Muharram - Reflect,Resolve and Reclaim!

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For E Islam by Sister Jasmine Khan

 

Muharram is one of the sacred months of the Islamic year. Muharram is the month with which we begin our lunar calendar. It commemorates the Hijrah undertaken by our beloved The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Madina, where he was welcomed with sanctuary. It is one of the four sanctified months about which the Holy Quran says:

 

 "The number of the months according to Allah is twelve (mentioned) in the Book of Allah on the day He created heavens and the earth. Among these (twelve months) there are four sanctified."(Qur’an:Surah 9, Verse 36)

 

These four months, according to the authentic traditions, are Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. All the commentators of the Holy Quran are unanimous on this point, because The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his last sermon, declared: "One year consists of twelve months, of which four are sanctified months, three of them are in sequence; Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab."  It is derived from the word ‘haraam’ which means forbidden. What is forbidden during this month is fighting. We are not heads of countries that wage war on others, but we have our own battle fields in our homes, families, workplace and even our neighbourhoods.

 

Most of us live at such a frenetic pace that when we get home from work we are tired and stressed. This is the time when impatience and intolerance flares up and we fight with our partner or our children. A good thing to do is to remember who they are and what they mean to us.  With consciousness it becomes possible to think before flaring up. The same thing often happens at work as well. When we remember that we are all working to provide a service, even if we never know who benefits from what we do, it could change our attitude. 

 

There are many of us who are not on speaking terms with family members, holding onto grudges, whether real or imagined. We should be aware that we are all different and unique, and that we are all the divine creations of Allah. Being conscious is not enough; we have to be Allah conscious, so that even if we cannot see Allah, be aware that Allah is seeing us. This should make us pause and consider before we act impulsively, or live in enmity.

 

The Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that on the 10^th day of Muharram we should be more generous to our family: "One who generously spends on his family on the day of Aashora, Allah will increase (his provision) for the whole year." (Hadith: Baihaqi).

 

We do not have to confine such generosity to the tenth day, or for that matter, for the month of Muharram. Nor does generosity have to be limited to monetary spending. We can be more generous with our time; when a child runs to tell you something while you are busy it will make a world of difference to him if you stop to listen. In this way you will be giving time as well as kindness. The child will feel validated and very often will then leave you to continue what you are doing.  Opening up to your family about your thoughts, dreams and hopes, is an excellent method of getting them to share theirs. Knowing the hopes and dreams of your children is invaluable as a means of achieving family cohesion. Another form of generosity you can share with your family is to share with them painful moments, and what you learnt from the experience.  This could lead to them sharing things which had hurt or traumatised them and as a family you can brainstorm what lessons   can be learnt from their experiences.

 

This year Muharram is falling very close to the silly season, and we can very easily get caught up in the hype of the summer break. It is also very difficult to focus as the body clock is winding down after a year of working and this can make us jittery and inclined to go a bit haywire.  This is the time when reflection is very important; we need to think about what we have done and what we plan to do next. Allah speaks several times in the Quran about the need for reflection, particularly in the following lines:

 

“If we had caused this Quran to descend upon a mountain, thou, (O Muhammad) verily hadst seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitude coin We for mankind that haply they may reflect” (Quran-Surah Hashr: V 21).

 

Come the end of December and everyone makes resolutions, as Muslims we should be making resolutions on a daily basis. The hujaaj are returning now from having performed the fifth pillar of Islam, and as we rush to greet them we could easily forget that this is the last month of our year, that Muharram is mere days away.  Now is the time to engage in reflection, to resolve to make the shift to do better. We know that we are going to be judged by our intentions, so let us try to have only good intentions for the rest of the year, Insha’Allah.

 

The word resolve has a two-fold meaning:  it means to make a resolution or intention to do something, but it also means to solve an issue.  Many of us carry unresolved issues, and these clutter our lives and prevent us from true spiritual connection. It is hard to have closeness to Allah when we harbour grudges against people for real or imagined slights. Forgiveness is the key; it does not excuse the other person’s action, but it does set us free.

