Āshūrā’, a Gift from Allāh ﷻ

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

We are in the blessed month of Muḥarram. May its virtues be upon us. Its virtues are great. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, a person who fasts one day in Muḥarram, each day is equal to thirty days. Of course, it is good to fast from the first till the tenth. Who can’t fast them, can fast either the ninth and tenth of Muḥarram, or the tenth and eleventh of Muḥarram. Both include the day of ‘Āshūrā’ which is a great day.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has granted it to people as a gift. Whoever wants can take; for all people. How will one take? If he believes in Allāh ﷻ, he will benefit from that day. No one is preventing people from benefiting. It is beneficial for everyone. This is a means by believing in Allāh ﷻ and living as He ﷻ commands. Every day a person lives is filled with virtue, thawāb and beauty. He who does not do so loses a lot. And every day is of no benefit; he gains nothing but harm.

That’s why, this month of Muḥarram is a blessed month. Before fasting became obligatory in Ramaḍān, they used to fast in the month of Muḥarram. After that, when it became obligatory, they began to fast in Ramaḍān. The fasting obligation became in the month of Ramaḍān. As we said, in the month of Muḥarram, the Prophets reached their ranks or Prophethood was granted to them.

Similarly, the ‘awliyā’ were given the ranks of sainthood on the day of ‘Āshūrā’, on the tenth of Muḥarram. On that day, there were many incidents: The forgiveness of ‘Adam ‘alayhi s-salām. The ship of Nūh ‘alayhi s-salām: the end of the flood and its descent to the earth. The salvation of Musa ‘alayhi s-salām. The ascent of ‘Idrīs ‘alayhi s-salām to the sky. The most events have happened on this day; very beautiful events have happened.

That’s why, this is a blessed day. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam used to fast it. When he ﷺ arrived to Madinah after that, because the Jews fasted that day, he ﷺ said, “I am more deserving of this day.” In order to oppose them, he ﷺ ordered to fast either the ninth and tenth or the tenth and eleventh.

As we said, it is a blessed day. It has great spiritual benefits, and also physical benefits. On that day, our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam would shower with the intention of spending the whole year in health. Those who put kohl on their eyes on that day will not suffer from eye pain. The one who gives sadaqah will have abundance. For the one who buys for his home, for his family, buys gifts for his children, or gives more gifts as they wish, that year will pass with barakah for them, Allāh ﷻ willing.

In addition to the spiritual, there are also apparent barakahs. There is definitely benefit in the commands of Islām. And there is harm in its prohibitions. A person’s ego wants what is ḥarām. Both his ego gets more and more rebellious and his body is harmed. Therefore, the things Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla gifted in Islām will certainly be beneficial and beautiful both externally and internally.

Today, of course, the blessed grandson of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was also martyred along with his ﷺ ṣaḥābah. In Islām, martyrdom for any Muslim is a great blessing. And he is Sayyid ul-Shuhada’, the master of martyrs. He is the greatest master of martyrs. That’s why, he attained that rank. With that rank, he is in the highest levels next to his grandfather.

Sadness happens if there is no rank, if there is nothing. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, the pain that a martyr feels is not even like a prick of a needle. So when the apple of his ﷺ blessed eye, his ﷺ beloved grandson was martyred, he felt pleasure with the most beautiful states. He ﷺ felt a beautiful pleasure when he was martyred; Hussein ‘alayhi s-salām, the grandson of our ‎Prophet ﷺ.

Therefore, some of these things that are not in accordance with the way shown by our Prophet ﷺ and Islām are not acceptable. Whoever resorts to them does so in vain. He does not benefit at all. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has raised him to the most beautiful ranks. May Allāh ﷻ settle us in Paradise near him, in shā’a Llāh. That’s what we say. May their ranks and barakah be upon us. Martyrdom is a very great rank. May he be our intercessor, in shā’a Llāh.

May Allāh ﷻ bless this day of ours; not today. Today is the ninth. Tomorrow is the tenth. We are saying them now so that we can do those duties tomorrow. There is also a four-rak’āt prayer tomorrow. You can pray it whenever you want. Of course, it has to be before Asr prayer. After Asr prayer, no voluntary prayers must be performed.

That prayer is four rak’āt; you will recite eleven ikhlās in each rak’āt. After it is finished, recite 70 times, “حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ نِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ غفرانك ربنا وإليك المصير”, “HasbunAllah wa Ni’mal Wakīl, Ni’mal Mawla wa Ni’mal Nasīr, Ghufrānaka Rabbana w Ilayka l-Masīr”. Then, there is a du’ā’. That du’ā’ will be read seven times, in shā’a Llāh. With that du’ā’, this day’s barakah will be upon us, in shā’a Llāh.

May Allāh ﷻ make it blessed. May their blessings be upon us. May those ranks be of benefit to us, in shā’a Llāh. May the ranks of those Prophets, ‘awliyā’, the righteous and the martyrs be high, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

04 July 2025/ 09 Muharram 1447

Lefke, Cyprus

English starts from [08:54]:

Guide to the Day of Ashura here.

Google Drive to the full devotions can be found here.