Legacy of ‘Ashura
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
225 |
| Khutbah Date: |
01/26/07 |
[b]وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَآ آتَاكُم فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ[/b][b]إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ[/b][i]" If Allah had wished He could've made all people the same, but He desires to test you by what he has given you. So, compete in goodness. To Allah is your ultimate return and he will inform you about matters that you differed.” [/i][b][Qur’an 5:48][/b][b]Blessings of Muharram[/b]It is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. The word "Muharram" means "forbidden." Even before Islam, this month was always known as a scared month in which all unlawful acts were forbidden, prominently the shedding of blood. There are many bounties of this month, especially the tenth of Muharram.Two of the many virtues of the 10th of Muharram /
Yawm ‘Ashura attributed to the Prophet are … [i]- On this day he who spends more lavishly for the sake of his family members, Allah will bestow blessing upon the sustenance of the following year.[/i]- Abu Qataada has related that the Prophet has reported to have said,
It is my thought that by fasting on the 10th of Muharram Allah will pardon the sins of the past year. [b]Fallacies of Muharram[/b]There are some legends and misconceptions with regard to ‘Ashurah that have managed to find their way into the minds of many, but have no support of authentic Islamic sources, some very common ones are:This is the day in which Adam was created.This is the day in which Ibrahim was born.This is the day on which the Qiyamah (dooms-day) will take place.Whoever takes bath in the day of Ashurah will never get ill.All these and other similar whims and fancies are totally baseless. Another misconception about the month of Muharram is that it is an evil or unlucky month, for Sayyidna Husain was killed in it. It is for this misconception that people avoid holding marriage ceremonies in the month of Muharram.[b]Events of Muharram[/b][b]~Before the Prophet: [/b]The tenth of Muharram marks a significant day in the Muslim calendar; it is the day on which, according to some reports, Allah saved Prophet Moses/
Musa from the tyrannical Pharaoh, that prototype despotic authority. The are many pharaoh-like authorities who have appeared through history and there were those incorrigible standard-bearers of justice who opposed them. [b]~In the Time of the Prophet: [/b]Imams Tirmizi & Haakim have narrated from Anas bin Malik that the following verse: "[i]Allah may forgive thee of thy errors that which is past and that which is to come." [/i](surah al-Fath 48:1) was revealed on the 10th of Muharram.The Prophet Muhammed went to defeat Bani Muhaarin and Bani Tha'laba (Tribes of Bani Gatfan) in the year 4 A.H.[b]~After the Prophet: [/b]Imam Husayn took on the corruption of Yazid and laid down his life on Muharram 10th in 61 AH, an event that serves as a milestone in the history of the faithful; the martyrdom of the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Husayn, at Karbala, Iraq Imam Husayn was martyred at the hands of those who claimed to act in the name of Islam yet unremorsefully and shamelessly were prepared to obliterate its true exponent; those who (like so many who proclaim faith) are prepared to kill for Islam yet are unable to live by it. [list][*]
THE LESSON OF KARBALAImam Husayn's martyrdom at Karbala provides evidence of the moral victory of right over wrong, of virtue over vice, of principle over compromise, of the oppressed over the oppressor, of the denied over the denier; the ultimate victory of blood over sword. Karbala teaches humankind through the inscription of blood on the scrolls of human history how Husayn explained to the world by his death, through martyrdom, the meaning of life; that living is truly of value that offers itself for a cause greater than its self, that to die with honor is better than living in subjugation to injustice. The lesson is not only that he was prepared to fight for what is right, but that he was willing to die for it; selflessness, not selfishness; humility not ego. Imam Husayn was martyred at the hands of those who considered themselves followers of our beloved Prophet Muhammad , and yet cut off the precious head of that dear grandson of the holy Prophet; a head which the Prophet so often stroked and kissed with affection.[/*][*]
THE LEGACY OF HUSAYN The memory of Husayn excites the spirit, the very name of Husayn evokes the tradition of resistance against tyranny and inequity. His colossal struggle and monumental martyrdom is so poignant that it continues to serve as a beacon of light to all the faithful who struggle for freedom and justice.[i]“In a distant age and clime the tragic scene of the death of Husayn will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.” [/i][Edward Gibbon in Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]Imam Husayn is an example of the conscious, uncompromising revolutionary… one of the nearest and dearest relatives of the Prophet whom Allah orders us to love: “ SAY (to the people , O Muhammad!); I DO NOT ASK OF YOU ANY REWARD, EXCEPT LOVE FOR MY NEAR RELATIVES. WHOEVER EARNS GOOD, WE INCREASE THE BLESSINGS.” [Qur’an 42:23]Their lives and struggle provide evidence of the moral victory of right over wrong, of virtue over vice, of principle over compromise, of the oppressed over the oppressor, of the denied over the denier; the ultimate victory of blood over sword.
[b]وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَفَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْأَلاَّ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ[/b][i]Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them, they are comforted in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve[/i]. [Qur’an 3:169][/*][/list] [b]Meaning of their Struggle[/b]Prophet Moses did not fight the pharaoh to become king, neither did the righteous Imam Husayn take on the army of the corrupt Yazid to become caliph rather, their effort was a universal lesson which left a lasting legacy; teaching humankind through the inscription of blood on the scrolls of human history, how they conveyed to the world, through their struggle, the meaning of life; that that living is truly of value that offers itself for a cause greater than its self, that to die with honor is better than living in subjugation to injustice. The lesson is not only that they were prepared to fight for what is right, but that were willing to die for it; selflessness not selfishness; humility not ego, principle not power. [b]Compete in Goodness[/b]People are all different and people may differ; however, the principles and values that need to be adhered to are universal. Each one has the responsibility of [b]فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ [/b][i]competing in goodness [/i]and to realize that ultimately [b]إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا [/b][i]to Allah is all our return.[/i]
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