Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Hello Assalamualaikum,

 

I have found few of the historic events that happened in the month Muharram, Could you please confirm if they are accurate and if there are more events that have important significance to Islamic History?

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1st - Islamic New Year

1st - Birth ; Hadrat Umar Farooq Radi Allahu anhu

10th - Allah Ta`ala Created the Heavens and Earth

no date available - Ship of Hadrat Noah alayhis `salam came to rest on Mount Al-Judi

no date available - Hadrat Ayyub (Alayhi Asallam) was delivered from distress.

no date available - Hadrat Yunus (Alayhi Asallam) was cast onto the shore after being swallowed  by a fish for 40 days .

no date available - Hadrat Moosa (Alayhi Asallam) got victory over the Pharoah

no date available - The Birth of Hadrat Ibrahim (Alayhi Asallam)

10th - Martyrdom of Imam Hussain Radi Allahu anhuat Karbala

20th - Wissal ; Hadrat Bilal Radi Allahu anhu

25th - Birth ; Hadrat Imam Hassan Radi Allahu anhu

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JazakAllah

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Answer:

 

Historical events on day of ashura

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Ref: 1st - Islamic New Year

The historic tradition of the Arabs was that they would count or date their calendar year from a huge event which transpired in that year.  After the death of the Prophet (saws), the believers started to date their calendar year from the event of the migration (or Hijrah) of the Prophet (saws) from Makkah to Madinah; and thus it is indeed accurate that the 1^st of the month of Muharram corresponds to the first day of the Islamic or Hijri calendar.

 

Ref: 1st - Birth ; Hadrat Umar Farooq Radi Allahu anhu

To the best of our knowledge there is no accurate, established, or agreed upon date regarding the exact birth date of Hadrat Umar ibn Khattab (r.a.). 

 

Some historians have recorded that Hadrat Umar ibn Khattab (r.a.) was murdered and breathed his last on the 26^th of the month of Dhul-Hijja 23 years after Hijrah (or migration).

 

Ref: 10th - Allah Ta`ala Created the Heavens and Earth

To the best of our knowledge, we have not come across any Aayah in the Quran or any authentic hadeeth wherein it is recorded that the Lord Most Majestic created the heavens and the earth on the 10^th of Muharram!  This knowledge is with Allah Subhanah Alone!

 

Ref: Ship of Hadrat Noah alayhis `salam came to rest on Mount Al-Judi; Hadrat Ayyub (Alayhi Asallam) was delivered from distress;

Hadrat Yunus (Alayhi Asallam) was cast onto the shore after being swallowed by a fish for 40 days; The Birth of Hadrat Ibrahim (Alayhi Asallam)….

To the best of our knowledge, we have not come across any authentic hadeeth which would lead us to believe that any of the above events occurred on the specific date of 10^th of Muharram! 

 

Ref: Hadrat Moosa (Alayhi Asallam) got victory over the Pharoah

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.279         Narrated by Ibn Abbas

When the Prophet (saws) arrived at Medina he found that the Jews observed fast on the day of 'Ashura' (10^th of Muharram). They were asked the reason for the fast. They replied, "This is the day when Allah Caused Moses and the children of Israel to have victory over Pharaoh, so we fast on this day as a sign of glorifying it." Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "We are closer to Moses than you." Then he (saws) ordered that fasting on this day should be observed.

 

There is indeed a hadeeth found in Sahih Bukhari (quoted above) to the effect that Allah Subhanah delivered Hadrat Musa (a.s.) and the Bani Israel from the accursed Pharaoh on the 10^th of Muharam, but the majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam have disagreed with this narration stating that whatever day and date Allah Subhanah delivered the Bani Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh would have been recorded according to the calendar used by the Bani Israel and not the Arabic calendar. 

 

The calendar used by the Bani Israel and the believers to date their events is obviously not the same; thus whether or not the 10^th of Muharram every year co-incides every year with the calendar used by the Bani Israel is definitely not possible!!! And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Ref: 10th - Martyrdom of Imam Hussain Radi Allahu anhuat Karbala

The historians have indeed recorded that Hadrat Hussain ibn Ali (r.a.) was martyred on the day of the 10^th of Muharram.

 

Ref: 20th - Wissal ; Hadrat Bilal Radi Allahu anhu

There is a difference of opinion amongst the historians regarding the exact year and the place of death and burial of the Noble Companion Hadrat Bilaal ibn Rabah (r.a.). 

 

The years stated by various historians regarding the death of Hadrat Bilaal (r.a.) range from 17 to 18 to 20 to even 21 years after Hijrah.

 

Some historians record that Hadrat Bilaal (r.a.) died in Madinah, while others claim it to be in Jordan or Syria.  Some historians claim that Hadrat Bilaal’s (r.a.) grave is located in a village called Bader on the outskirts of Amman, Jordan; while some claim that he (r.a.) was buried in Damascus, Syria.  And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Ref: 25th - Birth ; Hadrat Imam Hassan Radi Allahu anhu

Some historians have recorded that the birth of Hadrat Hasan ibn Ali (r.a.) corresponds to the 15^th day of the month of Ramadan 3 years after Hijrah….and Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

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

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan