Muharram & The New Year by Hjh Rukiye Sultan

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Sohbah on 11th July 2023 by Hjh Rukiye Sultan

Bismillahi Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
Tariqatuna as-sohba wal khayru fil jam’iyya
Madad Ya Sayyidi Ya Rasul Allah ﷺ, wa Mashayikhina Sheikh Nazim Adil Al-Haqqaniق, Sheikh Muhammad Ar-Rabbaniق

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu

The month of Hajj is nearly over. In a week’s time, InshAllah, we will be in the new year. Mubarak, we will be in Shahru Muharram, the month of Muharram. It is the first month of the Hijri year, the Islamic calendar, and the third month of Ashhur-ul Hurum – الحرم الشهر.

There are four months of Ashhur-ul Hurum. Allah ﷻ mentioned in the Qur’an al-Karim that there are twelve months that Allah ﷻ counts. Four of them are Hurum. Haram means that it is prohibited to fight in these months or to wage war, and many other things.

Three of them come together — Dhul Qi’dah, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram — and one is separate, Shahru Rajab. Rajab ShahruLlah – الله شهر رجب.

Allah ﷻ also praised the month of Muharram. The Prophet ﷺ always spoke about the month of Muharram as “ShahruLlah al-Muharram”, always praising this month and calling it Al-Muharram.

It is the beginning of our Islamic calendar. On its 10th day is Ashura. The first 10 days of Muharram and the day of Ashura are days when Allah ﷻ created most of the creation. On the Day of Ashura, Hz Adam (AS) and many Prophets (AS) were forgiven and supported.

Previously, the Arabs didn’t have formal calendars. They used to count the days and months based on significant incidents. For example, the Prophet ﷺ was born in the Year of the Elephant (‘Am al-Fil), when Abraha came with his elephant to destroy the Ka’bah and was defeated by Allah’s ﷻ army of birds.

The Arabs named it the Year of the Elephant and started counting from that event. It remained like this until another major event occurred, and then they would restart counting from the new event.

During the time of Khalifah Hz Omar ibn Khattabر, after the Prophet ﷺ passed away, they needed to establish a calendar due to the increasing need to record and calculate dates. Then Hz Omarر gathered the Sahabah and they gave their advice or their idea about what to do. They used to make shura (consultation).

Some suggested starting the calendar from the birth of the Prophet ﷺ. Others advised against it so as not to resemble the Christians, who start their year from Christmas. Then some proposed starting from the time Prophethood was given to the Prophet ﷺ.

Finally, the consultation ended with all of them agreeing to start the Islamic calendar from the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ — his migration from Makkah to Madinah. The calendar began from the Hijrah because the foundation of the Islamic state started from that point.

That is why another name for the Islamic calendar is the Hijri calendar — the calendar marking the beginning of the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Of course, Hz Omarر and all the Sahabaر were inspired not only from their mind, but inspired by the Prophet ﷺ and guided also. So, the Islamic calendar started at the time of Hz Omarر. Many other things also. Many other state matters were settled during the time of Hz Omarر.

Next Tuesday is the last day of 1444. Wednesday is the first day of 1445. It is advised and recommended that you fast these two days — to close the old year with fasting and to begin the new year with fasting.

Allah ﷻ rewards the person who fasts these two days as though they fasted 50 years. They are also kaffara, forgiveness for 50 years.

There is a Du’a on the last day of Dhul Hijjah, the last day of the year. You can read it anytime on that day, but it is much better to read it in the afternoon. After Dhuhr prayer or after Asr, even, because in our Hijri calendar, the lunar calendar, the day starts from Maghrib. So, you can read the Du’a either afternoon or after Asr.

And the Du’a is like this. To repeat it 3 times is better, but you can also read it one time. I will read it now and give you a little translation:

بِسْمِ اللّٰه الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَصَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، اللّٰهُمَّ مَا عَمِلْتُ فِي هٰذِهِ السَّنَةِ مِمَّا نَهَيْتَنِي عَنْهُ وَلَمْ تَرْضَهُ وَنَسِيتُهُ وَلَمْ تَنْسَهُ، وَحَلِمْتَ عَلَيَّ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِكَ عَلٰى عُقُوبَتِي، وَدَعَوْتَنِي إِلَى التَّوْبَةِ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ جَرَأَتِي عَلٰى مَعْصِيَتِكَ، اللّٰهُمَّ فَإِنِّي أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ مِنْهُ فَاغْفِرْ لِي، وَمَا عَمِلْتُ فِيهَا مِنْ عَمَلٍ تُرْضَاهُ وَوَعَدْتَنِي عَلَيْهِ الثَّوَابَ، فَأَسْأَلُكَ اللّٰهُمَّ يَا كَرِيمُ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ أَنْ تَتَقَبَّلَهُ مِنِّي، وَلَا تَقْطَعْ رَجَائِي مِنْكَ يَا كَرِيم، وَصَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Bismillahi Rahmaan ir Raheem. Wa sallallahu Ta’ala ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallem. Allahumma ma ‘amiltu fi hathihi-s sanah mimma nahaytani ‘anhu walam tardahu wa nasituh wa lam tansahu wa halimta ‘alaya bi’aqd qudrataka ‘ala ‘uqubati wa da’awtani ila-t tawbah minhu ba’da jara’ati ‘ala ma’siyatika. Allahumma fainni astaghfiruka minhu faghfir li. Wa ma ‘amiltu fiha min ‘amalin tardah wa wa’adtani ‘alayhi-th thawab, fa as’aluka Allahumma ya Karim, ya Dhal Jalal wa-l Ikram an taqbalahu minni wa la taqta’ rajaii minka ya Karim. Wa sallallahu ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam. Ameen.

