Importance and Significance of the Month of Muharram

 Importance and Significance

of the Month of Muharram

Dr. Mozammel Haque

 

The month of Muharram is important and it has so many significances. First of all, it is not only one of the twelve months of the Hijri calendar but it is the first month of the Hijri calendar. Secondly, it is also one of the four sacred or forbidden months of the Hijri calendar. Allah Subhanahu wa Taala said about the Ashhur ul Hurum, the sanctified four months, one of them is the month of Muharram. In the following paragraphs, I am going to discuss, narrate and explain the following subjects – such as Four Sacred Months, Ashhur ul Hurum, the Holy Places and Holy Times chosen by Allah Subhanahu wa Taala, Fasting in the month of Muharram, especially fasting in the day of Ashoorah, expiation of sins – small and big; Karbala – the Martyrdom of Hazrat Hussein on the day of Ashoorah accidentally and lastly the beginning of Hijri calendar. This is based on a talk given by Dr Ahmad al-Dubayan, the Director General of The Islamic Cultural Centre & the Regents Park Central London Mosque, London, on Muharram on Saturday the 15^th of September 2018.

Four Sacred Months

Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan first mentioned about the four sacred months in the Hijri calendar and one of them is the month of Muharram. He said, “There are always four months in a year. These months are sacred actually they are holy months but they are not like Ramadan. These months are Dhul Qaida, Dhul Hijja, Muharram and Rajab. These four months according to the Hijri calendar are the sacred months – Ashhur al Hurum. Allah Subhanahu wa Taala said this in the Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an says, "The number of the months according to Allah is twelve months (mentioned) in the Book of Allah on the day in which He created heavens and the earth. Among these (twelve months) there are four sanctified”.

 These four months, according to the authentic traditions, are the months; these months are Dhul Qaida, Dhul Hijja, Muharram and Rajab. All the commentators of the Holy Qur’an are unanimous on this point, because the Holy Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam in his sermon on the occasion of his last Hajj, has declared:"One year consists of twelve months, of which four are sanctified months, three of them are in sequence; Zulqadah, Zulhijjah, Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab."

Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “Allah said, don’t be unfair unjust to yourself during this time. It means you have to avoid conflict and wrong things especially in these four months. Of course every Muslim is asked every time but it is more confirmed in these four months. These are the months - Dhul Qaida, Dhul Hijja, the month of Hajj and this month, Muharram and Rajab, which is going to come inshaallah. Rajab is the seventh month of the Hijri calendar.”

 The word Muharram itself means sacred or forbidden. Why they call it like this? Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, because Arabs used not to fight; not to do any problem or dispute with other tribe especially during these four months even before Islam. May be this is one of the remaining of the traditions of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).”

 Thus, the sanctity of these four months was recognized right from the days of Sayyidina Ibrahim. Since the Pagans of Makkah attributed themselves to Sayyidina Ibrahim they observed the sanctity of these four months and despite their frequent tribal battles, they held it unlawful to fight in these months. In the Shari’ah of our Holy Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam the sanctity of these months was upheld and the Holy Qur’an referred to them as the "sanctified months".

In the Hijri calendar there are twelve months out of which these four months are sacred or forbidden months. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Among these twelve months there are four months - the forbidden or sacred months – do not be unfair with yourself in these four months. Even the Companion of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam Ibn Abbas said; if somebody commits sins in these four months it is even bigger more than the other times. Of course respect of the Shari’ah, of the teachings of Allah Subhanahu wa Taala must be more during these four months.”

Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “Nowadays we forget these four months. We just live in just like any other days. Muharram starts; or Safar or Rabi al Awwal do not have any meaning for us. We are always busy in this Dunya; we do not pay that much attention to these four months. We have to keep more of these four months  in our mind - Dhul Qaida, the month before the Hajj, the Dhul Hijja, the month of Hajj  and the next month, the month of Muharram which is we are now in and then the Rajab, the seventh month of the Hijri calendar.”

 Dr. al-Dubayan continued, “As I said, the Arabs, even before Islam, stopped fighting during these four months. If somebody has revenge against someone who has killed his brother or father; he during these months does not do anything to him. He waits till actually the time passes when he is no longer in these months any more. New month starts; then they go back to their normal life. This is how they respect this.”

 Chosen Holy Times and Holy Places

After mentioning about the four sacred or forbidden months of the Hijri calendar, Dr. al-Dubayan spoke of the holy times and holy places. He said, “Allah Subhanahu wa Taala chooses certain places and certain times to be holy times and to be holy places. There are certain rituals for this. Allah is the One who decides this, not us. For example, the month of Ramadan, this is the time, this is the holy month. The Lailatul Qadr, which Allah Subhanahu wa Taala asks us to do our best to seek in the month of Ramadan - the Lailatul Qadr, to pray during the Lailatul Qadr. This is Allah Subhanahu wa Taala decided.”

 “Allah Subhanahu wa Taala decided the last ten days of Ramadan as Lailatul Qadr, to pray during this Lailatul Qadr; the Yaum ul Arafah, the day of Arafah, the Ashoorah, which is going to come next Thursday. These things are decided by Allah Subhanahu wa Taala, not by us, not by people. For each day there are some teachings; sometimes fasting, sometimes praying. For example, Lailatul Qadr for more prayer; the Day of Arafah, fasting for those who are not in Hajj; the Day of Ashoorah, I am going to talk about this day of Ashoorah,” Dr. al-Dubayan said.

