10 Muharram: The Day of ‘Ashura
In a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Musa (ra), he said that the day of ‘Ashura’ was considered as Eid day by the Jews. So the Prophet (pbuh) ordered to all Muslims, “I recommend you (Muslims) to fast on this day.” (Bukhari)
This prophetic command was established before the
Divine Command to fast the month of Ramadan. When the Divine Prescription about
the Ramadan Fasting came, it was only then than the fasting of the Day of
Ashura became optional. Though it retains its importance and glory, but it was
no longer imposed on the Muslims to fast that day.
In a Saying narrated by Hazrat Jabir bin Samura (ra)
he informed us that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to command them, i.e. his
companions (the Muslims) to “observe the day of ‘Ashura’ as a fast, urge us
to observe it and pay attention to us when it came; but when Ramadan was made
obligatory he neither commanded nor forbade us to observe it, nor did he pay
attention to us when it came.” (Muslim, Mishkat)
Hazrat Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (ra) also informed us about
this matter and said that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) observed the fast on the 10th
of Muharram (‘Ashura), and ordered (Muslims) to fast on that day, but when the
fasting of the month of Ramadan was prescribed, the fasting of the ‘Ashura’ was
abandoned. – Hazrat Abdullah (ra) did not use to fast on that day unless it
coincided with his routine fasting by chance. (Bukhari)
But concerning the personal habit of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), it was narrated by Hazrat Hafsa bint Umar (ra), the wife of the Holy Prophet (pbuh): “There are four things which the Prophet (personally) never gave up: Fasting ‘Ashura’, (fasting during) the ten days, (fasting) three days of each month, and praying two Rak’ahs before Al-Ghadah (Fajr).” (An-Nasai)
Thus, for those desirous to fast Ashura, it should be
borne in mind that our Beloved Prophet recommended and prioritized this fast,
besides the month of fasting during Ramadan, and he used to enjoin fasting of this
day with another fasting, either one day before Ashura (i.e. the 9th
of Muharram) or one day after (i.e. the 11th of Muharram). (Musnad
Ahmad)
He did so as he (pbuh) wanted to distinguish himself
as well as all Muslims from the practice of the Jews who fasted this day.
One more event which happened during the month of
Muharram, and that too on the 10th of Muharram, i.e. Ashura is the
Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein Ibn Ali, the beloved grandson of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) under the command of Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan, at the
hand of his abased army.
Now, it is most unfortunate that the great Companion and
Brother-in-Law of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – Hazrat Mu’awiyah Ibn
Sufyan gave the ruling to his unmeritorious son, Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyah in the
event of his demise. Yazid was a most callous hypocrite and evil-minded person
who did not have the least element of Islam within him.
In my previous sermon, I maintained how it was
important for one not to break away from the Jamaat of a Mosque, but here we
have such a tyrant which overthrew all that which the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) had built over the years, and he was not just overthrowing a Mosque, but
all Houses of Allah and that which Islam stands for. He even besieged the Holy
Ka’aba and burnt the Kiswa, and it is even reported that the fire even
caused the Black Stone to be split into three parts. His name was Yazid and he was
a portrait of evil and all that it represents. He was such a debauched creature
who intended to deform the actual teachings of Islam.
He broke away from the Muslim Community which is an
extremely grave and vile act. Such an act brings in its wake dissension,
discord and strife in the Community. The Quran and Ahadith sound the sternest
and gravest warnings for those who indulge in the wicked scheme of disunity. Disunity
is invariably the consequence of pride, the desire for position, and base
worldly passions.
That very detestable figure in Islam (Yazid) ordered
the assassination of all the family members and companions of Hazrat Imam
Hussein (ra) and on the 10th of Muharram in the year 61 Hijri,
Hazrat Imam Hussein (ra) was himself martyred. They were all assassinated in
the worst way. Only one son of Hazrat Imam Hussein (ra), Hazrat Imam Zain’ul
Abedeen (ra) did not die because he was sick at the time and did not therefore participate
in the battle against Yazid.
After the Event at Karbala
But after the Chief, and Flesh of the Messenger of
Allah (pbuh), was martyred - that is, Hazrat Imam Hussein (ra), the army asked
Yazid if it was necessary to kill that boy as well, but they did not receive
the command to kill him.
What is extraordinary in this story is that through
this fragile and sick boy, Allah saved the descendants of Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Imam Hussein (ra) and through that one boy,
today the descendants of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) through Hazrat Imam Hussein
(ra) have spread everywhere in the world. Today we have what we call the
Hassani (Shariff) and the Husseini (Sayyid), depending on the specific
descendants of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through the two surviving sons
of his daughter Hazrat Fatima (ra), Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein. Both of them
were assassinated and reached Shahaadat (Martyrdom) in the path of
Allah, but Allah did not let their descendants be erased from the surface of
this world.
