Muharram and Ashura by Shaykh Fazlur Rahman Azami

8/9/2019 Muharram and Ashura by Shaykh Fazlur Rahman Azami

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E4 Fig88AND ASHUIWI 8sE8 EiBE8- Virtues andLaws E!@

BY:Sheikhul Hadith Hadhrat M oulanaFazlur Rahman Azm i(D im at Barakstuhum)PUBLISHED BY:

Acad emy for the Revival of the Sun na h5 Azaad Avenue, Azaadville 1750South Africa


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TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................or's Foreword 3

Virtue of Certain Places and Days ....................................................................month of Muharram and the day of Aashura ....................................................te of caution .....................................................................................................Month of M uharram ......................................................................................... 7ng During the Month of Muharram .................................................................Fast of the Day of Aashura ( 1 0 '~ f M uharram) .............................................10leeth Concerning the Fast of Aashura ............................................................ 11

...............................................eward for the Fasting on the day of Aashura 13......................................................ethod of Fasting on the day of Aashura 13

ding Freely on One's Family .......................................................................... 15..............................................................................................ction of Beliefs 17

.ave Misconception ......................................................................................... 18..............................................iyaamah Take Place on the Day of Aashura? 22

.............................................................................................................lusion 23


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Author's ForewordA booklet dealing with the same subject matter has already been published inEnglish. One of my students prepared it and I endorsed its content after he read it tome . This is however the first time that I am personally writing on this sub ject. M ayAllaah 3g accept this effort and mak e it a means of salvation for m e as well a s a meansof guidance for the Um mah. Aameen.Those aspects regarding Muharram and 2shura which are proven from Quraan,Hadith and from the views of the research scholars have been mentioned.Furthermore those facts that are incorrect and baseless but has become famousamong the Ulam a and Laym en have also been highlighted so that one refrains fromaccepting them and mentioning them.Fadhlur Rahm aan A'zamiAzaadvilleSouth Africa24 Shaww aal142119 January 200 1


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We praise Allaah % and invoke His choicest mercies andblessings on Rasulullaah

rhe Virtue of Certain Places and Daysy His perfect choice and complete power over everything, Allaah% has definedarious ranks among His creation. Allaah 3%says in the Qur'aan, "Your Rabbreates whatever He wills and He selects. People have no choice in the matter..llaah is Pure and Exalted above all partners that people ascribe to Him." 'lema renowned for their deep research are of the opinion that Allaah%has attached=cia1 virtue to certain times and places. These times and places therefore possess~ecialvirtue within themselves and not because of their relationship with)mething else. Allaama Ibn Qayyim (RahmatullaahiAlay) has mentioned this at the?ginning of his book "Zaadul Ma'aad" and Allaama Shabbier Ahmad Uthmaanitahmatullaahi Alay) has also mentioned it briefly in his commentary of Bukhariltitled "Taqreere Bukhari". To prove this point, he asks whether rose water andrine are the same entities with only a difference in smell. He answers this himself byrserting that it is obvious that the two are completely different entities. Just as thesevo things are completely different, so too is the difference between Hadhrat MoosaB and Firoun. The same difference exists between Hadhrat MuhammadA and Abuihal. Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Qaasim Nanotwi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) alsolpports this opinion. This opinion is most correct and anyone opposing it is:rtainly mistaken.8 Laylatul Qadr the same as every night of the year? Of course not! Does Laylatuladr receive its special virtue because of the Ibaadah (worship) carried out on thisight? Certainly not! It is because of the special virtue within this night that Ibaadahcarried out with added importance. Similarly, the month of Ramadhaan does not

:rive its special virtue because the Qur'aan was revealed during this month. It isither because of the special virtue given to this month that it was chosen for the:velation of the Qur'aan. Of course, the fact that the Qur'aan was revealed in thelonth of Ramadhaan does lend added virtue to the month.Surah Qasas (Su rah 28), verse 68 .


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It is from several verses of the Qur'aan that Allaama Ibn Qayyim (RahmatullaahiAlay) has deduced that certain places and times have added virtue within themselvesand not because of their relationship with another factor. Among these verses is theverse of Surah ~ n ' a a m ~here Allaah & says, "Allaah % know s best where (i.e.with whom) He wishes to entrust His m e ~ s a g e ." ~rom m ankind, Allaah % hasgranted special virtue to the Am biya (Prophets) (A.S) because they w ere se lected toconvey His messages to the masses. Furthermore, Allaah % has also granted someAmbiya (A.S) added virtue over the others. There is thus a hierarchy among theAmbiya (A.S) themselves. Allaah % states in Surah ~ a q a r a , ~These are themessengers, some of whom We have given excellence over others."From among the days, Allaahb as given special virtue to the day s of R amadhaanand the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. From among the nights, special virtue ha s beengiven to the night of Qadr (Power) and the night of Baraa'ah (151hnight o f Shaba an). Itis also common knowledge that Makkah Mukarrama and Madinah Munawwaraenjoy special virtue above other places on earth. The sam e applies for other tim es andplaces.The month of Muharram andthe day of AashuraThe A hadeeth m ention that the month of Muharram and the day o f Aashura (1oth fMuharram) enjoy special virtues that other days do not possess. It is with regard tothese virtues that this booklet has been prepared. The Q ur'aan mentions the virtue ofthe "As'hurul Hurum" ("The Sacred Months"). Among these months is also themonth of Muharram, as specified by the Qur'aan and the Ahadeeth of Ra sulullaah %.

' Surah An'aam (Surah 6), verse 124.Taqreere Bukhari Pg . 84, printed in Dabhel, India."urah 2, verse 253.