 Chosen Holy Places

Dr. al-Dubayan then mentioned about certain holy places. Allah Subhanahu wa Taala has decided about these holy places – for example, Masjid al-Haram in Makkah; Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah and Masjid al-Aqsa. Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “There are certain places Allah Subhanahu wa Taala grants them His blessings and call them the holy places, one of them is Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Allah Subhanahu wa Taala calls this Masjid al-Haram. The Prophetic Mosque in Madinah, the Masjid al-Nabawi; Allah Subhanahu wa Taala said who pray here he call them equals to 1,000 prayers than anywhere else. And one prayer in Makkah in Masjid al Haram equals to 100,000 prayers. Can you imagine how the blessings in these places? If you pray one time in Masjid al Haram in Makkah as if you pray 100,000 times than somewhere else. If you pray at the Masjid of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam it is equal to 1,000 prayers. If you pray at Masjid al-Aqsa it is equal to 500 prayers. We cannot add any other mosque on earth in this list of chosen holy places - mosque. It is Allah Subhanahu wa Taala who decides this, not us and nobody. This is very very important for all of you”

“Nobody can tell you - it is preferable to pray at this place or fast that day or to fast here or to pray here without the daleel of Kitab or Sunnah. Because it is Allah Subhanahu wa Taala who decides that. How do we know about Ashhur ul Hurum the four sacred or forbidden months? I told you. It is mentioned in the Qur’an. How do we know about Masjid al-Haram; if you pray there it is more than 100,000 prayer, because the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said in the Hadis Sahih. How do we know the prayer at the Masjid al-Nabawi equals to 1,000, because Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said that. We cannot say, for example, go there; it will be 100 or less or more; we cannot. You cannot choose any other place and say this is really preferable; similarly you cannot say to fast that day without proof; without daleel from the Kitab and Sunnah - the Qur’an and Sunnah, the traditions of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. I always advice you when someone tells something; you ask where it is? show me the daleel whether it is in the Qur’an or the Hadis Sahih of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam This is very important,” mentioned Dr. al-Dubayan.

Dr. al-Dubayan then mentioned about lot of fake stories invented by people in the Muslim world. He said, “Many people created lot of things in the Muslim world. If you pray there mashallah there will be more benefits. How do you know? Can you show daleel? did the Prophet said that? No. One of the followers of the Companions came to Abdullah al-Masood and said to him, I just come from Tur, the mountain where Allah Subhanahu wa Taala talked to Moosa alayes Salam it is in Sinai. This man witnessed the visit to that place, the mosque there, the place itself. And then he came to Abdullah al-Masood or Abu Hurairah; he said I just come; why did you go there; he said I wanted to pray there. He said, listen, I heard Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam saying: nobody travel to pray besides these three mosques - Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, The Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and Masjid al-Aqsa. These three places you can travel just to pray. So the Companions of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam never travel just to pray except these three places. Why? Because there is no daleel from the Kitab or Sunnah. it is said it is sacred or it is holy place; it is a place where there is given blessings. This is one of the principles of Aqidah you have to remember; I have told you all the time. Brothers and sisters, you have to remember this; anybody tells us about any mosque, ask where is this in the Qur’an or the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam.”

Fasting in the month of Muharram

The Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam used to fast a lot in the month of Muharram, this month; of course not fasting the whole month like Ramadan. But may be, every week two days three days; it is a Sunnah to fast as many as you can; or as much as you can in the month of Muharram, this month. But don’t fast like Ramadan. So, one day a week or two days a week according to what you can. This is a Sunnah; it is not a duty, of course. It’s not wajib; this is one of the principles of this month. In this month, there is a day of Ashoorah. What is a day of Ashoorah? The Day of Ashoorah is the tenth day of Muharram. The word Ashoorah came from the word ashara in Arabic. Ashara means ten.

 

Treaty of Madinah

Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned about the beginning of Ashoorah. He said, “The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam came to Madinah, he stayed in Madinah and established first the Muslim community in Madinah as we all know. There was in Madinah some Jewish tribes, Jewish community. The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam closed a Treaty with the Jewish community, which we called the Treaty of Madinah. According to this Treaty, not to fight with each other; to be fair with each other, not to hate some others against others. This is like a political agreement between the Muslims and the Jews in the Madinah itself; to share together, to live together as one society as it was mentioned in the Treaty which the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam himself signed.”

 

Fasting on the Day of Ashoorah

Why we had started to fast on the day of Ashoorah? Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan narrated the story behind the start of the fasting on the Day of Ashoorah. He said, “One of the things Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam noticed in Madinah; Jews at that time used to celebrate a certain day.   The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam asked them why you celebrate this day; they said we celebrate this day thanking Allah Subhanahu wa Taala because He has saved Moses, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) with his people from the Pharoah of Egypt and to save them from the land there, to the holy land. The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said, we are closer to Moosa then. Why? Because the call of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam, the message of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam is Tawheed and the message of the Prophet Moosa (peace be upon him) is Tawheed. So the Prophets, all of them, came with the same message, the Tawheed, La ilaha Illalah.”

 “Anybody who comes with this, he comes closer to the Prophet and anybody who goes away from this, he goes away from the Prophet. So the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said, I am Prophet, he is Prophet and so I am closer to him. We will then celebrate this; do this in another way. How? Then the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam asked Muslims to fast that particular day. At that time the day was the day of Ashoorah, the tenth day of this month of Muharram, which is coming inshaAllah in the next Thursday. Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam fasted in that time and he asked the Companions to fast next year; he said if you fast next year, you fast another day with it either before or after. This is to be different from the Jewish community. Muslim community at that time in this ritual would be different. This is the beginning of it; this is a Sunnah,” Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned.

