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ASHURA  (10TH MUHARRAM) A DAY OF SORROW OR HAPPINESS?

Dear Readers

Salaamun Alaikum,

This is a very critical matter among the Muslims. O ALLAH! show us the right as right and grant us the ability to follow it; and show us the wrong as

wrong and grant us the ability to avoid it. Let us refer Holy Qur’an and Traditions of Holy Prophet (p) by which we can find out the truth.  If we refer Holy Qur’an we will find that Allah says; 1) And do not speak of those who are slain in Allah`s way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive.(Chp.2 : Verse-154) 2) “And reckon not those who are killed in Allah`s way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord; (Chp-3 : Verse-169). 3) “Those who believed and fled (their homes), and strove hard in Allah`s way with their property and their souls, are much higher in rank with Allah; and those are they who are the achievers (of their objects).” (Chp.9 : Verse-20) This three verses of Holy Quran shows that the position of Martyr is Higher with ALLAH and are alive. Well if someone weep for him, who has sacrifice the life of his family for the sake of ALLAH to save Islam., then this weeping is called respect and it is a sign of love. This respect is also a thanks to Hazrat Husain (p), because of his great sacrifice, humanity has been saved, because of his sacrifice, the curtain have been removed from the faces of Bani Ummaya, who were wearing the dress of Caliphs and were destroying Islam. It is human’s nature that a person weep or grief on him, whom he loves very much. No one weeps on an unknown person or enemy. It is not BIDDAD to weep, because weeping is in human’s nature and it is gifted by ALLAH, so He never prohibit such a thing which He has kept in our nature. As ALLAH says in Holy Quran, “And that is He (Allah) it is Who makes (Men) laugh and makes (them) weep”. (Chp-53 : Verse-43)

If ALLAH has kept Hunger in human’s nature then He (ALLAH) cannot prohibit us from eating food, because It is against the policy of ALLAH. Weeping is a sunnah of Prophet Yaqoob (p). It is said that Prophet Yaqoob (p) wept so much for his son Prophet Yusuf (p) that the pupils of his eyes became white. Allah says in Holy Quran, “And he (Yaqoob) turned away from them and said: O my sorrow for Yusuf! And his eyes become white on account of the grief,”

(Chp.-12 : Verse-84)   Weeping on dead or Martyr and specially for Hazrat Husain (p) is also a sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p) as per the below  traditions, 1) The Holy Prophet (P.) said: “Zaid took over the flag and was martyred. Then it was taken by Ja’far who was martyred as well. Then Abdullah bin Rawaha took the flag but he too was martyred and at that time the eyes of Allah’s Messenger were full of tears. (Narrated by Anas bin Malik, Ref.:Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic-English Vol.2 Pg.191, printed in 1984 at Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, India)

2) Zainab binte Jahash the wife of Prophet (S.) narrates: One day the Messenger of Allah was in my house and Husain (P.) was also there. For some moments I forgot about him. He entered into the Prophet’s room. I tried to pick him up but the Messenger of Allah restrained me. Then he stood up to perform the prayers while holding Husain (P.) in his arms. When he went into ruku or Sajdah he put down Husain (P.)  and again took him in his arms when he stood up. Then he sat down and wept. When he finished his prayers I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Today I have seen you do something that I had never seen before”. Prophet (P.) said, “Jibraeel came to me and informed me that this Husain (P.) will be killed by my ummat” (people). He then showed me the soil of the place of his martyrdom.  (Ref. Mustadrakul Sahihain, Chp.4 :Pg.398)  

3) Salami records: “I paid a visit to the Prophet’s wife Umme Salma and saw her crying with grief. When I asked her what made her weep, she said, I just dreamt that the Prophet (p) had come with his beard and head covered with dust. When I asked him what had made him so full of grief, he told me that he had just returned after seeing his Husain butchered (Martyred).” (Ref.: Jam’a Tirmizee Pg.166, Mishkat Vol.8 : Pg.189, Mustadrak Vol.4 : Pg.19)

 

4) The Prophet (P.) said, “Allah will not punish people because of the tears they shed (over the dead) but He will punish (them) because of this (tongue)”.  (Sahih Bukhari Vol.7 : Chp.24)

5) Abu Hurairah says: The Messenger of Allah (P.) visited the grave of his mother and wept; and all those with him (also) wept”.

6) While If grieving is biddad then the Prophet Muhammad (p) would have scolded Owais bin Karni from breaking his tooth after being so grieved at the loss of the teeth of Prophets (p). He showed love, and hopefully for the Prophet (P.).

