1432 - time for a change

Approximately 1432 years ago, in the month of Muharram, Allah (exalted is He) ordered our dear Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his followers to emigrate from Makkah to Madinah. This order came 13 years after the beginning of Prophethood and marked a new chapter in the history of the Muslims.

The ‘Ulama (scholars) note that the first 13 years were for the fortification of the imaan of the Muslims, and their faith in Allah. Once spiritually ready, Allah gave the order to move to another city where the Muslims could establish themselves as a community. The Muslims, with enlightened hearts and the best of creation to guide them (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), left all their worldly possessions, their families and their roots behind in obedience to their Lord and Creator. It would appear that the millionaires of that time, such as Sayyiduna Uthman and Sayyiduna Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were forsaking everything but, in reality, they were buying the most prized possession for which every soul yearns: Paradise.

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (s), there was a need to establish a calendar for the Muslims. The Sahabah (his companions) consulted one another (shura), as was the practice of the Prophet (s), and from amongst the many days they could have chosen as the first date of such a calendar (e.g. the birth of the Prophet (s), the beginning of revelation etc), they understood the significance of the migration and agreed that this would be the start of the Islamic calendar, commonly known as the Hijri calendar, with the first month of the year being Muharram.

Islamic months
The Islamic months are based on the lunar cycle and are each either 29 or 30 days long. It is a strong sunnah to sight the crescent of the new moon every month to determine if the new month has started; a sunnah which in the West is sadly falling out of fashion. This is a practice we need to re-establish.

There are 12 months in the Islamic calendar and their names, in order, are as follows:

Muharram, Safar, Rabiul-Awal, Rabiul-Thani, Jumadul-Ullah, Jumaadul-Ukhra, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadhan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah.

Muharram, along with Rajab, Dhul Qaada and Dhul Hijja, is one of the four sanctified months in the Islamic calendar. Their sanctity is mentioned in the Quran and by the Prophet Muhammad (s) in his famous sermon at Arafah during Hajj:

"One year consists of twelve months, of which four are sanctified months, three of them are in sequence; Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab."

These four months were sanctified even by the pagan Arabs of Makkah who accepted their sanctity from the time of Ibrahim (s); they would not fight during these four months. Muharram has the special quality of being a month of fasting. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) said:

“The best of fasts after the month of Ramadhan are in the Month of Allah, which you call Muharram. And the best of prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer” (Muslim).

10th Muharram
The most sacred day of this month is the 10th of Muharram; which is referred to as the day of ‘Ashura. It is on this day that Allah in his infinite mercy and wisdom saved Prophet Musa (s) and his people from Pharaoh by opening the Red Sea and destroying Pharaoh and his army. The Prophet Muhammad (s) found out that the Jews of Madinah fasted on the 10th of Muharram in commemoration of this and said:

"We are more closely related to Musa than you," and he (s) ordered the Muslims to fast on this day (Bukhari).

Once the fast of Ramadhan became obligatory, the obligation of the fast of ‘Ashura was lifted. However, the Prophet (s) continued to keep the fast of ‘Ashura. In order to differentiate the Muslims from the Jews, he (s) said, "If I live next year, then I shall also fast on the 9th". He (s) sadly passed away before Muharram of the next year and so the scholars have advised us to fast either on the 9th and 10th, or 10th and 11th of Muharram.

By fasting on these days, there is a great reward: expiation of one’s minor sins of the previous year, as mentioned in the following hadith:

“Fasting the day of `Ashura (is of great merits), I hope that Allah will accept it as an expiation for (the sins committed in) the previous year” (Muslim).

The change
The world is changing at a frantic pace and the glitter of the world appears more refined as we lumber through each day. As Muslims, we must take time out of our busy schedules to ponder what we are doing and where we are going. We need a change as it is all too easy to become very comfortable in the daily grind and the comforts which Allah has blessed us with. We must wake up to the fact that our brothers and sisters across the world are still suffering and our memories delude us in thinking that things are getting better. Pakistan is still in the middle of probably the worst natural disaster ever to affect it and things will get worse as the temperature drops in the next few weeks. The situation in Palestine, wherein lies the third holy mosque, Masjidul-Aqsa, is getting worse day by day and the ruined countries of Iraq and Afghanistan are still unable to get back onto their feet. We can help through our prayers, our money and raising awareness of these desperate situations.

We have been blessed with this opportunity to follow the Sunnah of our dear and beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) and to gain huge rewards from the unlimited treasures of Allah. Do not procrastinate: this is Shaytan’s key technique to cripple our progress. Use your time wisely as each moment which passes is a moment closer to our ultimate destination: the grave and the standing in front of Allah on the Day of Judgement.

According to my local mosque, the 9th of Muharram will be on Wednesday 15th December insha’Allah. Let us take this opportunity to fast these two days for Allah alone with the intention of following the sunnah of his habeeb (beloved), the Messenger of Allah (s). Please do not forget us in your du’a.