It is reported that after the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam
Hussein (ra) and the members of his family and companions, Yazid was overthrown
by Abdullah Ibn Zubayr (ra), the nephew of Hazrat Aisha bint Abu Bakr (ra) –
the wife of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), who convened a Shura (Consultation/
Meeting) against Yazid after he assassinated the grandson of Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh). Despite the fact that Ibn Zubayr (ra) succeeded in rallying a large
part of the Muslims with him, and eventually even managed to make the people
that supported Yazid abandon him, but despite this, Yazid continued to dominate
in some parts of Arabia, and it was in the year that he (Yazid) died that he
committed the most detestable sin of capturing the Holy Ka’aba and burn it. It
was after he committed this great sin that he died in deplorable conditions.
On the other hand, Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Zubayr (ra)
ended up self-proclaiming himself Khalifa (Caliph) and ruled over those
who accepted him as the Caliph, and in this way, little by little, Islam ended
up collapsing into several factions, where each party takes pleasure in their
group, without thinking of re-gluing or regrouping the Ummah into one, to make
the Ummah come back to the same united state as it was in the time of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh).
It is only through Divine Revelation, through the Ruh’il
Quddus (Holy Spirit), that Allah has given a breath of freshness to Islam.
After Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the last law-bearing prophet, the last prophet
bearer of the law, Allah raised His non-law-bearing prophets, who are Islamic
prophets, and who in no case break the Seal of the Prophethood of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh). But so many people have become accustomed to the idea of the
last prophet, that they do not think deeply when reading the words of the Quran
where Allah says that He is the Living God, and that whenever His Religion is
in danger, it is verily Him Who will save His Islam. How will Allah save Islam?
It is by sending His representatives, His Khulafatullah who are also in
His Sight prophets who are attached to His Beloved Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh). Whoever renounces the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is not a
true prophet. The greatness of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is found in the blessing
that Allah has granted him and his Ummah that Allah raises from among the
Muslims, one among them, to revive the teachings of Islam.
How many pious Muslims have died Shaheed
(martyred) before in the name of Islam! Dissensions, as well as different
opinions have brought in the first place the martyrdom of the second Khalifa-e-Rashideen
Hazrat Umar (ra). At that time, Islam was still a nascent religion, and whereby,
in a manner of speaking, we can say that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had just died, and
whereby after his demise, there was Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) who took the
leadership of the Ummah in his hands. Then there was Hazrat Umar (ra). Despite
the fact that there was dissension during his Khilafat, but Hazrat Umar (ra)
always insisted on the unity of the Ummah. Even when the rebels attacked him,
he always advised the Muslims to stay united, even if they had to follow the
person who was trying to create disorder (fitna) in Salat (prayer).
But my Muslim brothers, sisters and children, at that
time, the Divine Revelation through Allah’s Ruh’il Quddus had stopped,
and the Khulafa-e-Rashideen, the rest of the companions and those after
them based themselves on the verses of the Quran, the Hadiths and Sunnah as
well as their own opinions and neither Hazrat Umar (ra), nor Hazrat Usman (ra) nor
Hazrat Ali (ra) were for breaking the unity of the Ummah (they were all against
breaking the unity of the Ummah). But what happened? The most stubborn
among the Muslims committed great sins when they assassinated the three great
representatives of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) for Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) already
had visions and knew that all three will succeed him, beginning with his great
companion Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) at the head of the Ummah.
The Rise of New Islamic Prophets & Reformers
So today, you should consider yourselves fortunate
that Allah has chosen you, just like in the time of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) -
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) - to accept His Messiahs and Khulifatullah,
and the Islamic prophets to revive His Deen. Today, Allah is guiding you
through the Ruh’il Quddus. The Ruh’il Quddus – Hazrat Jibreel
(as) – that you thought had stopped coming with the death of our beloved master
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is verily alive and not jobless and his role as a
Messenger of Revelation to give revelations to the elect of Allah has not stopped.
He has a very great status in the Eyes of Allah, and his role to give the
Divine Revelation will continue, but not any Law-bearing Revelation as the Holy
Quran is the last Law-bearing Book. So, no new Quran will be revealed, but only
revelations which explain the Quran, to raise the honour and true value of the
Quran, to lift the Quran after people have thrown it behind their backs...'
----[Extracts from Friday Sermon of 28 July 2023 ~ 09 Muharram 1445 AH delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius].