[ Masjid - ul - Muttaqeen ]

From amongst the days and months of the year, Allah has given special virtue to the days of Ramadhan and the first ten days of Zul hijjah.

From amongst the nights, special virtue has been given to the night of Lailatul Qadr and 15th of Shabaan.

Similarly the month of Muharram and the day of Aashura also enjoy special virtues that other days do not possess.

Hazrat Qataadah has stated that “the sin for an injustice during these months is greater than the same sin during other months. Although injustice always remain a major sin, Allah is at liberty to add gravity to whatever He pleases.”

It is reported in Tafseer Ibn katheer that Hazrat Qataadah also stated: “Allah has accorded special virtue to some of His creation above the rest. He has given special virtue to the messengers among the angels and to the messengers from mankind. He has given special virtue to His speech over that of others and He has selected the Masaajid to grant His special merit from among all other places.

From among the months, He has accorded special virtue to the month of Ramadhan and the four sacred months. From among the days, He has selected the day of Jummah and from among the nights, He has selected the night of Qadr for special merit.

“One should therefore attach value to those things that Allah has given value.

Intelligent people realize that the things that are really important are those things to which Allah has granted importance.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

Imam Jasaas Reazi writes: “The speciality of these months is that whosoever engages in Ibaadah wil be inspired to engage in Ibaadah during the remaining months of the year as well.

Similarly, the person who makes an effort to abstain from sin during these months will find it easy to abstain from sins during the months of the year.” (Ahkamul Quraan)

Therefore, failure to derive benefit from the month of Muharram is a great loss indeed.

Another virtue of Muharram is that the fasting during this month is second in excellence only to the fasting of Ramadhan.

Rasool (SAW) said: “After the fast of Ramadhan, the best fasts are those observed during the Allah’s month of Muharram.” (Tirmidhi)

The history of the fasting on the 10th Muharram goes back to the time of Hazrat Musa (AS). It was on the 10th of Muharram, on the day of Aashura that Musa (AS) and the Bani Israeel were saved from Firoun. So Musa (AS) fasted on this day to express his gratitude to Allah. As such the Messenger of Allah fasted and advised his Ummat to do the same.

Rasoolullah (SAW) is reported to have said: “I have strong hope that Allah will forgive the previous year’s sins (minor) for fasting on the Day of Aashura.” (Tirmizi)

In another narration, Rasoolullah (SAW) spoke about another virtue on the 10th of Muharram and that is spending on one’s family. He (SAW) said: “Whosoever spends freely upon his family on the day of Aashura, Allah will grant prosperity (take care of all his needs) throughout the rest of the year.‘ (Tabraani /Baihaqi)

A number of innovations and fabrications have been attributed to the day of Aashura. One such fabrication is: Will Qiyaamah take place on the day of Aashura?

There is no authentic haadith which says that Qiyaamah will take place on the Day of Aashura. Instead, there is an authentic hadith mentioned in Tirmidhi which states:

“Qiyaamah will take place on a Friday.”

In a narration mentioned in Mishkaat, it is stated: … that besides man and jinn, all living creatures wait in the apprehension for the Day of Qiyaamah every Friday. They are only contented when they see the sun rise the next day……..

Such a strange condition, especially since man and jinn have been created the most intelligent of all creation.

In a Hadith we are told that the intelligent man is he who takes stock of his ownself. Isn’t it time that we begin living up to our status of “intelligent people”?

This is a New Year and approximately 13 days have gone into the Islamic New Year.

It is stated that the one who begins the New Year well, his entire year will become good.

It is only fitting that the new year should begin with such an auspicious month as the month of Muharram since it has already been established that Muharram is a month of great blessings and virtues.

A new year signifies a time of reflections, a time of changes, a time of resolutions and reformations.

Every year that goes by, is another year gone, we have become another year older, and we’re getting closer and closer to our graves.

Over 1429 years ago Allah revealed in the Holy Quraan: “Has not the time reached for the believers that their hearts begin to fear the remembrance of Allah?”

When will we truly begin to fear Allah?

And fearing Allah really means obeying Allah. So when will the time reach that we truly begin to obey Allah?

Rasool (SAW) said: A time will come when Muslims will be making Dua for the Ummat, and Allah will say: “Don’t make Dua and supplicate to Me for them. Pray for your ownselves, they have angered Me because of their actions.”

May Allah save us from that time. The question is “have we reached such a time?”

Let us look back at the last thirteen days of this Islamic New Year. How have we spent those last thirteen days? How have we begun our new year? Have we started off this year with lies and stealing, with slandering and backbiting, with the leaving off of our salaat and Quran and zikr?

If we haven’t started off the year too well, it is not too late. There is still half of this blessed month left.

Every day, every moment is an opportunity for blessings and for gaining closeness to Allah. It is up to us whether we seize those opportunities or we just let them go by.

There was an incident which occurred in the lifetime of Yusuf (AS).

When Yusuf (AS) was being sold in the market place as a slave, an old woman stood in line to place her bid on Yusuf (AS) even though she knew she didn’t have sufficient money to buy him over the king’s price. When she was asked why she did she stand in line when she knew this, her response was that at least her name would be written amongst those who made an offer for Yusuf (AS).

Don’t we want our names to be recorded just like that old woman? Don’t we want our names to be written down time and time again as having pleased Allah, as having remembered Allah, as having obeyed Allah? We should.

Now is the time to truly begin this new year. Now is the time to turn a new page, to wipe our slates clean and make Tauba for our past sins.

May Allah accept our good deeds in this month and all year through. Ameen.