 Expiation of Sins

Dr. al-Dubayan also said about a Hadith Sahih of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. He said, “The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said in another Hadith Sahih; I am asking Allah Subhanahu wa Taala this day to delete the small sins, the minor sins of everybody one year before; this means if you fast on this day with good intention, of course Allah Subhanahu wa Taala will remove from your record all the small sins that was done in the last year; the small ones, not the big ones. The big things; no. This prayer if you pray every time the small things will be deleted but not the big things. Big things you have to make Tauba; you have to have the Taubah. It is very very important.”

“This is also the same with Ramadan; the same with Jumah, the same with the day of Arafah; one year after or one year before. Some people think; okay, no problem. Whatever you did wrongs and then you can fast Arafah or Ashoorah Allah Subhanahu wa Taala washes away all the sins you have done.  Allah will wash away from you and delete the minors or small ones, not the big ones; not the Riba, not the adultery, not the violating of the rights of parents. For these big things, no,” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.

The day before Ashoorah which is ninth; in Arabic it is called Teesa, the word comes from the number Teesa. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Most Muslims actually fast Taswah which is the 9^th and the 10^th. Why? In case, there is a mistake in the beginning of the month and they will definitely have the 10^th day; of course; if you do your best and if you fast and later on you find that you fast the wrong day not the right day; you follow the wrong calendar, Allah will reward you for fasting exactly because this is the best you have done. Allah wanted to do the best; not to know everything completely absolutely. The absolute knowledge is for Allah Subhanahu wa Taala, not for us.”

 Karbala – Martyr of Hazrat Hussein

Dr. al-Dubyan narrated the history of Karbala – the martyrdom of Hazrat Hussein in brief. He mentioned, “Fifty days after this, Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam passed away in the year 11 Hijri. He went for Hajj in the year 10 Hijri. Then the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam came back. Few months after the Hajj, he passed away, he died. Fifty years after, Hussein bin Ali Abu Talib was moving to Karbala in Iraq and there he was killed; he was killed accidently on that day of Ashoorah. That was fifty years after. This means fifty years after the death of Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam; after Abu Bakr, Umar, Othman, and Ali himself; then Hussein was killed; the year was 61 Hijri precisely. Of course everybody was regretting what had happened. Everybody said who killed him they were criminals, they were wrong; there is no doubt about this. No Muslims on earth is happy about what had happened that day at all.”

 

“But we are also following the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. We cannot add to the day of Ashoorah anything the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam did not do it.  Some people exaggerate about this; they make rituals especially for the day which is not Sunnah to show sadness; for example, to wear black dresses etc. In the Sunnah it is not done that way. We follow our prophet; to fast this day to follow the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam; anything else more than the Sunnah don’t do it; that’s the wrong. We said that. Even the Khulafah Arba, the four Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Othman, Ali did not do anything on that day more than fasting,” mentioned Dr. al-Dubayan.

Bidah

Dr. al-Dubayan also continued, “This is all created after. It was not even created 50 years after. It was created 300 years after. That was in the third century. All these rituals you see, all these caravans, festivals, this was created in the fourth century; not in the first, not in the second. You have to be aware of this. Other people also make other things; they add certain other things; they do certain kind of foods, certain people dress themselves white on that day to show their happiness because of the killing of Hussein. This is something very awful. Nobody says they are happy about what had happened. This is a matter of rituals; it is not a matter of traditions. Wearing white, cooking certain food, cooking rice, giving something – these are all bidah. That was added all to the Sunnah. The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam did not do this. The Four Caliphs did not do it; the great Imams, the Imam Hanifah, the Imam Safieh, the Imam Maliki, the Imam Ahmad did not do it. These are all created after. We stick to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. This is very very important I have to mention it.”

 Fake Hadiths relating to Ashoorah

Dr. al-Dubyan then mentioned some of the fake Hadiths made relating to Ashoorah. He said, “You will find some fake Hadith; fake made just for Ashoorah; one of them for example, he who spends more money Allah will give him more money for the year; this is fake Hadith, it is not true. Somebody fakes this to celebrate or to do something. This is fake, this is not true; not Hadith. Some people drink milk on that particular day; this is also bidah, this is not Sunnah. Just follow Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam.”

 

“When Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam died, when he passed away, everything in the religion was clear. He told us everything; nothing hidden; he did not hide anything; he did not give any special thing to certain people only for other things. The Qur’an is for all of us; the Sunnah is for all of us; so if anybody told you that some part of the Qur’an is only for certain people; don’t believe this. If someone tells you there are some Hadiths only for some people, nobody knows about them especially for this person; it is not true,” said Dr. al-Dubyan.

 Prophet Mercy for whole Mankind

“Why? Because Allah Subhanahu wa Taala says in the Qur’an we just send you as a Mercy for the whole Mankind for the whole world. How the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam would be mercy for me, for him, for her for everybody when something is hidden. How come the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam talk about equality of man; all mankind is equal. Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said there is no superiority for any Arab for someone not Arab; for any white for someone who is black. You are all equal; you are brothers and sisters; your father is one and your mother is one. And your father is Adam and your mother are Hawwa, Eve. That means we come from the same father and the same mother. So, we always put borders saying I am better than you and you are better than that,” mentioned al-Dubyan.

Hijri Calendar

Seven years exactly after the death of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam Hijri calendar was started. (It will be dealt in detail in the next issue)

 

 

The Month of Muharram: Its Importance and Significance

The Month of Muharram:

 Its Importance and Significance

 Dr. Mozammel Haque

 

The Islamic Calendar is based on the Lunar Calendar consisting of 354-355 days annually and is 10-11 days shorter than the Solar Calendar. The Lunar month is based on the time it takes the moon to complete a single orbit around the earth and it is just over 29 and half days. There are many advantages to the Lunar Calendar. For example, the various dates in the Islamic Calendar such as Ramadan and Hajj rotate every year and are not fixed like the Solar year. People, therefore, will perform acts of worship in various climatic conditions and in different length of hours in submission to the Will of Allah where human imagination plays no part. 