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A note of cautionAlthough certain virtues of Muharram and the day of Aashura have been mentionedin the Ahadeeth, there are many baseless beliefs concerning this month and day thathave spread in the Ummah. The Muhadditheen (scholars of Ahadeeth) find nosubstantiation for many of the beliefs concerning Muharram and the day of Aashuraeven though such beliefs are regarded as common knowledge. It is thereforenecessary to be cautious in this regard. One of the objectives of this booklet is tobring such unsubstantiated beliefs to light.Our Shdri'ah is founded on the Qur'aan and the practices of Rasulullaah%. Just as theinjunctions ofthe Shari'ah are grounded in these two sources, so too are the virtues ofdeeds. No due is given to fabricated narrations in this regard. Of course, when thenarrations of the Sahabah& and the ~aabi 'een' Rahmatullaahi Alayhim) reach usthrough reliable sources, their word will be placed on the same platform as theAhadeeth concerning matters about which they were unable to form their ownopinion. Because they cannot form their own opinion concerning the virtues ofdeeds, their narrations about such virtues will be regarded as being heard fromRasulullaah$3.Although the injunctions of the Shari'ah are also sourced from 1jmaa6and Qiyaas7,these two sources cannot be used to prove the virtue of any deed, place or time. Toprove such virtues, a clear narration from Allaah%% or His Rasul$5 is required. Whensuch a narration is found, it is the duty of the Muhadditheen to judge its authenticity.It is therefore necessary for the person presenting such a narration to also furnish areference for such a narration so that it can be verified. The Muhadditheen havewritten many books concerning those Ahadeeth which are not authentic but havebecome popular among Muslims. Among such books are "A1 Maqaasidul Hasana"written by Allaama Sakhaawi (Rahmatullaahi Alay), "Kashful Khifa" by AllaamaAjlooni (Rahmatullaahi Alay) and "At Tadhkira" by Imaam Zarkashi(Rahmatullaahi Alay).

' ~ u s l i m s w h oaw the ~ a h a b a hConsensus o f opinion amon g the jurists.' Analytical deduction of the jurists.


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The Month of MuharramOf the twelve months of the Islaamic calendar, four months are regarded as sacredmonths. These are Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa'da and Dhul Hijjah. Because of theirspecial significance, the rewards for good deeds are increased during these months.At the same time, one should take care to abstain from sins during these monthsbecause their consequences are also significantly worse. This is the opinion ofHadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas 4% as well. Similar is the case with MakkahMukarrama, where the rewards of good deeds are increased and the punishment forsins is more severe8.Hadhrat Qataadah (Rahmatullaahi Alay) says, "The sin for aninjustice during these months is greater than the same sin during other months.Although injustice always remains amajor sin, Allaah3%s at liberty to add gravity towhatever He pleases." He states further, "Allaah $4S has accorded special virtue tosome of His creation above the rest. He has given special virtue to the messengersfrom among the angels and to the messengers from mankind. He has given specialvirtue to His speech over that of others and He has selected the Masaajid to grant Hisspecial merit from among all other places. From among the months, He has accordedspecial virtue to the month of Ramadhaan and the four sacred months. From amongthe days, He has selected the day of Jumu'ah (Friday) and from among the nights, Ha:has selected the night of Qadr for special merit. One should therefore attach value tcthose things that Allaah 9%has given value. Intelligent people realise that the thingsthat are really important are those things to which Allaah $4S has grantedimportance."9It is therefore necessary that Muslims exert themselves to carry out good deedsduring the months of Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa'da and Dhul Hijjah. Imaam JasaasRaazi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) writes in his book "Ahkaamul Qur'aan" that thespeciality of these months is that whoever engages in Ibaadah will be inspired toengage in Ibaadah during the remaining months of the year as well. Similarly, theperson who makes an effort to abstain from sin during these months will find it easyto abstain from sin during the other months of the year.Therefore, failure to derive benefit from these months is a great loss indeed.''

Tafseer Ibn Katheer Vol. 2 Pg. 554Tafseer Ibn Katheer Vol. 2 Pg. 554.lo Ma'aariful Qur'aan Vol. 4 Pg. 373.


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Although the Qur'aan does not specify which months are the sacred months,authentic Ahadeeth specify them. Hadhrat Abu Bakrah9 narrates that Rasulullaah$& said, "Time has revolved and returned to how it was when Allaahb reated theheavens and the earth. The year has twelve months, four of them being sacred. Threeare consecutive viz. Dhul Qa'da, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. The fourth one is theRajab of the ~ u d h a r "ribe, which falls between Jumada (i.e. Jumadal Ukhra) andsha'baan."I2This hadith makes reference to a verse of Surah ~aubah' 'n which Allaah 3%says,"Postponing (and preponing) the sacred months is only an excess in disbelief bywhich the disbelievers go astray. During som e years they declare these monthslawful while during other years they declare them sacred so as to complete thecount of the m onths that Allaah made sacred." The disbelievers of pagan Arabiaused to postpone and prepone the sacred months for ulterior motives. For example,when they wanted to fight during the month of Muharram, they would declareMuharram to be Safar, telling people, that for that year Muharram will follow Safarrather than come before it. In this manner, they would alter the sequence ofthe sacredmonths. It was since the period of Hadhrat Ibraheem 3531 that waging war wasforbidden in these four months.Although the pagan Arabs revered these months, they altered their sequence merelyto fulfil their whims to fight. As a result of this constant alteration, no one coulddetermine with certainty which month they were in. However, it was on the 10" yearafter Hijrah that Rasulullaah ?&made the above announcement, declaring that themonths had returned to the sequence that Allaah % ordained when He created theuniverse. During the year before this declaration, Rasulullaah $& sent Hadhrat AbuBakr9 as the Ameer of Hajj. Although the month in which Hadhrat Abu Bakr& ledthe Hajj was accepted as Dhul Hijjah, it was actually Dhul Qa'da because of thecalendar alterations during the period of ignorance. Nevertheless, when Rasulullaah$& performed Hajj during the 1oth ear after Hijrah, the month that everyone regardedas Dhul Hijjah was really Dhul Hijjah. It was perhaps for this reason that Rasulullaah$& postponed his Hajj for this year. It was on the lothof Dhul Hijjah on the plains ofMina that Rasulullaah$& made the above declaration.

