Yawm Ashuraa – The Day of Ashura by Hjh Rukiye Sultan

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Sohbah on 25th 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

Mubarak the New Year Muharram al-Haram. The month of Muharram has 10 holy days for the Ummah. The Prophet ﷺ was praising the first ten days of Muharram and he ﷺ was fasting them. In Prophet’s ﷺ time, these ten days were the days for fasting, before the fasting of Ramadan was ordered.

After the order for the fasting of Ramadan was revealed, Prophet ﷺ was only fasting the Day of Ashura. He ﷺ used to fast the Day of Ashura when he ﷺ came to Madina. In Madina he ﷺ saw the Jews also doing this and he ﷺ said to the Sahaba, “You have more rights over Musa (AS) for this day, Allah blessed us with it – نحن أحق منهم.

So even though he saw that the Sahabah had eaten that day, Prophet ﷺ ordered them to just wash their mouths and fast till evening on the Day of Ashura. He ﷺ said to the Sahabah that if he ﷺ reached next year, he ﷺ would fast the 9th and the 10th of Muharram so as not to resemble the Jews.

It was the only Sunnah he didn’t live long enough to do. He ﷺ passed away before that, as everybody knows.

Yawm Ashuraa – The Day of Ashura is a very blessed day. Allah ﷻ honoured 10 of his Prophets that day, saving them from so many things.

The first one, Allah ﷻ forgave Hazreti Adam (AS). The second is Prophet Idris (AS), he was raised high. The third, the Ark of Hazrati Nuh (AS) landed on the Mountain of Judi. The fourth, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was saved by Allah ﷻ from the fire of Nimrod. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was born on the Day of Ashura and also Allah ﷻ declared him as His Khalil/Khalil-u-Llah, a very close friend of Allah ﷻ, on the Day of Ashura.

The fifth, Hazrati Daud (AS) was forgiven and Hazreti Sulaiman (AS) was given back his throne. The sixth, Allah ﷻ gave shifa – cure to Hazrati Ayub (AS). He ﷻ cured him from all his illness on the Day of Ashura. The seventh, Allah ﷻ split the sea and saved Hazrati Musa (AS) from Fir’awn and his army and they were drowned in the sea. That’s why all the Jews celebrate that day. The eighth, Allah ﷻ brought Hazrati Yunus (AS) out from the whale’s tummy. The ninth, Hazrati Isa (AS) was saved and raised to the skies on Ashura. The tenth, Prophet ﷺ was honoured, and he ﷺ was married to Hz. Khadijatu-l-Kubraر on that day.

Many Prophets were honoured on the Day of Ashura, SubhanAllah.

We are Ahl as-Sunnah wa l-Jama’a. And in our belief, the Day of Ashura is a day to celebrate. Do not listen to other wrong views and madhhabs who say that you mustn’t fast the Day of Ashura, or celebrate the Day of Ashura, or those who say that it is a day of sadness, and so on. This is not our I’tiqad (إعتقاد) / belief. This is not the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa l-Jama’a.

These wrong views claim that Ashura is a day of sadness because Hazrati Hussainر the grandson of Prophet ﷺ became shaheed (martyr) on this day. This matter is not for us to judge. This subject belongs to Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement, to judge for what happened. We believe that Allah ﷻ chose the best day for Hazrati Hussainر to be shaheed (martyred).

To be a shaheed is the highest of the rutab (stations); and to be made shaheed on this sacred
day is honor above honor, Allah-u Akbar!

Also, we believe that if you must be sad on a day then you must be sad on Monday because Prophet ﷺ passed away on this day, the day of Monday. If it is to show love by having a sad day, then one must show more love to Prophet ﷺ and mourn every Monday! This is not our I’tiqad. This is deviated view, a wrong one! The 4 madhhabs represent the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa l-Jama’a, so don’t listen to any different madhhab that is out of them. They make so much propaganda for these wrong beliefs and people get confused.

One sister got so mixed up and was asking, “Shall we make a wedding during the 10 days of Ashura? It is sad”, they mourn the month of Muharram & Ashura, but it is haram to do so. The Day of Ashura is a day of celebrating. Allah ﷻ honoured this day and honoured so many prophets on this day, also Hazrati Hussainر to be martyred on this day is honor for him.

We must have it like this in our belief because there is a Hadith of Prophet ﷺ that to fast on the Day of Ashura gives whoever is fasting lots of thawab (reward), that whoever fasts takes the reward of a thousand hajjs and thousand umrahs and is given the reward of a thousand martyrs (shaheed).

Also, Allah ﷻ writes uncountable rewards for the Day of Ashura, one reward is that by fasting this day it is like setting free thousands of slaves from the children of Hazrati Ismail (AS) and Allah ﷻ rewards 70,000 palaces in heaven and also forbids the Fire from touching the body of the person fasting that day.

Whoever is generous to his family, to his friends, to his children, to his neighbours on the Day of Ashura, Allah ﷻ will make more openings for them. Whoever pats the head of a yatim (orphan), Allah ﷻ writes for every hair of this orphan thawab for this person. Whoever has a ghusl (bath) on that day Allah ﷻ doesn’t give him/her illness till the next year unless it is the illness of death. Whoever puts kohl in their eyes, their eyes won’t be ill till next year.

There are also 4 rakats of prayer to pray on Ashura day after Zuhr and before Asr. Make the intention for 4 rakats for the Day of Ashura and in each rakat you read 1 Fatiha and 11 Ikhlas Sharif. When you finish read 100 times Astaghfirullahu l-Azim wa atubu ilaih and 100 times Salawatu s-Sharifa. Make whatever du’a you want and Allah ﷻ forgives that person’s 50 years of sins and gives them stations in heavens you cannot imagine.

This is about the Day of Ashura and on that day, we read Ikhlas Sharif 1000 times. So many other things for it but mostly, to fast and even more rewards if you fast on the 9th and 10th of Ashura.

If you cannot, then fast the 10th and 11th. If you cannot do it at all, then you may fast the Day of Ashura alone.

Insha’Allah make the intention for this, if not, you give sadaqah and make this day like a feast, like Eid, insha’Allah.

Mubarak Insha’Allah the Day of Ashura and see you.

Al-Fatiha.

• Hjh Rukiye Sultan

25 July 2023/ 07 Muharram 1445 AH

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