Origin of the Hijri Calendar 

The Islamic Calendar was first introduced by the close companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the second Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) in 16 AH/637 AD. During his leadership of the Muslim community in approximately, 637 AD, he consulted with his advisors in order to come to a decision regarding the various dating systems used at that time. It was agreed that the appropriate reference point for the Islamic Calendar was the Hijrah, since it was an important turning point for the Muslim community. The event of Hijrah, the migration of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 AD was chosen to begin the Islamic Calendar because it was the first major sacrifice made by the whole Muslim Ummah for the preservation of Islam in its formative period. After the emigration to Madinah (formerly known as Yathrib), the Muslims were able to organise and establish the first real Muslim community, the real Islamic state with social, political, and economic independence. 

Muharram the First Month

of the Islamic Calendar 

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. There are twelve months in the Islamic Calendar. As the Qur'an says: Lo! The number of the months with Allāh is twelve months by Allāh’s Ordinance in the day that He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred: that is the right religion. So wrong not yourselves in them...(Al-Qur'an - 9:36) "It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the moon to be a light of beauty, and measured out stages for it, that you might know the number of years and the count of time. Allah did not create this except in truth and righteousness. And He explains His signs in detail, for those who understand" (10:5).

 In his final sermon before his death, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, among other things, "With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumaada and Sha'ban." The four sacred months (al-Asshhur al-Hurum) are Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. Out of the four sacred months, Muharram has been blessed with certain specific virtues.

 The companions were also consulted on which month should mark the beginning of the year, Caliph Umar al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affaan (May Allah be pleased with them), chose Al-Muharram due to it being a sacred month and because it follows the month of Dhul Hijjah, which is when the Muslims perform Hajj – or the pilgrimage, which was the last pillar of Islam that Allah enjoined upon the Muslims. Al-Muharram also follows the month in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pledged allegiance to the Ansar (his Madinain supporters) to emigrate to Madinah and this pledge of Allegiance was one of the introductory acts of emigration.

 Due to all these reasons, Al-Muharram was deemed the most suitable month to begin the Islamic Calendar. Muharram the first month of the Islamic Calendar, were considered sacred. Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word “haram” meaning forbidden. The month of Muharram is also of great religious significance to Muslims the world over. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan. The word “Muharram” is often considered synonymous with “Ashura”, the tenth day of the month of Muharram.

 Fasting in the month of Muharram

Fasting is advocated in the month of Muharram. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The best fasts after the fasts of Ramadan are those of the month of Muharram.” Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, yet one who fasts in these days out of his own will is entitled to a great reward by Allah the Almighty. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadhan is the fasting of Allah's month of Muharram." (Muslim)

 In another Hadeeth, Ibn Abbas reports: "that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) said: "The one that keeps a fast in the month of Muharram will receive the reward of thirty fasts for each fast (in this sacred month)." (Tabraani) Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not obligatory, the one who fasts in these days out of his own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by Almighty Allah. The Hadith citied above signifies that the fasts of the month of Muharram are the most rewardable among the Nafl fasts i.e. the fasts one observes out of his own choice without being obligatory on him.

10th day of Muharram (Aashora)

Although the month of Muharram is a sacred month as a whole, the 10th of Muharram is the most sacred among all its days. The day is named “Ashurah”. It is one of the most important and blessed days of Allah in the Islamic Calendar. Some ulama (Scholars) are of the opinion that before the fasts of Ramadan, the fast of the day of Ashura was compulsory upon the Ummah. This is stated in a Hadith reported by A'ishah that the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the observance of the fast of Ashura.

 However, when the fast of Ramadan became compulsory, then whosoever wished, kept this fast and whosoever desired did not observe the fast. (Bukhari) Ibn Abbas reported, “I did not see Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wassallam anxiously await the fast of any day, which he gave preference to over other days, but this day, the day of Ashura.” (Bukhari) It is also said by scholars that since the beginning of this world, Ashura day has been a very important day. On this day great signs of Allah’s power and glory have appeared in the world. On this day many Prophets were born and they were instituted to the office of prophecy. On this day, Prophets, Saints and Sincere servants of Allah were blessed with miracles and spiritual powers.

 On Ashura Day the followings have taken place:

1. Repentance of Prophet Adam (Allah’s blessing be upon him) was accepted by Allah

2. The ship of Prophet Nuh (Noah) (Allah’s blessing be upon him) came to rest on a mountain called Al-Judi.

3. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) was born on this day. 4. He got the title Khalil-ullah (friend of Allah) on this day.

5. The fire in which Prophet Ibrahim (Allah’s blessings be upon him) was thrown by the king Namrud become cool and means of safety for Prophet Ibrahim, by the order of Allah.

6. Allah delivered Prophet Ayub (Job) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) from distress and he was restored to prosperity.

7. By the Grace of Allah, Prophet Yunas (Jonah) (Allah’s blessings be upon him), after being swallowed by a huge fish (whale) for forty days, was casted out on the shore.

8. Prophet Musa (Moses) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) got victory over Pharaoh.

9. Prophet Suleman (Solomon) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) was made a king to rule over mankind, Jins, Animals and the air.

10. Prophet Idris (Enoch) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) and Prophet Issa (Jesus) (Allah’s blessings be upon him) were lifted up alive.