" The month of Rajab hasbeen linked to the Mudhar tribe because they attached great importance to this month.'' Buk hari Vol. 2 Pg. 632." Surah 9, verse 37.


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When he said, "The year has twelve months, four of the m being sacred", Rasulullaah% was referring to verse 36 of Surah Taubah (Surah 9) in which A llaah 3% states,"Indeed the number of months according to Allaah is twelve months in theBook of Allaah (the Lowhul Mahfoodh) from the day He created the heavensand the earth. Of these four are sacred. This is the straight religion, so do notoppress yourselves in these months." The specific names of these m onths havebeen mentioned in the Ahadeeth.Although fighting (in battle) was prohibited during these months, this injunction w aslater abrogated. While some Ulema state that fighting is completely permissibleduring these months, others maintain that Muslims sho uld abstain from waging w arduring these months unless in self-defence or when a battle continues into thesemonths. Therefore, the verses of the Qur'aan that cite the prohibition of fightingduring these months applied only to the early days of Islaam. This injunction waslater repealed. For further details, one may refer to the commentary of the aboveverses of Surah Taubah in "Ma'aariful Qurlaan" of M ufti Shafi (RahmatullaahiAlay).Fasting During the Month of MuharramAnother virtue of Muharram is that the fasts during this month are second inexcellence only to the fasts of Ramadhaan. Although every day and every monthbelongs to Allaah & , Rasulullaah $$ has mentioned that Muharram is Allaah'smonth. By saying this, Rasulullaah $5 intended to emphasise the addedauspiciousness o fthis m onth.Hadhrat Abu Hurayra + reports that Rasulullaah $$ saidI4, "After the fasts ofRam adhaan, the best fasts are those observed during Allaah's month of Muharram."Hadhrat Ali & narrates that he was once sitting with Rasulu llaah $5 when a personasked, "0Rasulullaah % ! Besides the month of Ram adhaan, in which month wouldyou advise me to fast?" Rasulullaah % replied, "Ify ou wish to fast in any month afterRam adhaan, then fast in the month of Muharram because this is Allaah's month. Ithas a day in which Allaah & had accepted the repentance of a nation and in whichAllaah & will accept the repentance o f others also."'5 Th e nation wh ose Taubah(repentance) was accepted on a day in this month was the Bani Israaleel. It was on the1othof Muharram (Aashura) that the Bani Israa'eel (the Jew s) and Hadhrat M oosa$9were saved from Fir'oun and his army. The de tails of th is are soon to follow.'' Tirmidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 157. I m a m Tirmidhi has stated that the hadith is authentic." Tirmidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 157. Although this hadith is somewhat w eak, it is perhaps because of the strength of the

hadith of Hadhrat Abu Hurayra before it that Im a m Tirmidhii (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned that it isalso sound.


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Some Ulema are of the opinion that the month of Muharram has been givenprominence because of the day of Aashura. Others even say that when the Ahadeethspeak about the virtue of Muharram, they actually refer to the day of Aashura and notthe entire month ofMuharram. Therefore, in their estimation, it is only the fast oftheday of Aashura that has special virtue and not the fasts of the entire month ofMuharram. The details of this can be found in the book "Arfush Shazi" which is acommentary of Tirmidhi.

The Past of the Day of Aashura (10" of Muharram)The loth f Muharram is a significant day in Islaamic history. Rasulullaah$$i$sed tofast on this day and commanded the Sahabah & also to fast. The fast ofthis day wasinitially Waajib (compulsory), but the compulsion was waived when the fasts ofRamadhaan were made Fardh. The Muslims then had a choice to either fast on thisday or not to fast. However, the virtues of this fast have been expounded in theAhadeeth. Among these is the virtue that the previous year's sins are forgiven.Initially the Muslims only fasted on the 10" but before his demise, Rasulullaah %!$mentioned that if he were alive the next year, he would fast on the 9th s well. Sadly,Rasulullaah %!$ did not live to see the following Muharram. It is therefore necessaryfor Muslims to fast on the 91hand lothof Muharram or on the loth nd 1 th.Becausecertain narrations mention that one should fast a day before Aashura and a day after,it is best for a Muslim to fast on the 9", lothand l l thof Muharram (three days).However, to fast on only the loth s Makrooh Tanzihi (i.e. an act disliked by theShari'ah).The history of this fast stems from the time of Hadhrat MoosaWI.Because it was onthe day of Aashura that Hadhrat Moosa - and the Bani Israa'eel were saved fromFir'oun, Hadhrat Moosa @I fasted on this day to express his gratitude to Allaah 3%.The Bani Israa'eel also did the same and this day was always regarded as a day offasting among the Bani Israa'eel. Emulating this practice of the Jews, the Qurayshalso fasted on this day. Rasulullah % also kept this fast (in Makkah). WhenRasulullaah% arrived in Madinah, he asked the Jews why they observed this fast.They informed him that they fasted because it was on this day that Allaah 3-4delivered them from the tyranny of Fir'oun. Rasulullaah $3 said to them that theMuslims are closer to Hadhrat Moosa -1 than they are. Therefore, Rasulullaah%fasted on this day and instructed the Muslims to do so as well.