This Biddad is only used for a political purpose to keep the innocent Muslims away from the truth. This is only a Break for every question on which the ulema have no answer. I don’t point out to all the ulema but majority are such who says that, carrying Alams (Flag) is biddad and your nikah will become batil (break), but they have forgotten the history of Islam, that in the fight of Khyber, Hazrat Abu Bakr ®, Hazrat Umar ®, Hazrat Ali and many other companions have carried Alams (Flag). It is not biddad but sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p). This is only a political issue to put curtain on the evil deeds of Yazid.  Those who believe Yazid as a calips or Amirul Momeneen, why don’t they keep their children’s name as “Yazid”, I am thankful to those ulema and readers who had accepted this truth and have started their research to find out the true Islam. Beside this though it’s a modern age and new generation always believes in logic, we should also find out logical reasons for the same. So let us think and answer.

QUESTION YOURSELVES,

1) Whether Weeping is in human’s nature and its attachment is with the heart or not?

2) If someone is put to death by torture, whom we love, then, will we weep in his respect or not?

3) If on the day of Eid, any death occurs in our family, shall we celebrate  that day as a Eid?

4) If Prophet Muhammad (P.) can weep on Hazrat Husain (p), Why can’t we?

5) Is it suitable to celebrate Marriage, Birthday or any other function in the month of Muharram?

6) Do we celebrate or do we attend such happy occasion when there is a death of our beloved?

Now you can judge by this few tradition, whether a day of Ashura is a day of Sorrow or Happiness? Whether grieving for martyr is Biddad or Sunnah of Holy Prophet (P.)? As ALLAH says; Those who listen to the saying and follow the best of it, those are guided by and they are the mindful. I leave upon you because I am only in the search of truth as I realize the tradition of Holy Prophet (S.) saying; The sons of Israel were divided into seventy-one groups, and the Christians were divided into seventy-two groups, and my people will be divided into seventy-three groups, in which, only one will be on the right path (Jannati).

Answer:

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Whether Weeping is in human’s nature and its attachment is with the heart or not?

Q-2: If someone is put to death by torture, whom we love, then, will we weep in his respect or not?

Weeping is indeed embedded in human nature and its attachment is indeed with the heart.   The act of weeping is beyond the control of one whose heart is pained by some calamity.   Weeping and crying with the eyes is not prohibited in Islam,  but what is prohibited is wailing and beating one’s self with his hands, etc.   This act of wailing was specifically  prohibited by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

It is reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah does not punish a person for shedding tears or feeling pain in his heart. But He does punish, though he may show mercy, because of (what he utters with) this," and then he(saws) pointed to his tongue.

The Prophet (saws) wept on the death of his son, Ibrahim, and said: "The eyes shed tears and the heart feels pain, but we utter only what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim! We are aggrieved at your demise."   He(saws) also wept when his grand daughter, Umaymah, daughter of Zainab, died, and said, "This (weeping) is the mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants. And surely Allah bestows mercy upon those who are merciful among His servants."

It is reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Four practices of the pre-Islamic days of Ignorance will continue to be practiced by my ummah:  taking pride in one`s parentage, giving a person a father other than his own genealogical father, believing that rain is caused by some stars, and wailing over the dead." He (saws) further said: "A mourner,  unless she repents before her death, will be raised on the Day of Judgement wearing a garment of tar and an armor of blistering puss."

Q-3: If on the day of Eid, any death occurs in our family, shall we celebrate that day as a Eid?

Q-5: Is it suitable to celebrate Marriage, Birthday or any other function in the month of Muharram?

Q-6: Do we celebrate or do we attend such happy occasion when there is a death of our beloved?

If a death occurs in  our family on the day of Eid,  obviously,  we will be sad and thus not celebrate the Eid.   But that does not mean that every year on the day of Eid,  he gathers his friends and family and mourns and wails and beats himself in memory of the dead person.

The Messenger of Allah said in an authentic narration: “Any person who believes in Allah and the Last Day, is not allowed to mourn for more than three days.  Except if the husband dies,  then the mourning period for his wife/wives if four months and ten days.”

Q-2: If someone is put to death by torture, whom we love, then, will we weep in his respect or not?

Q-4: If Prophet Muhammad (P.) can weep on Hazrat Husain (p), Why can’t we?

There is not a muslim in this world who is not grieved and saddenned at the torturous and agonizing ‘shahaadah’ of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and his ‘ahle-bayt’.    Whenever a muslim reads about that painful day,  his heart feels pain and his eyes shed tears.   Indeed,  what happened to Imam Hussain (r.a.) and his family,  and the way they were brutally murdered in hunger and thirst,  is one of the darkest recorded pages in the annuls of Islamic history.    May Allah honor the martyrs of Karbala and grant them the highest level in Paradise,  and take full retribution from the people who murdered them.  Ameen.