11. Imam Hussain (Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of our beloved Prophet, got martyred at Karbala in Iraq.

12. The day of resurrection and judgement will take place on this day (Ashura) (Ghunia-Al-Talibeen & Tafseer-e-Sawi)

 

Fasting on the Day of Ashura

(10^th of Muharram)

The practice of fasting on Ashura was known even in the days of Jahiliyyah, before the Prophet's mission. It was reported that A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “The people of Jahiliyyah used to fast on that day.” It is also reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast on Ashura in Makkah, before he migrated to Madinah. Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allah's month of Muharram.'” (Reported by Muslim, 1982)

 Fasting on the day of Ashura (10th Muharram) According to the Holy companion, Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him), when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam) migrated to Madinah, he found that the Jews of Madinah used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram. They said that it was the day on which the Holy Prophet Musa Alayhis Salaam and his followers crossed the Red Sea miraculously, and the Pharaoh was drowned in its water. On hearing this from the Jews, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam said, “We are more closely related to Musa than you.” So the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam directed the Muslims to fast on the day of Ashura. (Abu Dawood)

 According to another Hadith, it is more advisable that the fast of Ashura should be either preceded or succeeded by an additional fast. It means that one should fast two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram or the 10th and 11th . The reason of this additional fast as mentioned by the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam was that the Jews used to fast on the day of Ashura alone, and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassallam wanted to distinguish the Islamic-way of fasting from that of the Jews. Therefore, he advised Muslims to add another fast to the day of Ashura. Let us observe this great day according to the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and refrain from all innovations which deprive us of the blessings from Allāh the Almighty. May Allāh guide us all upon the Straight Path and save us from every act which brings His Displeasure. Āmeen.

Published First in November 2013 The Muslim Weekly, London &

The Muslim World, Pakistan, in January 2014

 

Afzal Khan MP on Boycotting Beijing Olympics

at the House of Commons

Dr Mozammel Haque

 Labour Member for Manchester, Gorton Afzal Khan argued for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics in the House of Commons in the British Parliament on Thursday, the 15^th of July 2021.

Afzal Khan started by thanking the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) for securing this debate and for his excellent, powerful speech.

 Afzal Khan 

(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab) [V]

Afzal Khan said, “The repression of Uyghur Muslims by the Chinese Government has a long and dark history, but in the past few years the Chinese Government have ramped up their persecution of Uyghurs. It is estimated that more than 1 million people are being held in internment camps in Xinjiang, and the Chinese Government are showing no sign of pausing their haunting campaign. Yet despite condemnation from all sides of the House, including the Government, there is still a gaping chasm between rhetoric and action. We cannot on the one hand recognise genocide and on the other send dignitaries and diplomats to the Beijing Olympics.”

Afzal Khan, MP, said, “We must be robust in our condemnation and send a message to the Uyghur Muslims that we are on their side. Calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics are gaining momentum internationally. It is high time that the UK demonstrates leadership on the issue and follows in the footsteps of the EU and America to send a strong message to the international community that the UK condemns the shocking human rights abuses taking place in Xinjiang and in Hong Kong. We cannot let China divert attention away from international criticism of its human rights abuses and oppressive policies.”

Labour Member for Manchester Gorton, Afzal Khan, said, “A diplomatic boycott is a basic ask. Frankly, we should not even be having a debate on this. Out of sheer principle, the UK Government must support a boycott and press China to allow the UN unfettered access to conduct an independent investigation. There are many more much-needed practical steps that the Government could take.”

Afzal Khan MP asked, “Will the Minister outline what steps the Government are taking in response to those parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by the Chinese Government? Will he provide an update on further Magnitsky sanctions for those committing human rights abuses in Xinjiang? The Government should also be investigating claims that UK universities could be inadvertently supporting the development of facial recognition and surveillance technologies that are then used by the Chinese Government in the oppression of Uyghur people. What representations has the Minister made to UK universities on that matter?”

Concluding his speech, Afzal Khan, MP, said, “In conclusion, the point is not the UK’s withdrawing support from a sporting event. It is about condemning the ongoing crimes against humanity taking place in Xinjiang. It is about ensuring that UK supply chains are not linked to forced Uyghur labour. It is about making sure that Chinese companies complicit in the surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang are not sponsoring research in British universities. It is about taking a stand—a stand that I hope, after today’s timely debate, will be taken.”

Afzal Khan wrote on Twitter:

“A Diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics will ensure the UK does not turn a blind eye to the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.

It’s not about withdrawing support from a sporting event, it’s about taking a stand for human rights. We can’t let China detract from its abuses watch.

 APPG FoRB on Twitter wrote:

“Afzal Khan MP @Afzal4Gorton

“We cannot on the one hand recognise genocide and on the other send dignitaries and diplomats to the Beijing Olympics. We must  be robust in our condemnation and send a message to the Uyghur Muslims that we are on their side.”

Lord Sheikh On Animal Welfare in the House of Lords

Lord Sheikh On Animal Welfare at the House of Lords

Dr Mozammel Haque

 

Lord Mohamed Sheikh of Cornhill spoke on Amendment 31 of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill at the House of Lords on 6 July 2021.

Lord Sheikh gave the following speech on 6th July, 2021, during the Committee stages of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. Following is the extraction of his comments on Amendment 31, in relation to Halal meat and religious slaughter.

Lord Sheikh said, “As we have left the European Union, we must commit to animal welfare standards and uphold any recommendations or protections that were applied previously under Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The article stated that the administrative provisions and customs of member states must respect the religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage of their citizens. We should not dilute that.”