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Although Rasulullaah & initially preferred to do things accord ing to the ways of theAhlul Kitaab (Jews and Christians) to win them over to Islaam, Allaah 5% latercom manded him to oppose their ways. It was then that Rasu lullaah % announced thathe would fast on the 9th s well if he lived until the next M uharram . It is because theJews fast only on the lot h hat the Shari 'ah regards fasting on the 1 0 ' ~ nly a s aMakrooh Tanzihi (disliked) ac t. M uslims ought to oppo se their ways and fast on the91h as we11I6. We shall now discuss the Ahadeeth pertaining to the fast o f Aashura .Ahadeeth Concerning the Fast of AashuraHadhrat Aa'isha & narrates that before the fasts of Ramadhaan were made Fardh,people fasted on the day of Aashura. They also shrouded the Kabah on this day.However, when the fasts of Ramadhaan were made Fardh, Rasulullaah % said,"Those who wish to fast (on the day of Aashura) may fast and those w ho do no t wishto do so may omit the fast.""According to another narration, Hadhrat Aa'isha & mentions that the Quraysh usedto fast on the day of Aash ura during the period o f ignorance. Rasulullaah % alsoobserved this fast. When Rasulullaah & migrated to Madinah, he continuedobserving this fast and also instructed the M uslims to do so. However, when the fastsof Ram adhaan were m ade com pulsory, the instruction to fast on the day of Aas hurawas repealed. Thereafter, whoever wished to fast fasted and w hoeve r did not wish tofast did no t fast".Hadhrat Rubayyi bint Mu'awwidh & reports that on the morning of the day ofAashura, Rasulullaah % had an announcement made in all the quarters of the Ansa arthat whoever had already eaten or drunk anything should com plete the day (w ithou teating and drinking) and whoeve r had not yet had anything to eat or drink should fastfor the day. She reports further that they all fasted an d also ma de their children fast.Whenever their children cried for food, they distracted them with w oollen toys un tilsunsetI9.According to a narration of Muslim (Vol. 1 Pg . 360), they also took theirchildren to the M asjid.Hadhrat Salama bin AkwaQ narrates that on the day of A ashura R asulullaah%sent aperson to announce, "W hoever has eaten should com plete the day (without eating)and whoever has not eaten should fast."'' These narrations m ake it clear that the fastof th e day of Aashura used to be compulsory.l6 ~ u r r u l ukhtaar Vol. 2 Pg. 91" Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 217.I R Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 2 54 & 268.'' Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 263.lo Bukhari Val. 1 Pg. 257 & 268.


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Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas Ar ep or ts that when Rasulullaah @ came to Madinah,he noticed that the Jews fasted on the day ofA ashura. W hen he asked them the reasonfor this, they replied, "This is a great day. It was on this day that Allaah 3s deliveredthe Bani Israa'eel from their enemy. On this day Allaah & granted victory to HadhratMoosa and the Bani Israa'eel. We fast because of the distinction of this day."Rasulullaah @ then said to the Jews, "We are closer to Hadhrat M oosa %G than you."Rasulullaah & also observed this fast and instructed the Muslims to follow suit.21Hadhrat Abu Moosa Ash'ari & states that when Rasulullaah $$ arrived in Madinah,he discovered that some Jews com mem orated the day of Aashura and also fasted onthis day. They regarded this day as a day of celebration. Rasulullaah $5 said that theMuslims are more deserving of the fast on this day and he instructed the Muslims tofast on this dayz2.Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas & also mentioned that am ong all the fasts that aremore virtuous than the rest, he did not see Rasulullaah A attach more importance toor lookm ore forward to any fast more than the fast of the day of Aashura and those ofam ad ha an^). This hadith m akes it clear that the fast of the day of Aashura and thefasts of Ram adhaan are accorded precedence over all other fasts and Rasulullaah %was particular about observing them.When Hadhrat Am eer Mu'aawiya4 as travelling from H ajj, he happened to be inMadinah on the day of Aashura. Standing on the Mimbar (pulpit) of Rasulullaah %,he addressed the people stating, "0people of M adinah! Where are your Ulema? Ihave heard Rasulullaah $5 say, 'This is the day of Aashura. Allaah 9ghas not made itsfast compulsory for you. I am fasting, so whoever wants to fast may do so andwhoever does not want to fast neednot fast."' 24Hadhrat Ash'ath bin Qais & narrates that he once visited Hadhrat Abdullaah binMas'ood & on the day of Aashura and found him eating. Seeing him arrive, HadhratAbdullaah bin Mas'ood &+ called to him, "Come and join me for lunch, 0 AbuMuhammad." Hadhrat Ash'ath & said, "Is today not the day of Aashura?" HadhratAbdullaah bin M as'ood & asked him, "Do you know w hat is the day of Aashura?"When Hadhrat Ash'ath L& asked to be informed, Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood &said, "This is a day in which R asulullaah Au se d to fast before the fasts of Ram adhaanwere made Fardh. W hen the fasts of Ramadhaan were made compulsory, this fastwas omitted."'' This has been reported from Hadhrat Jaabir bin Sam ura 9 ndHadhrat Abdullaah bin U mar4 s well. Imaam Naw awi (Rahm atullaahi Alay) hasmentioned that the jurists of the Ummah are unanimous about the fact that the fast ofthe day o fAashura is not Fardh but M ustahab (optional)." Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 268 & 562." Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 268 & 562.'' Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 268."' Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 268." Muslim Vol. 1 Pg. 358.


