Some of the days in the year are special, and Allah rewards us abundantly for doing ibadah during these days. One such day is the Day of Ashura (the 10th day of Muharram), which comes in the sacred month of Muharram.
Importance of Muharram:
Muharram means something that has been sanctified or is sacred. Our last prophet, Hazrat Mohammed, peace be upon him, has referred to this month, Muharrum, as “Shehr ul Allah.” He also said, “The best month to fast after Ramadan is Shehr ul Allah hill Muharrum (the month of Allah, Al Muharrum).
So did you notice our prophet has called only Muharrum the month of Allah? Since no other month in the Islamic calendar bears the title “month of Allah,” it holds the highest honor. This alone is enough to understand how important it is. Because of the immense virtue it carries, this is the beginning of the year, and if the beginning is right, the rest of the year becomes right
Origin of Islamic New Year: Difference between Islamic and Gregorian Calendars:
The Islamic calendar is lunar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which is solar. The lunar calendar is divided into 12 months, each representing a lunar cycle that begins with a new moon. The first month is called Muharram. The 10th day of this month is known as the Day of Ashura.
Ten or eight years after the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him passed away, Umar bin Khatab instituted the calendar. They debated which month to start with, and concluded that Muharrum made the most sense due to its blessings and the fact that it immediately follows the hajj, symbolizing a fresh start. And so, from that point on, it’s the first month of the year.
Significance of Ashura:
It has been narrated by Muslim scholars that when the prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, migrated to Madinah (the city where he spent the last years of his life), he found that the Jews were fasting on a particular day, and when he asked what this was to them, they said this is the day when God rescued our people (Banu Israel) and Moses from the domination of the pharaoh. On that day, Moses and his people fasted to express their gratitude to God, and he also followed suit. So the prophet said, We have more rights than Moses, and he instructed his followers to fast on this day.
Fasting in Muharrum:
This happened on the 10th of Muharrum, and on this day we were taught to fast, either before it or after it. So, you can fast on the 9th and 10th or the 10th and 11th of Muharram. Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, said if I live to see next year, I’ll fast on the 9th as well, but by the time the following year came out, our last Prophet had passed away.
It’s this month when our last prophet used to fast regularly; Ibn e Abbas reported that I’ve never seen the prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him, more concerned about fasting than on the Day of Ashura and in the month of Muharram.
Benefits of fasting on the 10th Muharrum:
Fasting on this day will wash away minor sins of the previous year. We must take advantage of this opportunity by refraining from sins, particularly major ones, to prevent their escalation
History of fasting even before Ramadan
Even before Ramadan, fasting on this day became mandatory; after the first year of Hijrah (migration), everyone was required to fast. Then Allah revealed Ramadan, so Ramadan became wajib, and the next year, Muharram became recommended, not obligatory. So in the first year of Islam, it was obligatory for all Muslims to fast on the 10th Muharrum, and in the second year, it went from being obligatory to strongly recommended and encouraged.
Important events in history that happened on Ashura
On this day, many incidents happened in the past, according to Imam al-Gazali, who, writing in his Mukhashfa al Qaloob, Umar ibn ul Khattab (RA), listed a few events that had taken place on Ashura.
On this day, Allah created the sky and earth, along with a preserved tablet. Allah created Angle Jibrael (AS), Adam (AS), and Hawwa (AS). Allah created Jannah. Allah enabled Adam to live in Jannah. Ashura received the first rain on earth the day Adam al-Alaihi Salam accepted his repentance.
Therefore, since the beginning of human history, significant events have occurred on land. However, it would be impossible to discuss the testing of Allah’s servants on Ashura without acknowledging the role of Imam Hussein, the son of Ali (A.S.), and the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, in the Battle of Karbala.
Incidents which happened on Ashura
- This is the day when Hazrat Adam’s repentance was accepted.
- It was on this day, Ashura, that the ark of prophet Nuh (A.S) came to rest on Mount Judy.
- The day prophet Ibrahim (A.S) was saved from the fire.
- The day when prophet Yusuf (A.S) was taken out of the well.
- The day prophet Yaqoob (A.S) regained his eyesight.
- The day the illness of prophet Ayub (A.S) disappeared.
- The day prophet Musa (A.S) and his people were saved from the pharaoh.
- The day the great kingdom of prophet Suleiman (A.S) was bestowed upon him.
- The day prophet Yunus (A.S) was saved from the whale’s stomach.
- The day prophet Isa (A.S) was raised up to the heavens.
- The most tragic incident that happened on Ashura, the Battle of Karbala.
Battle of Karbala
The last prophet’s grandson, Hazrat Imam Hussain, was martyred in the battle of Karbala in Iraq on the 10th Muharrum. Yazid’s army also martyred 71 others, including Imam Hussain’s 6-month-old son, Ali Asghar.
That battle was fought between Hazrat Imam Hussain and the cruel Umayyad Caliph Yazid. Muslims remember this day for Imam Hussain’s martyrdom.
Just 48 years after the death of the Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him, the world began witnessing oppression. Syria’s governor, Yazid, declared himself the caliph, but he was a corrupt dictator, so Imam Hussain didn’t accept him as the caliph.
Yazid ordered his army to behead those who didn’t abide by his commands. The Yazid army even stopped the supply of water to Imam Hussain and his companions. Atrocities rose day by day, but Imam Hussain didn’t surrender and stood against Yazid.
Finally, the Yazid army killed all of them, but Imam Hussain refused to submit to the corrupt and cruel Yazid.
Every year, when Ashura arrives, remember that it is a day of testing and relief, a day that tested even the prophets, their families, and their followers. We need to learn lessons from what has happened in the past. May Allah protect us all so that we don’t repeat the infighting among Muslims and can spread love, good understanding, and tolerance with one another.
FAQS
We have four sacred months:
- Dhul Hijjah,
- Dhul Qida,
- Muharram,
- and Rajab.
Because good deeds done in these months are rewarded immensely.
Muharram is known as Sheher UL Allah
Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam
Muharram is the best month to fast after Ramadan.
I am a dentist, baker, and fitness and health enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. I am foodie and explorer, always seeking new adventures and flavors. Currently working on my own skincare brand.