He mentioned, “I am a practising Muslim and eat only Halal meat. In addition to me, there are 3.4 million Muslims in the United Kingdom and we make up 5% of the British population. Among the Islamic community in the United Kingdom, a number of British Muslims eat only Halal meat. It is important that they are allowed to do so and there should be no interference on the issue of religious slaughter.”

Lord Sheikh also mentioned, “I have received representations from a number of Muslim communities that have asked me to make the points that I have raised today. In addition to Muslims, a number of members of the Jewish community would like the practice of shechita to be maintained. Unfortunately, some members of the British population are critical of halal and other slaughter practices, perhaps due to misconceived ideas of what religious slaughter entails. I should emphasise that Islam forbids the mistreatment of animals and guarantees their welfare and well-being. That is enshrined in our deeply held Muslim beliefs.”

Lord Sheikh said, “Islam, of course, prescribes how an animal can be slaughtered for food and we would like that to continue. I and other Muslims believe that when we undertake halal slaughter, we are acting humanely. Indeed, there is no evidence to suggest that halal or other forms of religious slaughter are less humane than conventional methods.” 

“I have spoken in your Lordships’ House previously on the issue of halal slaughter and discussed it with the then Ministers from Defra. I also corresponded with David Cameron when he was Prime Minister and was assured that the practice of Halal and shechita would be continued. I very much hope that such matters will remain an integral part of the slaughtering process. We should therefore include Amendment 31 in the Bill in order that those practices and other matters are preserved for the sake of our religious communities,” Lord Sheikh concluded.

Srebrenica Genocide: Let Us Not Forget

 Srebrenica Genocide

Let Us Not Forget

 Dr Mozammel Haque

Leading political leaders across the world, including the Turkish President commemorated the 26^th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide of 11 July 1995, yesterday, the 11th of July, 2021.

On this occasion I received the following essay from a Bosnian Muslim detailing the Genocide in Srebrenia.

Lest we forget! Today In Remembrance of 350,000  Bosnian Muslims Death didn't come easy ....

*The Genocide by the Christian Serbs against the Muslims of Bosnia.* 

  *Approximately         100,000 Muslims were martyred.* 

 *60,000 women and girls were raped.* 

*One and a half million people were abandoned.* 

  *Do we remember it*

  *Or have we forgotten it*

  *Or are we totally ignorant about it*

 Christiana Amanpour of CNN spoke about the memory of the Bosnian massacres, and  asks: Does history repeat itself?

 ✏She comments on the memory of Bosnia:

It was a Medieval war of killing, blockade and starvation of Muslims, and *Europe refused to intervene saying that it was a civil war*. . . That was myth. 

 ⛓The Holocaust lasted for about 4 years, during which the Serbs demolished more than 800 mosques, some of which were built in the 16th century.

They burned the Sarajevo Historical Library.

 🖊The United Nations interfered and placed two gates at the entrances of Muslim's cities such as Goraga, Srebrenica, Zepa.

But they were under siege and fire and their protection did nothing.

 🔗The Serbs put thousands of Muslims in detention camps, tortured them, and starved them, until they became skeletons! 

 📍When a Serb commander was asked: Why?   He said, 

"Because they don't eat pork!

 ✏ The Guardian published" The days of the Bosnian Massacres", a full-page map showing the locations of the rape camps of Muslim women,

17 huge camps, some within Serbia itself.

 🔸The Serbs raped children. A 4-year-old girl, blood running between her legs.

The Guardian published a report on it entitled:

The child whose guilt is  being a Muslim.

 📌Butcher Mladic invited the Leader of the Muslims in Zepa to a meeting. He gave him a cigarette, laughed with him a little, then swooped on him and slaughtered him.

 🔶The  most famous crime was the siege of Srebrenica, the international soldiers (crusaders) were together with the Serbs, dancing, and some bargained for Muslim woman regarding their chastity, in exchange for a bite of food.

 📌The Serbs had besieged Srebrenica for two years during which the shelling didn't stop for a moment.

The Serbs were also taking a large part of the aid meant to go to the Muslim towns.

 🔗Then the West decided to hand it over to the wolves. The Dutch battalion protecting Srebrenica conspired with the Serbs. They pressed Muslims to surrender their weapons in exchange for safety.

The Muslims bowed after being tortured and punished.

 🔹After having given *False Guarantees,* the Serbs  swooped on Srebrenica. 

 They isolated the males from their females,

They gathered 12,000 males (Boys and men) and massacred them in different forms:

One Serb stood on a Muslim man, and he dug on his face the image of the Orthodox Cross.... 

(From a Newsweek or Time magazine report).

 🖍As for the women, they were assaulted regarding their honor and some of them were burned ... others were left in the open heat to die slowly.

 💢The slaughter continued for days in Srebrenica. Its fall was in late July 1995

 📌 A mother was holding the hand of a Serbian man saying .. "Please do not slaughter my son", so he cut her hand and then placed his cut off head in front of her eyes! 

 🩸The massacre was taking place while the rest of the World could see, hear, eat, have fun and play ..

 📌After the slaughter of Srebrenica ... Butcher Radovan Karagic entered the city, and openly declared: "Srebrenica was always Serbian and has now returned to the hands of the Serbs." 

 💢The Serbs were raping the Muslim women, and they were holding them for 9 months until they gave birth. 

Why?

A Serbian told a Western newspaper "We want Muslim women to give birth to Serb babies" 

 ✏We remember Bosnia, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Srebrenica.

✏We will mention it and bring it back

✏We will not forget the Balkans.

✏We will never forget Granada.

✏We will not forget Palestine.