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The Reward for Fasting; on the day of AashwraHadhrat Abu Q ataadah &,narrated that Rasulullaah & said, "I have strong hope thatAllaah k i ll forgive the previous year's sins for fasting on the day of ~ a s h u r a . " ' ~The sins referred to here are minor sins. Taubah is required to secure fo rgiven ess formajor sins.The Method of Fasting on the day of AashuraHadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas & narrates that R asulullaah $$ fasted on the day o fAashura and instructed the Muslims to fast as well. When the Muslims toldRasulullaah g hat the Jews and the Christians revere this day, he replied, "If I amalive nex t year, Insha Allaah I shall fast on the ninth as well." How ever, Rasulullaah$$ passed aw ay before the next year."Hadhrat Hakam bin A'raj (Rahmatullaahi Alay) narrates that he once came toHadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas & while he was reclining on a shaw l near the w ell ofZam zam . He then asked Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abb aas &, "Tell me how I shouldobserve the fast of the day of Aashura?" H adhrat Ab dullaah bin Abba as4 eplied,"W hen you see the moon of M uharram , count the days and then fast on the morningof the ninth day." When asked w hether Rasulullaah $%fasted in this manner, H adhratAb dullaah bin Abbaas4 eplied in the af fir m at i~ e. '~Acc ording to another hadith, Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Ab baas4 aid that Rasulullaah% instructed them to fast on the tenth .29Yet another narration of Hadhrat A bdullaahbin A bbaas & states that he said, "Fast on the ninth and tenth, thereby opposing th e~ews."'OAll the above narrations m ake it clear that the preferred method of fasting for the dayof Aashura is to fast on the 9th nd loth f Muharram. W hen Hadhrat Abdullaah binAbbaas4old Hadhrat Hakam bin A 'raj (R ahm atullaahi Alay) that fasting on the 9thwas the way Rasulullaah g asted, he meant that if Rasulullaah $5 lived longer, hewould have fasted on the 9'has well because he had intended to do so. AlthoughRasulullaah g eally d id not fast on the 9'h,his desire to do so is as goo d as him doingit. Allaahok k now s best.

'"innidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 151. Imaam Tirmidhi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) states that this is the only hadith he know s thatmentions this virtue. This is also the opinion of Imaanl Ahm ad (Rahm atullaahi Alay) and Is'haaq (Rahmatullaahi Alay)." Muslim Val. 1 Pg. 359.'' Tirmidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 158. This hadith is sound .2u Tahaawi andB ayhaqi narrate this hadith with areliable chain ofnarrator s, as mentioned in "Tuhfatul Ah'wadhi".'" Tirmidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 158.


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There is another hadith reported by Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas 4 hich isfamously quoted in many books of Ahadeeth. The narration is from M uhamm ad IbnAbi L ayla and it says that Rasulullaah $5mentioned, "Fast on the day of Aashura butoppose the Jew s by fasting a day before or a day after."31 ccording to this narration,a person may fast either on the 9" and lothor on the lothand 11" of Muharram.However, the narrator Muhammad Ibn Abi Layla has been classified as a weaknarrator, a factor which weakens the status of the hadith. Ibn Rajab Hambali(Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned that the word "or" towards the end of thishadith could indicate a doubt in the narrator's mind. This means that the narratorcou ld be unsure whether Rasulullaah% said "a day before" or "a day after". Ibn Rajab(Rahmatullaahi Alay) has also mentioned those Ahadeeth that contain the word"and" instead of the word "or". These narrations therefore mention that one shou ldfast on thre e days, viz. the 9", 10" and 11" of Muharram .An examination of th e various narrations seems to reveal that there are discrepanciesin the various copies of Imaam A hmad (Rahmatullaahi A1ay)'s "M usnad". WhereasHaafidh Ib n Hajar (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has quoted the hadith with the word "or" inhis books "Fat'hul Baari" and "Talkheesul Habeer", the book "Naylul Awtaar"reports the hadith with the word "and". Quo ting from "Jam 'ul Fawaa'id", the book"Khutubaatul Ahkaam" also narrates the hadith with the word "and". In a likemanner, while some narrations o f Bayhaqi contain the word "or', other narrations ofthe sam e hadith contain the word "and".32If it is assumed that the correct word is "and", as Ibn Rajab (Rahmatullaahi Alay)feels, then the fact is established that one should fast for three days. It is with this inmind that Sheikh Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) hasmention ed the following in his footnotes o f Tirmidhi, titled "Lam 'aat": "W ith regardto the fast on the day o f Aashura, there are three ranks, viz. (1) on the 9th ,1oth nd 1 th ,which is the best method of fasting, (2) on the 9th nd lo th nd (3) on the 1oth nly.There are several Ahadeeth to substantiate fasting on the 9Ih and lo th . asting on the1Othand 1 th olds no status at all, while it is not Sunnah to fast only on the 9". 33According to the canon ical work "Durrul ~ u k h t a a r " ~ ~ ,t is Makrooh T anzihi to faston the 1oth nly. (i.e. excluding the day before or the day after)

I' Musnad A hm ad Vol. 1Pg. 241, Tahaawi, Bayhaqi, Bazzaar and others." Lataa'iful Ma'aarif by Ibn Rajab Hambali (Rahmatullaahi Alay) Pg. 108.I1 Tirmidhi Vol. 1 Pg. 15 7 (footnotes).l4 Vol. 2 Pg. 91 (Rashidia)


