Day of Ashura
My dear brothers, we are now in the first month of the Islamic calendar, this being the month of Muharram.
In previous khutbas delivered, we can recall that this is one of the sacred months according to a Hadith of the Prophet SAWS.
It is advised that we respect the sacredness of this month with our behaviour and with our actions.
Dear brothers, wrongdoing at any time is a serious matter. When explaining the issue of this month being more sacred than others, it is not always easy to convey.
The way to look at it is like this dear brothers. Allah SWT gives more weight to whichever of His commands as He wills.
Allah SWT has chosen certain ones of His creation over others. He has chosen from among the angels, messengers. He has chosen from among mankind, messengers. He chose from among the ability of speech, the rememberance of Him (called zikr). He has chosen from among the earth, the mosques. He has chosen from among the months, Ramadhan and the sacred months. He has chosen from among the days, Friday. And he has chosen from among the nights, Laylat al-Qadr.
Dear brothers, as our Lord and as our Master, Allah SWT has that right over us. His is the choice to make and ours is to obey. As believers we respect and revere what He tells us to revere and respect. And so the month of Muharram falls into this expectation and definition.
Our Prophet SAWS testifies to this month in the following hadith:
The best of fasting after Ramadhan is fasting during Allah’s month of Muharram
Dear brothers, this hadith illustrates to us the significance of the month and the weight that needs to be placed on it. For the Prophet SAWS to tell us that it is Allah’s month should indicate to us the potential we have here to please our Lord in this month.
It is worth noting though that scholars have proven that the Prophet SAWS never fasted in any complete month except Ramadhan and hence the above hadith should be taken in the context of encouraging us all to increase our optional fasts in this month.
Also dear brothers, we have in this month we day of Ashora. This is the 10th day of the month and it has implications for us muslims and for other sects too.
No doubt we are aware of the importance Shiia muslims give to this month and to this day. However, that is outside the scope of this khutba and instead the focus is more on this day from our beloved Prophet’s SAWS perspective and what we can do to gain Allah’s reward in this month.
Firstly, the story of this day is explained in the following Hadith:
The Prophet SAWS came to Medinah and observed that the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura. Upon enquiring he was told that “This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa fasted on this day.” Our beloved Prophet SAWS responded by saying “We have more right to Musa than you”. And so he fasted on that day and commanded the Muslms to do likewise.
Dear brothers, when we reflect on the mercy shown by Allah SWT to Musa and his followers, we can see why this day is a day that was revered by our Prophet SAWS.
Allah SWT speaks of this in the Quran, in Sura Al-Shuara:
Then We revealed Our will to Moses, ‘Leave with My servants by night, for you will be pusued! Pharoah sent messengers into the cities, proclaiming ‘These people are a puny band – they have enraged us – and we are a large army, on the alert’.
So it was that We made them leave their gardens and their springs, their treasures and their noble dwellings. We gave such things later to the Children of Israel.
Pharoah and his people pursued them at sunrise and as soon as the two sides came within sight of one another, Moses’ followers said ‘We shall definitely be caught.’ Moses said ‘No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me’.
And we revealed to Moses: Strike the sea with your staff. It parted – each side like a mighty mountain and we brought the others to that place. We saved Moses and all his companions and drowned the rest.
There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe. Your Lord is the Almighty, the Merciful.
Dear brothers, if we take a moment to reflect on that passage from the Quran we can see the magnitude of the mercy Allah SWT bestows upon His creation.
Therefore what is a day in these short days to fast dear brothers? It is a day recommended by us all to fast upon so let’s use it to increase our worship and thus the pleasure of our Lord.
May Allah SWT instill into our hearts the recognition of his mercy. May Allah SWT remind us on the day of Ashura and may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts on this day of Ashura.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
All praise is due to Allah (SWT). Peace and blessings upon our beloved prophet (SAWS) his family and his companions.
Today’s khutba is about the day of Ashura
My dear brothers, we are now in the first month of the Islamic calendar, this being the month of Muharram.
In previous khutbas delivered, we can recall that this is one of the sacred months according to a Hadith of the Prophet SAWS.
It is advised that we respect the sacredness of this month with our behaviour and with our actions.
Dear brothers, wrongdoing at any time is a serious matter. When explaining the issue of this month being more sacred than others, it is not always easy to convey.
The way to look at it is like this dear brothers. Allah SWT gives more weight to whichever of His commands as He wills.
Allah SWT has chosen certain ones of His creation over others. He has chosen from among the angels, messengers. He has chosen from among mankind, messengers. He chose from among the ability of speech, the rememberance of Him (called zikr). He has chosen from among the earth, the mosques. He has chosen from among the months, Ramadhan and the sacred months. He has chosen from among the days, Friday. And he has chosen from among the nights, Laylat al-Qadr.
Dear brothers, as our Lord and as our Master, Allah SWT has that right over us. His is the choice to make and ours is to obey. As believers we respect and revere what He tells us to revere and respect. And so the month of Muharram falls into this expectation and definition.
Our Prophet SAWS testifies to this month in the following hadith:
The best of fasting after Ramadhan is fasting during Allah’s month of Muharram
Dear brothers, this hadith illustrates to us the significance of the month and the weight that needs to be placed on it. For the Prophet SAWS to tell us that it is Allah’s month should indicate to us the potential we have here to please our Lord in this month.
It is worth noting though that scholars have proven that the Prophet SAWS never fasted in any complete month except Ramadhan and hence the above hadith should be taken in the context of encouraging us all to increase our optional fasts in this month.
Also dear brothers, we have in this month we day of Ashora. This is the 10th day of the month and it has implications for us muslims and for other sects too.
No doubt we are aware of the importance Shiia muslims give to this month and to this day. However, that is outside the scope of this khutba and instead the focus is more on this day from our beloved Prophet’s SAWS perspective and what we can do to gain Allah’s reward in this month.
Firstly, the story of this day is explained in the following Hadith:
The Prophet SAWS came to Medinah and observed that the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura. Upon enquiring he was told that “This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa fasted on this day.” Our beloved Prophet SAWS responded by saying “We have more right to Musa than you”. And so he fasted on that day and commanded the Muslms to do likewise.
Dear brothers, when we reflect on the mercy shown by Allah SWT to Musa and his followers, we can see why this day is a day that was revered by our Prophet SAWS.
Allah SWT speaks of this in the Quran, in Sura Al-Shuara:
Then We revealed Our will to Moses, ‘Leave with My servants by night, for you will be pusued! Pharoah sent messengers into the cities, proclaiming ‘These people are a puny band – they have enraged us – and we are a large army, on the alert’.
So it was that We made them leave their gardens and their springs, their treasures and their noble dwellings. We gave such things later to the Children of Israel.
Pharoah and his people pursued them at sunrise and as soon as the two sides came within sight of one another, Moses’ followers said ‘We shall definitely be caught.’ Moses said ‘No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me’.
And we revealed to Moses: Strike the sea with your staff. It parted – each side like a mighty mountain and we brought the others to that place. We saved Moses and all his companions and drowned the rest.
There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe. Your Lord is the Almighty, the Merciful.
Dear brothers, if we take a moment to reflect on that passage from the Quran we can see the magnitude of the mercy Allah SWT bestows upon His creation.
Therefore what is a day in these short days to fast dear brothers? It is a day recommended by us all to fast upon so let’s use it to increase our worship and thus the pleasure of our Lord.
May Allah SWT instill into our hearts the recognition of his mercy. May Allah SWT remind us on the day of Ashura and may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts on this day of Ashura.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
