Happy New Year: Muharram

Coincidentally, both the Muslim new year and Gregorian new year happen to fall around the same date this year; yesterday, Monday December 29th, 2008 was the first day of the Muslim new year, 1st Muharram 1430. So to everyone who celebrates either, Happy New Year! May Allah (swt) accept our previous years' deeds and help us to reach higher goals in the future, insha'Allah.

As we start the new year, don't forget the blessings of the month of Muharram:

1. It is the best of months for general voluntary fasts, after Ramadan.
2. It is especially recommended to fast the 10th of Muharram (known as the Day of `Ashura), with a day before it or after it. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, quoting Kasani's al-Bada'i`]
3. It is also virtuous to give in charity on this day.
[Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Sunnipath]

I've posted below an excerpt from sunnipath.com written by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani about the month of Muharram, particularly the day of 'Ashura. I hope it will be beneficial!

Sumeyya

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The Day of `Ashura: The Tenth of Muharram

It is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he was asked about fasting the Day of `Ashura [10th of Muharram]. He said, "I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fast a day while more avid to seek its virtue than this day," meaning the Day of `Ashura. [Bukhari (2006), and Muslim (1132)].

The Day of `Ashura has great virtue, and tremendous sanctity (hurma). The virtue of fasting it was known among the Prophets (peace be upon them all). Both Prophet Nuh and Prophet Musa (peace be upon them both) fasted it.

The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to fast this day even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)]

When he migrated to Medina, and found the People of the Book fasting this day and venerating it, he ordered the Muslims to fast it, and encouraged it so much that even the children would fast it.

It has been reported in both Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him), that, "When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) reached Medina, he found the Jews fasting the Day of `Ashura, so he asked them, 'What is this day you are fasting?' They said, 'This is a tremendous day. Allah saved Musa and his people on this day and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted it out of thanks, so we fast it too.' The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'And we are more deserving of Musa than you are.' So he fasted this day, and ordered that it be fasted." [Bukhari (2004) and Muslim (1130)]

At the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) made the determination not to fast this day alone, but with another day [for example: either before or after it], in order to differentiate from the People of the Book.

It has been reported in the Sahih of Imam Muslim (Allah have mercy on him), also from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that, "When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) fasted the Day of `Ashura and ordered his companions to fast it, they said, 'O Messenger of Allah! This is a day that the Jews and Christians venerate.' So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'When next year comes, if Allah wills, we will fast the Ninth [of Muharram with it].' But the next year did not come before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) passed away." [Muslim (1134), Abu Dawud (2445)]
And it is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (Allah have mercy on him), from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Fast the Day of `Ashura and be different from the Jews by fasting a day before it or a day after it." [Ahmad]

Giving in Charity on the Day of `Ashura

It has been reported from Abd Allah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As (Allah be pleased with him), that "Whoever fasts `Ashura it is as if he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity this day it is like the charity of an entire year."

Mourning on the 10th of Muharram is an Innovation

As for the mourning and grieving of the Sh'iah on this day because of the martyrdom of Sayyiduna Husayn ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with him and his father), this is of the actions of those whose actions in this life are misguided while they think that they are doing well. Neither Allah Most High nor His Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace) commanded us to mourn on the days of the tribulations of the Prophets, or their deaths, let alone anyone else.

[Also: The fuqaha have mentioned that it is an innovation to consider Muharram a month of mourning. It is not disliked to marry in this month. It is a highly reprehensible innovation to participate in the rituals of the Sh'iah in mourning the death of Husayn (Allah be pleased with him).]

Some of the Virtues of the Day of `Ashura

It is a day in which Allah forgave an entire people. Tirmidhi relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to a man, "If you want to fast a month after Ramadan, then fast Muharram, for it has a day in which Allah forgave an entire people, and He turns to others in repentance in." [Tirmidhi (841)]

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani
Amman, Jordan

The Meaning of Sabr and Shukr

I was going to write a piece on the different meanings of "sabr" and "shukr," as it is the name of this blog. For those who don't know, shukr translate to gratitude. However, there is no word in English that comprehensively covers all the complexities of the word "sabr." Wiki gives a concise defenition: 1.)To actively or passively bear physical challenges and 2.) to remain spiritually steadfast.

However, since sabr and shukr are very important aspects of spirituality, the book Hayatul Muslimeen by Shaykh Ashraf Ali Thanwi devotes an entire chapter to its discussion. I was going to post the chapter, but since I don't own rights to the book, I'd rather not take the chance (!) :)

Here's the link, so check it out if you'd like! >> http://www.al-islam.edu.pk/islamic%20books/ch-23.htm

Till next week, insha'Allah!

- Sumeyya

Women in Islam vs. Women in the Judeo-Christian Tradition

Source: Islamicity (This article is a series in a lecture on Women in Islam, found at the Islamicity website. This was something I'd always wondered about and a professor in class had even asked me, "Does Islam also blame women, Eve, for Original Sin?" Swamped with homework and various projects at the end of the semester, I never properly answered her [the professor's] question, and now when I looked it up, came across this excellent article, which I will send to my prof. and post here as well, inshallah. Enjoy! :) )

Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition:

The Myth and The Reality

By: Sherif Abdel Azim, Ph.D.

Queens University,

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

PART 1 - EVE'S FAULT

"The three religions agree on one basic fact: Both women and men are created by God, The Creator of the whole universe. However, disagreement starts soon after the creation of the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve.

The Judaeo-Christian conception of the creation of Adam and Eve is narrated in detail in Genesis 2:4-3:24. God prohibited both of them from eating the fruits of the forbidden tree. The serpent seduced Eve to eat from it and Eve, in turn, seduced Adam to eat with her. When God rebuked Adam for what he did, he put all the blame on Eve, & quoted,

"The woman you put here with me --she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it,"

Consequently, God said to Eve:

"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you."

To Adam He said:

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree .... Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life..."

The Islamic conception of the first creation is found in several places in the Quran, for example:

"O Adam dwell with your wife in the Garden and enjoy as you wish but approach not this tree or you run into harm and transgression. Then Satan whispered to them in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them and he said: 'Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you become angels or such beings as live forever.' And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought them to their fall: when they tasted the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: 'Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was your avowed enemy?' They said: 'Our Lord we have wronged our own souls and if You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost' " (Quran 7:19:23).

A careful look into the two accounts of the story of the Creation reveals some essential differences. The Quran, contrary to the Bible, places equal blame on both Adam and Eve for their mistake. Nowhere in the Quran can one find even the slightest hint that Eve tempted Adam to eat from the tree or even that she had eaten before him. Eve in the Quran is no temptress, no seducer, and no deceiver. Moreover, Eve is not to be blamed for the pains of childbearing. God, according to the Quran, punishes no one for another's faults. Both Adam and Eve committed a sin and then asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them both."