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NOTE: The above discussion makes it clear that the Shari'ah dislikes that thelbaadah of Muslims should resemble the Ibaadah of the Jews and Christians. This isthe reason why fasting only on the 10"' is Makrooh. Although Rasulullaah$i$astedonly on the loth, e had intended to oppose the ways of the Jews. There shouldtherefore be some sort of opposing (their practice), whether it be by fasting a daybefore or after.Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas &narrates that Rasulullaah $5 used to allow his hairto fall without making a path, as was the practice of the Ahlul Kitaab. TheMushrikeen, however, used to make paths in their hair. Rasulullaah & used to preferresembling the Ahlul Kitaab in those matters concerning which Allaah t% did notspecifically instruct him. However, Rasulullaah $5 later started making a paththrough his hair." It proves that in this matter Rasulullaah % was instructed to opposethe Ahlul Kitaab just as he was instructed to oppose them concerning the fast of theday of Aashura. One should therefore not fast only on the 1oth.Spending Freely on One's FamilyIs it commendable to spend fieely on one's family during the day of Aashura or not?There is a group of Ulema who are of the opinion that this practice is unfounded.They maintain that the hadith substantiating this practice is unreliable. However, thisstandpoint of theirs is neither sound nor rational. It is a case of swaying toextremities. Judicious Muhadditheen are of the opinion that the hadith in this regardis reliable. This practice is therefore commendable. Allaama Sakhaawi(Rahmatullaahi Alay) has approved of this hadith in his book "A1 MaqaasidulHasana".The hadith is narrated by Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood &,who mentions thatRasulullaah % said:

{TRANSLATION: "Allaah 34will grant prosperity throughout the year to theperson who spends freely on his family on the day of Aashura.")

'' Bukhari Vol. 1 Pgs. 503 & 562 .


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Tabraani, Bayhaqi and Abu Sheikh have all narrated this hadith from HadhratAbdullaah bin Mas'ood A. Tabraani and Bayhaqi have also narrated it from HadhratAbu Sa'eed Khudri (R.A), while Bayhaqi reports narrations of this hadith fromHadhrat Jaabir A nd Hadhrat Abu Hurayra & as well. Although the chains ofnarrators ofthese Ahadeeth are not reliable, their sheer numbers lend strength to them.36The actual text of Imaam Sakhaawi (Rahmatullaahi A1ay)'s "A1 Maqaasidul Hasana"is as follows:

In his book "Maa Thabata Bis Sunnah", Hadhrat Shah Abdul Haqq MuhaddithDehlawi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has quoted the above dissertation of ImaamSakhaawi (Rahrnatullaahi Alay). He has also quoted the following discussion ofHaafidh Zaynud Deen Iraqi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) who says, "This hadith has someweakness although Ibn Hibbaan (Rahmatullaahi Alay) regards it to be an authentichadith. There is also another version of this hadith, which Haafidh Abul FadhlMuhammad bin Naasir (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has passed as authentic. From whatImaam Bayhaqi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) says, it appears as if th e hadith about spendingfreely on one's family is authentic according to other Muhadditheen besides IbnHibbaan. T his is evident from the fact that he has narrated this hadith from m anyl b A1Maqaasidul Hasanah Pg . 674.


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Sahabah& who all narrate from Rasulullaahk. e has also mentioned that althoughthe chains of narrators of these Ahadeeth are not reliable, their sheer numbers lendstrength to them. As for Allaama Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahrnatullaahi Alay) who rejectsthis hadith and says that nothing of the sort was reported from Rasulullaah %, this ishis misunderstanding. When Imaam Ahmad (Rahmatullaahi Alay) stated that thishadith is not authentic, he most probably meant that the hadith is itself not perfectlyreliable. However, he did not refute the fact that the hadith may receive credibilitybecause of other factors. After all, a hadith that becomes reliable because of otherfactors can also be regarded as a legitimate proof."37In his commentary of "Durml Mukhtaar", Allaama Shaami (Rahmatullaahi Alay)writes, "The hadith concerning spending freely on one's family is authentic, asHaafidh Suyuti (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned in his book 'Ad Durar'.However, the narration about applying kohl (antimony) on the day of Aashura is afabrication, as Allaama Sakhaawi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned withconviction in 'A1 Maqaasidul Hasana'. Mulla Ali Qaari (Rahmatullaahi Alay)supports this view in his book 'Kitaabul Mowdu'aat'. In his book 'Durar Muntashira'Allaama Suyuti (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has quoted Haakim as saying that thisnarration is Munkar. In his book 'Kashful Khifaa', Imaam Jarraahi has quotedHaakim as stating that no narration has been reported from Rasulullaah $$ aboutapplying kohl on the day ofAashura. Doing so is regarded as a Bid'ah (inn~vation)."'~Correction of BeliefsThe virtues of the day of Aashura, its importance and the reason for its significancehave already come to your knowledge. The reason is that Hadhrat MoosaWI and theBani Israa'eel were rescued from Fir'oun and his army on this day. As a token ofgratitude, Hadhrat Moosa @I fasted on this day. In emulation, Rasulullaah % alsofasted on this day and instructed the Muslims to do the same. While the compulsionto fast on this day has been waived, the fast has still been retained in the Shari'ah as anoptional but highly commendable deed. It is perhaps because of this same incidentthat people are encouraged to spend freely on their families on this day. Allaah 3%knows best.

'' Maa Thabata bis Sunnah Pg. 17.Shaarni Vol. 2 Pg. 124.


