[Some time back I came back home crossing “Shaheed Minar” and remember that the approaching day is 16th December which is the victory day of Bangladesh. Also the day coming with the night running is the day of 10th Muharram which is a significant day to Muslim. So I thought I should write my feelings and necessary comment on the day.This is a quick writing. So their might many errors. Please correct me.]
16th December became significant to many Bangladeshi since Bangladesh got victory against Pakistan in civil war took place in 1971. So this day became a day for celebration to Bangladeshi people. And the day of Ashura is significant to Muslim around the globe because it is one of the best days in Islamic calendar.
Muharram is a sacred month which is a blessed and important month for the Muslims. It is the first month of the Hijri calendar, and is one of the four sacred months concerning which Allah (swt) says in Surah al-Tawbah:
“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” [TMQ al-Tawbah: 36]
In this ayah, Allah says, “so wrong not yourselves therein…” means do not wrong yourselves in these sacred months, because sin in these months is worse than in other months.
It was narrated by al-Bukhari (2958) that Abu Bakrah (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “The year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’ l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumaadil-akir and Sha’ baan.”
So let us see how Islam views the celebration of a national day and Celebration of Ashura.
Nationalism is Haram
Celebrating national days are Haram since nationalism is Haram. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “He is not one of us who calls for ‘asabiyyah, (nationalism) or who fights for ‘asabiyyah or who dies for ‘asabiyyah.” [Abu Dawud]
Allah (swt) has created us in many nations so that we recognise each other and He had forbid nationalism. He ordered Muslim to be together and He made unity an obligation. Allah (swt) said: “Verily the believers are a brotherhood”.
And, “And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah and be not divided among yourselves” [TMQ Al-Imran 3:103]
So celebrating days based on nationalism is completely forbidden in Islam. This celebration is the celebration of kuffar. Muslim are bonded by our Aqeeda and we are not allowed to bind with fake low level bond like nationalism. Nationalism bind some people but divide from rest. Celebrating days of kuffar by imitating them is also Haram. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih that Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (ra) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, “You will indeed follow the ways of those before you, hand span by hand span, and cubit by cubit even if they were to enter into a lizards hole, you will follow them.” We asked ‘is it the Jews and the Christians?’ He (saw) replied, “Who else!” This Hadith condemns imitating them. It is a proof for the prohibitions of imitating the Jews and the Christians in their occasions, symbols, or any matter related to their belief and action. At-Tirmidhi narrated that Ibn Abbas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “He is not one of us who imitates other than us. Do not imitate the Jews or the Christians.” At-Tabarani and Abu Dawood narrated that Ibn Umar and Hudthayfah (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them.”
Therefore celebrating days based on the border drawn by the kuffar is not a valid celebration for Muslim.
Eid is our Celebration
Many Muslim started celebrating Ashura though is not a day of celebration. Also it is proved earlier that the celebration based on nationalism is not permissible for us. There are many Islamic evidences that forbid the Muslims from having holidays other than Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adhaa. Al-Baihaqi reported in his Sunan that Anas Bin Malik (ra) said: When the Prophet (saaws) came to Medina, the people had two holidays from the days of Jahiliyyah. He (saw) said: “When I came to you, you had two days which you used to celebrate in Jahiliyyah. Allah has replaced them for you with better days, the days of slaughter (Adhaa) and the day of Fitr.” Also Imam Ahmad in his Musnad reported that Uqbah bin Amir (ra) reported the Prophet (saw) to have said: “The day of Fitr and days of Tashriq are our holidays, the people of Islam.”
These evidences are clear in forbidding the Muslims to have any Eid other than what Allah (swt) prescribed for them. Thus, they are not allowed to participate in or celebrate the holidays of the Kuffar and nor are they allowed to attend them, even if invited.
New form of Shirk
When Prophet (saw) came down with Islam people were involve in Shirk. They used to worship many gods like Lat, Uzzat, Manat. Now people started shirk in new form. Now people the prostrating infont of ‘Shaeed Mondir’ and ‘Sriti Shoudho’ and also worshiping gods like nationalism and democracy. Is action takes place in Shaheed Minar is not similar to the action takes place in temples? This is nothing but a new form of worship of Mushrikeen.
Ashura, Day of Ibadah
Ashura is a day of Ibadah to the Muslim. In these days of Muharram the Prophet (saw) recommended for us to fast on the 9th and the 10th of this month.
Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) who said: “The Prophet (saw) came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora’. He said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘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.’ He said, ‘We have more right to Musa than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day.” [Bukhari, Hadith No: 1865].In a report narrated by Imam Muslim, that the Jews said, “This is a great day, on which Allah saved Musa and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his people.”Muslim also reported that, “Musa fasted on this day in thanksgiving to Allah, so we fast on this day.”
Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan relates: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, "It is the day of 'Ashoora. Allah (swt) has not made fasting obligatory for you. But I am fasting. He who likes to observe fast among you should do so, and he who likes not to observe it (does not have to) observe it." [Sahih Muslim] Abu Qatada (ra) relates that the Holy Prophet (saw) said that, “the fast on the 10th of Muharram atones for the sins of the preceding year.” [Sahih Muslim] Abu Huraira (ra) reports that the Holy Prophet (ra) said, “after Ramadan, the fasts of Muharram have the greatest excellence.” [Sahih Muslim] In addition to the keeping of the fast on the 10th of Muharram we should also aim to fast on the 9th as well as stipulated in the following ahadith: Ibn Abbas (ra) relates that when the Holy Prophet (saw) said, "If I survive till next year, I will definitely observe fast on the 9th of Muharram (as well)." [Sahih Muslim] Hakam ibn Al-Arat (ra) relates: I went to Ibn Abbas (ra). I said to him: Tell me about fasting on 'Ashura. He said, "When you seen the new moon of Muharram count the (days) and (begin to) observe fast on the 9th." I said to him: "Is it how the Messenger of Allah (saw) observed the fast?" He said, "Yes." [Sahih Muslim]
Significant events in Ashura
Many significant historical events took place in the day of Ashura. In this day, beloved grandson of Prophet (saw) was died. The soil of Karbala was dawned by the holy blood of Hussain with 72 innocent lives. Abbas and five other brothers of Imam Hussein (ra), Ali Akbar – the son of Hussein, much of his family, his six months old baby - his youngest son (Ali Asghar) were killed brutally in this day.
Hussain died because he spoke against the transgression and oppression of Yazid. Now soil of Karbala dawned by the blood of Iraqi people. Where is Hussain today?
These days also remind us of the story of Musa (as) and his struggle against the Firawn. Story of Musa (as) is a great story that Allah (swt) related to us in the Quran.
Allah (swt) told us of how the Firawn oppressed the people, how Firawn broke the people into sections depressing a small group among them, how Firawn killed the new born sons of the people and how he ruled the people with his tyranny and oppression.
Allah almighty grew up Musa in the house of Firawn to liberate the people from this tyranny and oppression. When Musa (as) grew up he stood against Firawn and challenged his corruption and tyranny, he led the Children of Israel (Bani Israel) against the Firawn and made them disbelieve in him and his tyranny. Firawn believed he was a god and that he had the power of life and death in his hands.
Today we have many modern day Firawn’s, many Musrifeen (transgressors) and tyrants. Today Obama and his America is one of these modern day Pharaoh’s. We know America thinks it is the God of this world, how it bombed the Muslims in Iraq, how it bombed the Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Sudan in the past for no reason and how it continues to impose it’s policies all over the Islamic lands. America is not the only Firawn in this world today, America has many assistants in the world as Firawn had his assistants like Haman.
Today the rulers in the Muslim world are these assistants and Firawn’s who carve up the people as Firawn did and oppress them as Firawn did and kill them as Firawn did.
Today although there are many tyrannical agents of Firawn and the side of Baatil (falsehood) is clear, we must realise that the side of Haq (truth) is also clear and gaining momentum. The people on the side of truth, carrying the call of liberation from the rules of man to the rule of Allah (swt), from darkness of the Firawn’s to the light of the Khilafah, even if they face all types of persecutions and hardship in the pursuit of this.
Musa (as) liberated the Children of Israel from the Firawn, we to need to liberate the Muslim Ummah from the oppression of Capitalism and drown modern days Firawn. The method to achieve this is taken from the well known Hadith,
"Banu Israel used to be looked after by the Prophets; when one Prophet died, another one would succeed him, and there will be no more Prophets after me. There will be Khulafah and they will number many."
Today in our pursuit of re-establishing the Khilafah to dethrone the Firawn’s of this world we must rely on Allah (swt) alone, He is As-Samee’a, Al-Mujeeb.
In conclusion, today day of Ashura and lesson we learn from this day is to participate in struggle of liberating people from the darkness. Today’s, greatest darkness is capitalism and its various tools to make people fool. Raising nationalistic sensation is a great tool kuffar apply on Muslim. They follow their mechanism ‘divide and rule’. We have to be aware of their plans and stood against them like the Musa (as) and Imam Hussain (R) stood against oppression. We should not fall in their trap and get involve in Shirk. Rather we should have faith in Allah and work for our real unity. We should work for re-establishment of Khilafah.
May Allah accept us; guide us in write and save us from the deception of devil. Ameen