 🖌On the memory of 20 years since the crime of Europe and Serbia in Bosnia we say: 

 📌We will not forget,

📌we will not forgive,

📌We will never believe in 

Slogans of Tolerance, Coexistence and Human rights.

 📝Here we must record with ink of shame ... the positions of the Orthodox Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was at that time the Secretary Generak of the United Nations,

He sided blatantly with his Serb brothers.

 🖌But unfortunately, after 20 years, we did not learn any lesson.

 🖍 The Serbs were singling out

Religious Scholars, Masjid Imams, Intellectuals and Businessmen for killing. They tied them, then slaughtered them, and threw them in the river! 

 📌When the Serbs entered a town, they started with demolishing its Masjids.

One of the Muslims says:

"If the Serbs demolished the town's Masjid , we would have nothing to do but flee from it, the Masjids represented everything!

 🖌 A British newspaper described the genocide of Muslims in Bosnia in this phrase: War of the twentieth century waged in the style of the middle centuries!

 *let us not forget our history and let us remind the future generations. 

 *A bitter pill to swallow......*

 

 

 

The Importance and Significance of the First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah

Importance and Significance of the

First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah

 

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Every year Allah Subhanahu wa Taala has given hundreds and thousands of rewards or the door of blessings and rewards open for HIS slaves and worshippers – especially on two occasions – the last ten days of Ramadan along with the blessed Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr) immediately followed by a happy day for the worshippers – Eid-ul-Fitr. Similarly, instead of last ten days, this time the first ten days of the month of Dhul Hijjah is the blessed days – full of blessings and rewards from Allah Subhanahu wa Taala along with Arafah Day (9th of Dhul Hijjah) followed by a happy day – Eid-ul-Adha.

 Sunday 11 July 2021 is the First day of Dhul-Hijjah 1442H. So the Day of Arafah will be on Monday the 19^th of July 2021 the 9^th day of Dhul Hijjah the Arafah day and Eid al-Adhaa will be Insha’Allah on Tuesday 20 July 2021 corresponding to 10 Dhul-Hijjah 1442H after the day of Arafah. I wish everyone a blessed life full of happiness, peace and prosperity.

Eid Mubarak to all of you and your families and everyone. Kullu Aam wa Antum bil Khair.

Now this first ten days of the month of Dhul Hijjah is very important and significant. Those who have gone for Hajj they will be in Makkah, Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah. But those who are not in Makkah and other holy sites for them these days are very important days too. The earlier Muslims used to take this opportunity to make themselves better.

Hajj: The Fifth Pillar of Islam

 

ISLAM IS A PRACTICAL RELIGION which lays down a complete code of life. Its training starts from childhood. The final pillar of Islam or the Fifth Pillar of Islam comes after the successful completion of the first four pillars of Islam. The training of five times prayer every day started from the local Masjid, meeting with local people, with neighbours five times every day.

 But the ultimate objective or the summum bonum of Islam is establishing peace and harmony in the whole universe, and for that reason, it makes various provisions for creating peace and harmony in the lives of mankind as well as in the universe. Peace and harmony can be achieved only when there is solidarity and universal brotherhood among human beings. Islam preaches this concept and puts it into practice through the unique annual assemblage of the pilgrims during Hajj.

 The institution of Hajj in Islam is quite extraordinary and unparalleled. It is only Islam that has made the annual assemblage at one place, Makkah, an obligation for the capable Muslims from all corners of the world. In other words, it may be called the World Muslim Congress. This assembly has many distinctive features which no other gathering has and no other religion stipulates. The concept of unity and brotherhood is embedded in Islam in such a way that one is truly amazed to see millions of Muslims dressed in two white sheets of cloth gathered at one particular place, i.e. in Arafat during a fixed time on certain fixed days in the year. All human and man-made barriers and distinctions are demolished during that assembly.

 We shall deal here with the aspects of unity and universal brotherhood which, besides others, are quintessential among the concepts of Hajj. First, let us take universal brotherhood. This universal brotherhood emanates from the following basic concepts and is demonstrated in a most authentic and brilliant manner here on this occasion:

 Adam is the first man from whom all human beings have sprung up;

Abraham is the father of monotheistic religion;

Acceptance of all prophets as prophets of God;

Belief in all revealed books of Allah.

Thus, this acceptance of Abraham as the patriarch of the concept of Tawheed and recognition of the continuity of Prophethood from Prophet Adam to the Last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him all) and having faith in all revealed books keeps up a chain of faith known as Islam throughout the world. This binds the whole humankind into a bond of brotherhood whose genealogical father is Adam and the spiritual father Abraham. Thus Muslims believe in the continuation of the human race on earth. There are no conflicts and controversies in the monotheistic religion decreed by God. All Muslims (those who consciously and willingly surrender to the Will of the Creator) belong to this Ummah and therefore constitute a fraternity of faith. This is one way the Hajj conveys the message of universal brotherhood.

 This aspect of universal brotherhood can also be noticed during Hajj when Muslims come from remote corners of the world and congregate in Makkah in the vicinity of the House of God, i.e. Baitullah. Though they might have come from the east or west, north or south, and all differences in colour, language, race and nationality notwithstanding, they find their oneness on the basis of their faith in One God, One Qiblah, One Book and One Prophet.

 The practical training for this universal brotherhood starts from the local or neighbourhood level with the five times daily prayers in the mosque, which gets enlarged with the Friday prayers once a week. The circle is again made substantially larger during the Eid prayer, and it becomes internationalised transforming into a global gathering once in a lifetime. So, as I mentioned at the beginning, the concept and training in universal brotherhood, which reaches its peak, starts from the very childhood at the local level.