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A Grave MisconceptionBecause of misleading propaganda, many people believe that the significance ofMuharram and Aashura is linked to the martyrdom of Hadhrat Husain&.This beliefis erroneous. The Shari'ah of Rasulullaah & was perfected during his very lifetime.How can any aspect ofthe Shari'ah then pivot on an incident that tookplace long afterthe demise of Rasulullaah B? n fact, it occurred many years after the period of thefour Khulafa Raashideen (the four righteous Khalifs).Without doubt, the martyrdom of Hadhrat Husain & was an extremely painful andtragic incident. However, Islaam does not permit fanatical mourning because Islaamis not a religion of mourning. Every page of Islaamic history is filled with the bloodof martyrs. If Muslims were required to mourn the death of every martyr, their everyday of the year would be occupied with mourning. Among the many illustriousmartyrs of Islaam were Hadhrat Umar&,Hadhrat Uthmaan4%and Hadhrat Ali&. Infact, before them was the martyrdom of the "leader of all martyrs" Hadhrat Hamza&. Many Sahabah & were also martyred during the tragedies of the battle of Muta,Bir Ma'oona and the battle of Rajee. These incidents were not only tragedies for theMuslims, but even Rasulullaah $3was extremely hurt by them. How can a Muslimforget all these and many more tragedies and remember only the incident of HadhratHusain&?Rather than engaging in bereavement, Islaam encourages Muslims to sacrifice theirlives and wealth for the Deen. As Muslims, we have to think about what we havesacrificed for Deen when all these illustrious souls laid down their very lives?In his book "Maa Thabata bis Sunnah", Shah Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi(Rahrnatullaahi Alay) quotes the following extract from the book "KitaabusSawaa'iq", which was written by the Egyptian Sheikh Ibn Hajar Haythami(Rahrnatullaahi Alay), who was a renowned Mufti of Makkah Mukarramah and oneof the leading jurists and Muhadditheen of his era. He writes, "One should rememberthat what happened to Hadhrat Husain A n the day of Aashura was that he wasmartyred. This means that Allaah 2% had elevated his status and reunited him with theother members of Rasulullaah k ' s pure family. If anyone thinks of the tragedy thatoccurred on this day, he should recite 'Innaa Lillaahi wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji'oon'. Bydoing so, he will be obeying Allaah Ws command and will attain the reward thatAllaah& has promised for those who recite 'Innaa Lillaahi wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji'oon'when a tragedy occurs. Concerning such people, Allaah 2% has menti~ned,'~Theseare the ones upo n wh om the collective an d special mercies of Allaah descendand th ese are the ones w ho are rightly guided."'l9 Surah Baqara, verse 157


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He further writes, "On this day of Aashura, one sho uld engage only in good deed ssuch as fasting and sh ould specifically avo id the baseless innovations that the Sh iasand Rawaafidh practice. Some of these misleading practices include excessivewailing, mourning and crying. These are not am ong the practices of Mu slims. If itwere, then the day on which Rasulullaah$i%assed away would have been moredeserving of bereavement. M uslims should also avoid the practices of the N aw aas ib,who are the enemies of Rasulullaah %'s family. Such people are ignorant. Theyoppose falsehood w ith falsehood, Bid'ah with Bid'ah a nd ev il w ith evil. In oppositionto mourning, they m ake the day a day of rejoicing and celebration. On this day, theyadorn themselves, apply henna and kohl, wear new clothing a nd spend their we althvery liberally. They also prepare elaborate mea ls that are not prepared on other days.They regard these practices as Sunnah practices and have made them customary.However, they are actually opposing the Sunnah because none of these practiceshave been reported from R asulullaah %.""When the scholars of Fiqh (Islaamic urisprudence) and Ah adeeth were asked aboutapplying henna and kohl, about wearing new clothes, about taking a bath andexpressing joy on the day of Aashura, they m ade it clear that no narration has everyproven that these acts were practised by R asulullaah $. Neither the Sahabah4 orthe Imaams of Fiqh or any other scholar ever regarded such practices as beingMustahab (commendable) for this day. There is neither any authentic or weaknarration in this regard reported in any of the reliable Islaamic books. Am ong themany virtues cited abou t this day, the narration concerning spending freely o n on e'sfamily has been established from the Ahadeeth. However, comments have beenmade about the authenticity of its chain o fna rrato rs. Th e fam ous virtues of th e day ofAashura that are all fabrications are:* That the person applying kohl on this day will not have any pain in the eyes for theentire year.* That the person w ho baths on this day will not suffer any illness for the year.* That there is a special salaah to be perform ed on this day.* That the repentance ofH ad hrat Aadam $231 was accepted on this day.Q That the ark of Hadhrat Nooh %Q\settled on M oun t Judi on this day.* That Hadhrat Ibraheem $3was saved from the fire on this day.* That on this day Alla ah ks en t the ram to be sacrificed inplace ofHadhrat Isma'eel S L* That on this day Allaah gr eh un ed Hadhrat Yusuf%Qlto is father Hadhrat Ya'qoob $231.


