I mean the small crescent that indicates the start of the new Muslim month). I'll tell you, we were all so excited that he was able to sight the moon and point it out to the rest of us that it's an experience to remember. There were about 7 to 10 of us who sighted the moon and I'm pretty sure it was an experience for all of them and they can probably remember it like it was yesterday. It was purely amazing Alhumdulillah.

The last thing I will talk about is addressed to the scholars. PLEASE address this issue. It IS an Issue weather you like it or not and will continue to be an issue for more years to come. Address this issue and explain to them the two views and which one you recommend them to follow or which one fits you and let them decide their view. You are responsible to address issues that are in people's minds, but at the end of the day, the individual person will follow the view they feel deemed fit for them after being informed. All you have to do is address the 2 views inshaAllah.

My Opinion/Last Words:
The main thing one can do is to follow the Masjid/Islamic Center they always follow for everything else during the year. There are conflicting issues and we as individuals have to make an informed decision on what we have to follow. Islam in not blind belief so you have to be informed on the issue and pick a side. Yes, you can change your view/side later on but please DO NOT call the other side wrong. If you want to say anything, just state your side and your belief and move on. Don't try to impose your view on others. The Prophet (S) did things many different ways and scholars who follow each method also have supporting evidence for their views. All we can do is make an informed decision and accept our decision. Just stop calling the other side wrong.

Characteristics of a Muslim Husband

I recently had the opportunity to work on editing a video relating to love and marriage and I got this email from someone so I thought I'd shard with everyone. It is one of those topics that not too many people talk about, even in lectures that are about marriage. It's a good read and its good for the "to-be husbands" or those who are already husbands.
Enjoy:


No one ever thinks about the characteristics of a Muslim husband. It is always what a wife should do for the husband...and the list never ends; home management, tutoring, ferrying the kids, caring, cooking, cleaning, washing, working, you name it, she is doing it. So what about the brothers? 

Our beloved Prophet SAW was not like this. So why the men of this Ummah? It is quite interesting. So I thought I'd share it with you!!!  What a Muslim husband should be like... 
  
1. Dress up for your wife, look clean and smell good. When was the last time you went shopping for the best clothing? Just like the husband wants his wife to look nice for him, she also wants her husband to dress up for her too. Remember that the Prophet (PBUH) would always start with Miswak when returning home and always loved the sweetest smells. 
  
2. Use the best names for your wife. Call your wife by the most beloved names to her, and avoid using names that hurt her feelings. 
  
3. Don't treat her like a fly. We never think about a fly in our daily lives until it 'bugs' us. Similarly, a wife will do well all day - which brings no attention from the husband - until she does something to 'bug' him. Don't treat her like this; recognize all the good that she does and focus on that. 
  
4. If you see wrong from your wife, try being silent and do not comment! This is one of the ways the Prophet (PBUH) used when he would see something inappropriate from his wives (R.A). It's a technique that few Muslim men have mastered. 
  
5. Smile at your wife whenever you see her and embrace her often. Smiling is Sadaqah and your wife is not exempt from the Muslim Ummah. Imagine life with her constantly seeing you smiling. Remember also those Ahadith when the Prophet (PBUH) would kiss his wife before leaving for Salaah, even when he was fasting. 
  
6. Thank her for all that she does for you. Then thank her again! Take for example a dinner at your house. She makes the food, cleans the home, and a dozen other tasks to prepare. And sometimes the only acknowledgment she receives is that there needed to be more salt in the soup. Don't let that be; thank her! 
  
7. Ask her to write down the last ten things you did for her that made her happy. Then go and do them again. It may be hard to recognize what gives your wife pleasure. You don't have to play a guessing game, ask her and work on repeating those times in your life. 
  
8. Don't belittle her desires. Comfort her. Sometimes the men may look down upon the requests of their wives. The Prophet (PBUH) set the example for us in an incident when Safiyyah (R.A) was crying because, as she said, he had put her on a slow camel. He wiped her tears, comforted her, and brought her the camel. 
  
9. Be humorous and play games with your wife. Look at how the Prophet (PBUH) would race with his wife Aisha (R.A) in the desert. When was the last time we did something like that? 

10. Always remember the words of Allah's Messenger (PBUH): 'The best of you are those who treat their families the best. And I am the best amongst you to my family.' Try to be the best! 
  
In conclusion: Never forget to make Dua to Allah to make your marriage successful. And Allah knows best!! 





Trailer for LoveStruck by Young Muslims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2knlYUkJtA&feature=plcp&context=C4f35394VDvjVQa1PpcFOoUuCvpcrdnmjhAc9MR6RSuOKfLpNmBLM%3D 

Welcome to the New blog

Assalmau Alaikum

Due to some circumstances, I decided to make a new blog and will be posting up new blogs here. All other previous blogs are still available at my previous blog address (listed below). No new blogs will be posted up on that site, rather everything form now on will be posted here inshaAllah.

As always, thanks for visiting my blog, giving me your thoughts as well as words of wisdom and correcting my mistakes. I hope everyone who visits here continues to do the same.

And as I have said in my previous blogs, I am NOT a scholar, I am just a regular Muslim who is concerned about where Muslims are headed in the United States as well as around the world. Everything I write about is based on my personal observations and I try to be as accurate as I possibly can. I try to base everything on truth that I have seen and heard. I would just like all Muslims to think about their actions and how those actions impact the lives of those around them, Muslim or not.

Again, I thank you for visiting my blog. If there is a topic you would like me to do some "research" on and post, please feel free to email me at islamicworker@gmail.com.

JazakAllahu Khairun
Assalamu Alaikum
Your Brother in Islam