But whatever happened on that tumultuous day in Karbala,  it does not allow people today to gather and wail,  sing sad poetry in congregation,  and beat themselves with their hands and blades!   However sad and depressed we might be,  we cannot do anything against the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).   This act and type of wailing was absolutely prohibited by the Messenger of Allah (saws),  nor did he ever do anything of this sort when his beloved uncle Hadrat Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib (r.a.) was brutally murdered and his body cut open in the Battle of Uhud.   After Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) was killed by the spear of Habashi,  the enemies of Allah,  dismembered and cut away his ears and his nose.   Then, Hind bint Utbah,  the wife of Abu Sufyan,  ordered that the body of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) be torn open,  and she,  in her revenge and anger,  tried to take a bite from the actual flesh of Hadrat Hamza’s (r.a.) heart! 

We cannot imagine the pain and grief of the Messenger of Allah (saws), when he  heard about this,  but he did not organize a ‘matam’ for Hadrat Hamza!  Nor did he (saws) ever gather all his family and friends in the mosque every year on the anniversary of the death of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.),  and start wailing,  and singing ‘marseeyas’, and start beating himself on his chest!   Nor did he ever gather all his companions in the mosque every year,  and repeat the story and legend of the martydom of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) and 70 of his companions on the anniversary of the Day of Uhud!

Yes,  all muslims are sad and their hearts feel pain at the martydom of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.),  at the martydom of Imam Hussain (r.a.) and every other martyr who gave his life in the cause of Allah.   But we do,  what our beloved Prophet (saws) commanded us to do!   We pray for them,  and beg Allah to grant them an honorable place in Paradise.   We implore Allah,  that he make our ‘imaan’ strong,  and supplicate Allah to choose us among his martyrs.

The ‘majaalees of matam’ that we see today was started many years after the martydom of Imam Hussain (r.a.).   Some unscrupulous people  used the Martydom of Imam Hussain (r.a.) and his family in Karbala to give fiery speeches to make  mere political and monetary gains!   Today in the name of Imam Hussain (r.a.) they organize a huge business,  gather people,  organize food,  pay the ‘speakers’ to give fiery and glowing speeches,  pay the singers of ‘maraseeyahs’:  all in the name of ‘ibaadah’ and Islam!! 

And these unscrupulous leaders have been successful in breaking up the one ‘ummah’ or community of Islam into various sects,  each with its own set of beliefs and naratives.   They have been successful in taking a small percentage of muslims and brain-washed them into worshipping and invoking Personalities in Islam,  rather than invoking the One and Only Allah.   They have been successful in taking away the simple guidance of the Holy Quran away from these muslims.

Just look at the Anger and Wrath of Allah described on those who break up their religion into sects:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-56: And you all belong to one and the same ummah,  and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone!  Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects,  and each sect rejoicing  in what it has.  Well,  leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time.  What?  Do they think that,  by continuing to provide them with wealth and children,  We are solicitous for their welfare?   Nay,  they do not understand the reality of the matter!

If one were to read and understand the Holy Quran,  even only once,  he would realize soon enough,  that the Only Being worthy of worship and invocation is Allah Alone.  These same leaders claim again and again that the Glorious Quran cannot be understood by everybody!   These same leaders claim that the Holy Quran can only be understood by them,  and thus anybody who wants to understand the Quran must come to them!   These same leaders claim that the Quran is full of hints and innuendos and if not understood through them,  you will be misguided!  

But Allah says several times (at least 25 times) that the Quran and its message is easy, plain, direct and simple to understand.  

The choice is very simple:  Do we take Allah’s word as Supreme,  or do we take the word of these self-made leaders?

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 1-2: These are the verses of the Book that makes its object perfectly clear.  We have sent it down as a Quran in Arabic,  so that you may understand it well.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89: We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain,  and is a guidance,  blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verse 97: O Mohamed,  We have made this Quran easy,  and sent it down in your tongue so that you should give good news to the pious and warn the stubborn people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 70: And leave alone those who have taken their ‘deen’ as a sport and past-time,  and have been deluded by the life of this world.   Nevertheless,  you go on admonishing them by reciting the Quran to them,  lest any person should be seized because of his own deeds;  and that too, at a time, when there would be no protector,  no helper and no intercessor to rescue him from Allah;  when no conceivable amount of ransom would be accepted from him.   This is because such people shall be seized, in consequence of what they themselves had earned.

May Allah give us the wisdom and the courage to read and understand the simple message of the Holy Quran.   May Allah guide us,  and help us to take guidance from the plain and easy message of the Glorious Quran.   May Allah make the ‘ummah’ of muslims as one ‘ummah’,  and take full  retribution from all these self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men,  who have broken Islam into pieces and sects. 

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

Burhan