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After mentioning all of the above, Hadhrat Shah Abdul Haqq (Rahmatullaahi Alay)quotes another fabrication. This fabrication states that on this day Hadhrat Yusuf@Iwas freed from prison, Hadhrat Ya'qoob &kll1seyesight was restored, HadhratAyyoobW\was cured and Hadhrat YunusWIwas removed from the belly ofthe fish.It also states that on this day the past and future mistakes of Rasulullaah $$ wereforgiven, the repentance of Hadhrat Yunus ~ l ' sation was accepted and the firstrains fell. In addition to this, the "hadith" states that the person who fasts on the day ofAashura shall have forty years of his sins forgiven and that the day of Aashura wasthe first creation of Allaah 5%. It states that the person who fasts on this day will berewarded like one who fasts all the time and the person who stands in Ibaadah duringthe night preceding the day of Aashura will receive the reward of the Ibaadah ofeverything within the seven heavens. Furthermore, it states that all the Ambiya fastedon this day and that fifty years of a person's future sins and fifty years of his past sinswill be forgiven if on this day he performs four rakaat salaah and recites SurahFaatiha once, followed by Surah Ikhlaas (Surah 112) fifty times in every rakaat. Inaddition to this, the "hadith" states that such a person will have a thousand pulpits ofNoor (celestial light) erected for him in the highest echelons of the heavens. It alsoasserts that the person who gives a single sip to another to drink on this day, his statuswill be like one who has not disobeyed Allaah% for even a moment as brief as theblink of an eye. It says also that one who feeds apoor person to his fill on this day willcross over the bridge of Siraat with the speed of lightning. Another concocted detailof this "hadith" is where it states that the person who gives charity on this day is likeone who never refuses any beggar and someone who passes his hand over the head ofan orphan will be rewarded like one who has behaved kindly to every orphan amongmankind. In a similar fashion, it states that whoever visits a sick person on this daywill be equal to one who has visited every sick person from among mankind.Allaama Ibn Jowzi (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned that this narration hascertainly been fabricated although its chain of narrators include all reliablenarrators. It is therefore obvious that whoever concocted this "hadith" attached areliable chain ofnarrators to it.44

Maa T habata bis Sunnah Pg. 21 .


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W ill Qiyaamah Take Place on the Dav of Aashura?An authentic hadith reported in Tirmidhi (Pg. 110) states that Qiyaam ah will takeplace on a Friday. However, no authentic hadith says that this Friday will fall on thelo thof Muharram (i.e. the day of Aashura). It is probably because Hadhrat ShahRafee'ud Deen (Rahm atullaahi Alay) had mentioned in his book "Zalzalatus Saa'a"that Qiyaamah will occur on the day of Aashura that this belie fhas become comm on.Mufti Kifaayatullaah (Rahrnatullaahi Alay) has also mentioned this in his book"Ta'leemul Islaam" and many others have also followed suit.Although A llaama Anwar Shah Kashmeeri (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has mentioned inhis discourses of Bukhari that this belief is substantiated by an authentic hadith,Moulana Muham mad Yusuf Binori (Rahm atullaahi Alay) asserts that he has nevercom e across such a hadith.45Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmaani (Daamat Barakaatuh) has mentioned that thishadith is a fabrication. A hadith o f this nature has been classified as a fabrication bySheikh Ali bin Muhammad Ibn Arraaq (Rahmatullaahi la^)^^ and by AllaamaSuyuti (Rahmatullaahi lay).^' A person called Habeeb Ibn Abi Habeeb hasconcocted it.The same hadith has been quoted on Pg. 259 of the book "Tambeehul Ghaafileen"and the com mentator has indicated that Habeeb Ibn Abi Habeeb has fabricated thehadith.It has therefore been established that no authentic hadith states that Qiyaamah willoccur on the day of Aashura. A hadith does however state that besides man and Jinn,all living creatures wait in apprehension for the Day of Qiyaam ah every Friday. Theyare only contented when they see the sun rise (ofthe next day).48It is perhaps because of this that Rasulullaah used to recite Surah Alif Laam MeemSajdah (Surah 32) and Surah Dahar (Surah 76) in the Fajr salaah every Friday. Thesetwo Surahs mention the creation of Hadhrat Aadam -1 and the occurrence ofQiyaamah. Therefore, by reciting these Surahs, people are reminded aboutQiyaamah. Of course, A l l a a h s knows best the reasons for everything.

" Ma'aarifus Sunan Vol. 4 Pg. 306." In his book "Tanzi'atush Shari'atul Marfu'ah Anil Ahadeethil M ow do o'a h Vol. 2 Pg.149." In his book "A1 La'aalil Masnoo 'ah" Vol. 2 Pg. 108.48 Mishkaat Pg. 120.


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ConclusionEverything said above has made it evident that the day of Aashura is especiallyimportant because it was the day in which Hadh rat Moo sa &I\ and the Bani Israa'eelwere saved wh ile Fir'oun and his arniy w ere drown ed. It is also beca use of this thatthe fast is observed on this day. Everything else pertaining to its importance isunfounded. No injunction of the Shari'ah pertaining to this da y is related to themartyrdom of Hadhrat Husain4,.here are n o special salaahs to be performed andno special foods that have to be prepared either.Although Allaama Ibn Kath eer (Rahmatullaahi Alay) has recorde d a narration in hisTafseer stating that the ark o f Hadhrat Nooh MI settled on M ount Judi on the d ay ofAashura, he has added that this narration is "Ghareeb". As noticed in many of hiscomments, when Allaama Ibn Katheer (Rahmatullaahi Alay) classifies a hadith as"Ghareeb", he means that the hadith should be d isregarded. We will therefore sufficeonly with what has been stated in authentic Ahadeeth.May Allaah ~6 rant the Umm ah the ability to remain steadfast on the Qu r'aan andSunnah, remaining aloof from all acts of Bid 'ah and all custo ms. May Allaah k lsoguide them to refrain from adding baseless beliefs and injunctions to the Shari'ah.M ay Allaah k ' s choicest blessings and mercies be shomlered on ou r leaderRasulullaah A, is fanlily and all his Companions . All praises are definitely forAllaah :% alone. Aameen.Fazlur Rahman Azmi (Daamat Barakaatuh)10 Shabaan 1421 ( 7 Novem ber 2000 )


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Muharram and Ashura by Shaykh Fazlur Rahman Azami