 

It is also important to forgive ourselves when we feel we have done something we subsequently regret. We are all born pure,natural and innocent; we are born with a Fitrah. Somewhere along the way we have become contaminated by experiences, environment and conditions.  The thing is not to beat yourself up about it, acknowledge what happened and accept it. Now try to do better. Resolve to reclaim your Fitrah, the perfection that Allah created you with. It has not been lost, it has just been overlaid with a lot of things, but it is still there.

 

In the stormy sea of life we have often been tossed around, but with Allah consciousness we can keep our heads above water.

 

“The believer is the ship and the world is the water. As long as the water remains outside the ship, it will sail through it. Once the water enters the ship, it will sink. So navigate through the world, but do not let it enter your heart and sink you into itself”(Imam Al Ghazzali)

 

Use this period to reflect, resolve and reclaim what we were truly meant to be, Insha’Allah.

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The Islamic New Year: One Year Closer to the Grave

 

by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh

 

At the start of the year, we need to keep in mind that one more year of our lives has gone. If our actions were evil, and we were treading the path to Jahannam, we have now come one year closer to it. And if we were in search of Jannah then we now have one year less to reach that goal. In brief, the end of the year means the end of a year of our lives. An Arabic poet says,

 

 

The passing of days please a person,

But this passing(in reality) is the passing of his life.

 

We need to always value each and every second of our lives, as we may not be live to see the 1st of Muharram next year; in fact we may not live to see the next moment. This is what Imam Bukhārī rahimahullāh highlighted in the following couplets,

 

 

Value the reward of Salāh whilst you have the time to do so,

For it is possible that your death is sudden.

I have seen many healthy people without any form of illness

Whose healthy soul departed suddenly

 

Courtesy At Tazkiyah
 

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Muharram and the Islamic Calendar

 

The Islamic new year cannot help but remind us of the very origin of the Islamic Calendar. In the era of Ameerul Mumineen Sayyiduna Umar Al-Farouq Radhiyallahu Anhu, the Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum gathered in consultation to decide on the implementation of an Islamic Calendar. Among the various opinions, the Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum finally agreed on the Hijrah (the emigration from Makkah to Madina) for the commencement of the Islamic calendar.

 

The Hijrah was a momentous occasion for it completely transformed the Islamic landscape. The Muslim Ummah, thus far under persecution finally found a home, a refuge against oppression and a capital  for its soon to be empire. Weakness turned to strength and adversity to prosperity for as Yathrib became Madinatun Nabi (the City of Prophet) a transformation took place that was to indelibly alter the course of history. Rasulullah’s Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam arrival in Madina ignited a lantern whose rays would shine across the globe transforming barbarism to civilisation and restoring justice to a tyrannical world.

 

Today’s world is sorely in need of that very transformation. The revival of Islam in the world is dependent on the Muslim Ummah reforming themselves. Allah Ta’ala states, “Allah never changes a people’s state until they change what is in themselves.” (Surah 13, Verse 11)

 

If we resolve to change ourselves for the better, the world will become a better place. But if we continue living our lives oblivious of our Islamic responsibilities, then nothing will halt the downward trajectory that we find ourselves in.

 

Masjid Poster downloadable here.

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)

Council of Muslim Theologians

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The Significance of the Month of Muharram and its Tenth day (Ashura)

 

The following booklet is a short and precise discussion on the importance and significance of the Holy month of Muharram which is the first month in the Islamic calendar.  It was compiled by a senior Hadith specialist of Indian origin by the name of Shaykh Fazlur Rahman Azmi who currently resides in South Africa.  The work has also outlined  the matters pertaining to the 10th day of Muharram known as Ashura and the days that fasting is significant.  The work also serves to dispel some of the myths and superstitions that some people have introduced over time in the name of Islam.

 

Download link

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Message from Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat (Hafizahullah)

at the Annual Youth Conference at IDA (2nd October 2016)

 

 

Make a U-TURN

 

 

 

 

Repent!

 

 

Resolve!

 

 

Not "I will" but "I have"

 

I have repented & I have resolved to become a complete/perfect Believer

 

[ummtaalib]

Reminder!