  Box

Islam places emphasis on unity and unifies mankind 

on the basis of one God, one Book - the Qur’an, 

one Qibla - the Ka’aba and one leader - 

the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). 

The Noble Prophet’s mission was to establish unity 

and peace throughout the world. The Islamic concept of unity 

transcends all other forms of unity based on territory, 

geographical boundary, linguistic and ethnic affinity. 

He united Muslims on the basis of faith, 

which is the Oneness of God, Islam.

 

As regards unity, Islam, first of all, removed all man-made bonds and barriers bringing all human beings into one global family tracing their genealogical origin to common parents and biological chemistry to one element, i.e. clay. Almighty God has laid down in the Holy Qur’an, “O Mankind, We have created you from a male and a female.” (49: 13) This establishment of absolute equality on the basis of their ancestral origin and biological composition removes all artificial differences between man and man.

 The enforcement of the concept of Muslim brotherhood is the greatest social ideal of Islam. Islam places emphasis on unity and unifies mankind on the basis of one God, one Book - the Qur’an, one Qibla - the Ka’aba and one leader - the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Noble Prophet’s mission was to establish unity and peace throughout the world. The Islamic concept of unity transcends all other forms of unity based on territory, geographical boundary, linguistic and ethnic affinity. He united Muslims on the basis of faith, which is the Oneness of God, Islam.

 On this vital concept was based the Prophet’s sermon in his last pilgrimage, which shows that Islam cannot be completely practiced until this ideal is achieved. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) unified and cemented the Muslim Ummah under the banner of La ilaha illallah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah by establishing the first-ever Islamic state in Madina, which later on took the shape of a grand Caliphate. Under the Caliphate the Muslim Ummah was unified and integrated. Thus the first concept of universal and worldwide unity was demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad more than fourteen hundred years ago having been guided and inspired by God for establishing unity and peace in the world.

Islam is essentially a community and group-oriented religion. So, the practical lesson in unity and equality first starts within the family, then in the neighbourhood, especially through the institution of five daily prayers in the mosque and still on a larger scale in the locality, during weekly Friday prayers, and then in much larger gatherings in the two Eid prayers and ultimately in the international or global gathering during Hajj. This very characteristic and feature of Islam demonstrates the universality of this religion and its heavenly origin which transcends all worldly barriers of race, colour, class and nationality.

 Pilgrimage is the best occasion to bind again the loose threads, tighten them on the basis of belief and in the presence of God and frustrate the nefarious machinations of the enemies of the Ummah’s unity.

 Another aspect of Hajj is making sacrifice in the way of God for the cause of Islam. As Islam itself is a religion of sacrifice, its different pillars also contain the same features and characteristics. It is a known fact that the Islamic or Hijra calendar starts with the month of Muharram and ends with the month of Hajj. The first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, is the month of sacrifice – a sacrifice made by the grandson of Muhammad, Hussain ibn Ali, who laid down his life at Kufa in the cause of Islam and its ideals. Similarly, the 12 months of the Hijra calendar, the month of Hajj, marks the remembrance of the sacrifice made by the Prophet Ibrahim for the sake of God and His Pleasure.

 The Patriarch, the first Prophet of monotheistic religion, Islam, the Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his most loved one for the sake of God. He loved his only son, Ismail, more than anything else. God asked him to sacrifice Ismail. Ibrahim was going to sacrifice Ismail, in the way of God by His Order. The Holy Qur’an explains the story of Ibrahim and his son Ismail thus:

 Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: “O my son; I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now say what is your view.” (The son) said: “O my father; do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one practising patience and constancy.” So when they had both submitted their wills (to God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, “O Ibrahim; you have already fulfilled the vision; thus indeed do We reward those who do right.” (37:102-105) The Qur’an says: “And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.” (37:107)

 The sacrifices made by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail for the love of God left an indelible imprint on the history of mankind. This sacrifice is still remembered and re-enacted during Hajj. Ibrahim left a glorious record of sacrifice to please God.

 In modern times, sacrifice is symbolised by an act of slaughtering a camel, cow or lamb for the sake of God during the days of Eid-al Adha, i.e. starting after the Eid prayer till the sunset on the third day of Eid. Sacrifice is a strongly recommended Sunnah of the Prophet and was introduced in the second year after Hijra. The purpose of sacrifice is to remind oneself of the great sacrifice of Ibrahim. 

 The sacrifice of life and wealth in the way of God is the zenith of a man’s belief. God says: “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a truth God knows it well.” (Al-Qur’an 3:92) This means that when something, which has been held so dear, is sacrificed in the way of God one may hope to secure God’s Pleasure. The verse tells us that to attain righteousness one has to sacrifice things, but to attain it in perfection one has to sacrifice things, dearer to one.

 Every sacrifice and every effort is to be aimed at seeking God’s Pleasure. That God be pleased with us is the real capital of our lives and it is to win this pleasure that everything should be sacrificed. In the words of the Qur’an: “Surely my prayers and my sacrifice, my life and my death is for God alone, the Lord of the Universe.”

 In the modern age, the pilgrims, when they start their journey to Makkah for performing Hajj with only two white sheets on their bodies leaving behind their wives, children, kith and kin and their wealth and properties, they practically exemplify their act of sacrifice for the love of God.

 Hajj is the greatest training and practical demonstration of the spirit of sacrifice and the spirit of Jihad in the way of God. It shows that Islam does not end with giving some utopian ideals for the human life. It is not only a religion; it is the guidance for the whole mankind to shape their lives in this world and hereafter. That’s why God makes provision for the teaching and training of humankind in every quality through practical implementation.