Ya Allah, I am asking You for forgiveness for whatever wrong I did in the past year. I ask Your forgiveness for every sin or mistake or disobedience I committed and forgot about, but You do not forget. You, with Your generosity, were patient with me. O my Lord, forgive me. You gave me time and chance to repent. You could have punished me, but You gave me the chance to ask for forgiveness.

And I am asking You too, for whatever good I did in the past year that You are pleased with and promised reward for, Ya Rabbi, Allahumma, I ask You to accept it and to be generous with me. And I ask You, my Lord, not to let me lose hope in You. Ameen.

When this Du’a is read, shaytan throws soil on its head and cries, pulling out its hair and banging on its head. It says, “All year I worked to misguide him, and in one minute, in one du’a, now I lost everything I worked for.” Allah ﷻ will forgive the one who reads this Du’a, InshAllah.

And the next day, when you fast the new year’s day, InshAllah, there is also a smaller Du’a.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْأَبَدِيُّ الْقَدِيمُ وَهَذِهِ سَنَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ، أَسْأَلُكَ فِيهَا الْعِصْمَةَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَأَوْلِيَائِهِ، وَالْعَوْنَ عَلَى هَذِهِ النَّفْسِ الْأَمَّارَةِ بِالسُّوءِ، وَالِاشْتِغَالَ بِمَا يُقَرِّبُنِي إِلَيْكَ يَا كَرِيمُ، وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ عَلَىٰ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، آمِين

Allahumma Anta-l Abadi-l Qadim wa hathihi sanatun jadidatun. As’aluka fiha-l ‘ismata mina-sh shaytani wa awliya’ihi wa-l ‘awna ‘ala hathihi-n nafsi-l ammarati bis-suu’ wa-l ishtighala bima yuqarribuni ilayka ya Karim. Wa sallallahu Ta’ala ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ wa ‘ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallem. Ameen.

On the first day of the new Hijri year, you should read this du‘a.

O my Lord, the Eternal and the Ancient (Abadi and Qadim), I praise Allah ﷻ that He is the One from pre-eternity to post-eternity. This is a new year entering, and I ask from You protection from shayṭān and its followers, its armies, and support against my own ego (nafs) that orders evil. Strengthen me to overcome them, and make me busy with what brings me closer to You, and what You are pleased with.

This is the meaning of the Du‘a.

Reading this Du‘a causes shayṭān to give up on that person and run away. Allah ﷻ appoints two angels to guard the one who reads this Du‘a or even hears it from someone else on the first day of the year.

It is also recommended to fast during the first ten days of Muharram. Even fasting one day is greatly rewarded. Every day is counted like fasting thirty days. SubḥanAllah.

The Prophet ﷺ promised Firdaws al-A‘la, the highest level in Paradise, for those who fast the first ten days of Muharram.

The Prophet ﷺ said to fast in the month of Muharram. At the very least, fast one or two days, such as the Day of ‘Āshūrā’ and either the day before or the day after. It is praised to fast on these days because the Prophet ﷺ said, “The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the fasting in the month of Allah, Al-Muharram.”

The Prophet ﷺ used to call it Shahrullāh al-Muharram, the Sacred Month of Allah ﷻ, not just “Muharram”.

He ﷺ said this fasting is the best after Ramadan because Allah ﷻ forgave many nations on this day, and will forgive many more.

Hz Omarر said that on the Day of Judgement, when Allah ﷻ asks about fasting, He will not ask about any fasts except the fast of Ramadan and the fast of the Day of ‘Āshūrā’.

Before the fast of Ramadan was made obligatory, the Prophet ﷺ used to fast the ten days of Muharram. After he ﷺ migrated to Madinah and the obligation of Ramadan came, they left the ten days of Muharram as voluntary fasting.

You can still fast during these days. If not, then give sadaqah every day, or do some good deed. These days are greatly praised.

“Wa layālin ‘ashr” – وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ mentioned in the Qur’an.

Some interpret these ten nights as the first ten of Dhul Ḥijjah, and some tafsir say they are the ten days of Muharram.

InshAllah, next time we will speak about the ten days of Muharram. Each day has a special virtue from the 1st of Muharram until the 10th, the day of ‘Āshūrā’.

Why is it called ‘Āshūrā’? Because it is the tenth day and a blessed day where so many events happened.

Mubarak InshAllah the new year and see you.

Al-Fatiha.

• Hjh Rukiye Sultan

11 July 2023/ 23 Dhu l-Hijjah 1444

To learn more about the month of Muharram and the day of Ashura, please click here.