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Muharram:
Holy month of Allah the Most High
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Allah, he alone is the
creator of entire-universe. His creations
extend to earth, heaven, sun, moon, stars,
all the living things like man, animal,
insects... etc, all other spiritless
things and so on. The time and season
too was created by the Almighty. Though
All his creations are in equal rank before
him, he has provided something with more
prominence than others concerning each
one’s peculiarity. The messenger
(Peace and Blessing be upon him) once
said about the fluctuations eras, according
to their status: The noble generation
is mine, the next comes nearer to them
and the next is nearer to them (Bukhari,
Muslim). The variations of some month,
and days in status and value can be seen
in the pages of Qur’an and Hadîth.
As the holy birthday of prophet (PBH)
taking place on here, Rabeeul Avval (the
third month of Hijri) possessed the most
virtuous position as like the Ramadan
the 9th month of Hijri on which the Qur’an
was sent down and is the month of salvation.
The month Muharram is on a position of
dazzling prominence among the four months –Muharram
(the first moth of Hijri), Rajab( the
7th month of Hijri), Dhul Qaa’da
(11th month of Hijri) and Dul Hijja (the
12th month of Hijri)- despite these four
months have been considered as the most
venerable months during the dark age
after the arrival of Islam. That is why,
the very name the ‘war-banned month’ (Al-Muharram)
was given to the Muharram alone, though
the other three months also being prohibited
from the war. Hence, to give this name
is an implication to the necessity of
keeping extreme peace and calmness on
this month’ (Thuhfa: 8/453, Nihaya:
7/300).
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The messenger once
told : “verily, Muharram is the Almighty’s
own month” (Thurmudi). “The month of Allah
is Muharram” (Muslim). “Muharram is the voiceless
month of Almighty, for, the clashing sounds of arms cannot
be heard on this month” (Galiath: 2/85). Imam Abu
Ubaid (May Allah Mercy upon him) commends that the cause
behind being this month named with the month of Allah
(Shahrullah) is to teach us the admirable position and
venerable state of Muharram’ (Ghgaliathul mavaid
2/85).
It is the Islamic doctrine that to increase good
deeds in all the virtuous days. A number of Hadiths can
be seen in so many Hadîth books as the Messenger
suggested to his Companions to increase their good deeds
in prominent months like Ramadan and days. The Messenger’s
order to perform fasting in prominent days is a sufficient
way to express veneration to this days. But it has prohibited
in the days of two Eids and the three days immediately
after the Eid Al Adh’ha (Ayyamu Thashreeque). Despite
we perform obligatory fasting in Ramadan it is desirable
to do fasting in virtuous days such as 9th day of Dul
Hijja, 6 days in Shawwal the 10th month of Hijri (It
is more preferable to perform immediately after the Eid
Al-Fithr continuously), 9th and 10th days of Muharram,
all Mondays (which obtain the golden chance to be the
day of prophet’s birth) and all Thursdays of each
Hijri month, 13,14 and 15 of each Hijri month (the white
days), 28, 29 and 30 of each Hijri month (the Black days),
27th day of Rajab (Mia’raj day)and 15th day of
Sha’aban the 8th month of Hijri (Bara’ath
day). It is understood from these events that the fasting
is more virtuous deed than other good deeds, done in
the virtuous days. Astonishingly enough, Islam doesn’t
give permission to perform fasting on Friday, most important
day in each week in order to perform other important
deeds concerning the Jumua. “It is a hatred deed
to do fasting on Friday unless the causes of voluntary
fasting take place on Friday or one performs fasting
on every days continuously including Friday” (Thuhfa:
3/458, Nihaya).
In a nut shell, It is desirable to perform fasting
in Muharram too. Imam Ali (May Allah please with him)
tells: “Once, a man came to the messenger (PBH)
and asked: which month do you suggest me to perform fasting
after Ramadan? The messenger replied: “Muharram,
it is the month of Allah” (Thurmudi). Abu Huraira
(May Allah please with him) says: “The messenger
has commended that Muharram is the best month to do fasting
after Ramadan” (Muslim). After Ramadan, the most
proper months to perform fasting are the four war-banned
months. But Muharram adorns the prominent position among
these four, Rajab is the next one, soon after, Dhul Hijjah
comes and last but not least Dhul Qhada stands” (Fathhul
Mueen: 204). Each day of Muharram is equivalent to thirty
days of an ordinary month (Thabrani). This Hadîth
indicates that it is desirable to do fasting in every
days of Muharram.
The first ten days of Muharram have enough peculiarities
than its other days. Some of the interpreters of the
holy Qur’an have gone to the opinion that the ten
nights referred in the Sûrat Al- Fajr (The Break
of Day of the Dawn, Chapter 89) might be the first ten
days of Muharram [ Thafsir Al-Madarik 4/353]. According
to this opinion, Allah’s oath with ten nights of
Muharram is quiet notable. Scholars commended that Allah
brings only the most prominent things to take oath in
Qur’an. “If Allah wishes to give any sort
of veneration to any one of his creations, by which,
He takes oath in Qur’an” [Fath-hul Bari-14/339].
Hence it is figured out that Allah blessed the first
ten days of Muharram with measureless peculiarities. “All
believers respect unanimously the three prominent ten
days i.e. the last ten days of Ramadan and the first
ten days of Muharram and Dhul-Hijjah respectively [Ghaliath
2/86]. “It is desirable to do fasting in the first
ten days of Muharram” [Fathhul Mueen 204, Khalyubi
2/23, Nihay 3/201-2, Sharwani 3/456, Ibn qasim –Hashiyathu
Thuhfa – 3/456].
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