A New Year, 1st Muharram 1430 HA
In commemoration of this auspicious occasion. Blessed and a Happy New Year of 1429H to all Muslims around the world .The 1st of Muharram is New Year's Day, and with it marks the beginning of the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar. Its real significance lies in the major turning point in the course of Islam.
As told in the Noble Qur'ân:
"Verily the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it 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 …". [At-Taubah: 36]
Today itself, as we usher in the new year, many of us take the time to at least briefly reflect on the major lessons in the past year and anticipate new experiences in the fresh year of 1430 Hijrah. This is also the day that we should be reminded of the Prophet 's [peace and blessing to him and his beloved companions].The excellence of fasting the Day of 'Arafa, 'Ashura' and the ninth of Muharram1250. his companions] last pilgrimage and the message that he wants us to carry in our hearts.The Prophet [peace and blessing to him and his companions] offered the noon and afternoon prayers in Arafah along with 100,000 worshippers, and the victory of Islaam over blasphemy became decisive and final. Thereafter, the Prophet [peace and blessing to him and his companions] mounted his camel, and delivered the historical sermon.In it, he had said:
"... All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab, also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves...”
The tenth of Muharram is a very virtuous day. It is the Day of Aashooraa. On this Day Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) kept a fast and encouraged the Ummah to do so as well. Below are certain hadith Reported in Riyadul Saliheen by Imam Nawwawi, the excellence of fasting Muharram, Sha'ban and the sacred months 1246.Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"The best fast after Ramadan is the month of Allah, al-Muharram. The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer." [Muslim] 1247.
'A'isha said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not fast in any month more than Sha'ban. He used to fast all of Sha'ban." In one variant, "He used to fast Sha'ban except for a little." [Agreed upon] 1248.
Mujiba al-Bahiliyya about her father or her uncle, "He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then went to him again a year later when his circumstances and appearance had changed.
He said, 'Messenger of Allah, do you not recognise me?' He said, 'Who are you?' He said, 'I am the Bahili who came to you last year.' He said, 'What has changed you? You had a handsome appearance.' He said, 'I have only eaten at night since I left you.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You have tortured yourself!.' Then he said, 'Fast the month of endurance [Ramadan] and one day every month.' He said, 'Let me do more. I have strength.' He said, 'Fast two days.' He said, 'Let me do more.' He said, 'Fast three days.' He said, 'Let me do more.' He said, 'Fast in the sacred months and stop. Fast in the sacred months and stop. Fast in the sacred months and stop.' He spoke with three fingers, putting them together and then releasing them.'" [Abu Dawud]
The excellence of fasting and other things in the first 10 days of Dhu'l-Hijja 1249. Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "No virtuous actions done during any ten days are better liked by Allah than the actions done on these days (the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijja)." They said, "Messenger of Allah, not even jihad in the way of Allah?" He said, "Not even jihad in the way of Allah, except for a man who goes out putting his life and property in danger and returns with nothing." [al-Bukhari]
Abu Qatada said "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about fasting the Day of 'Arafat. He said, 'It expiates the past year and coming year.'" [Muslim] 1251.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fasted the Day of 'Ashura' and ordered it to be fasted. [Agreed upon] 1252.
Abu Qatada reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about fasting the Day of 'Ashura' and said, "It expiates the past year." [Muslim] 1253.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If I remain alive until next year, I will fast the ninth." [Muslim]
On the recommendation to fast six days of Shawwal 1254. Abu Ayyub reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six from Shawwal, it is as he had fasted the entire year." [Muslim]
On the recommendation to fast Mondays and Thursdays 1255. Abu Qatada reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about fasting Mondays and he said, "That is the day on which I was born and the day when I was sent - or when revelation descended on me." [Muslim] 1256.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Actions are presented on Mondays and Thursdays, so I like my actions to be presented while I am fasting." (Muslim related it without mentioning fasting.) [at-Tirmidhi]1257.
'A'isha said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to take care to fast on Mondays and Thursdays." [at-Tirmidhi]
On the recommendation to fast three days of every month .It is best to fast the 'white days', which are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth. 1258. Abu Hurayra said, "My friend, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered me to do three things: to fast three days every month, to do the two rak'ats of Duha and to do the witr before sleeping." [Agreed upon] 1259.
Abu'd-Darda' said, "My beloved, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded me to do three things which I will not forego as long as I live: to fast three days of every month, to pray Duha, and not to sleep until after praying the witr." [Muslim] 1260.
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fasting three days every month is equivalent to fasting continuously." [Agreed upon] 1261.
Mu'adha al-'Adawiyya asked 'A'isha , "Did the Messenger of Allah fast three days of every month?" She said, "Yes." "I said, 'What part of the month did he fast?' She said, 'He did not care what part of the month he fasted.'" [Muslim] 1262.
Abu Dharr reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you fast three days of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth." [at-Tirmidhi] 1263. Qatada ibn Milhan said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to command us to fast the white days: the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth." [Abu Dawud] 1264.
Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not fail to fast the white days either when at home or on a journey." [an-Nasa'i]
As an advice, one should first practice the obligatory duties, and then move on the the voluntary ones. It is said in a hadith about voluntary duties that Allah loves small actions that are done with consistency, which means holding fast to little portions on a regular basis is better than doing a lot in small burst, only to get weary and leave later.If you are thinking of fasting every month, try doing it on the "white days" , as mentioned in the hadith above. If you can hold to it regularly then move on to Mondays or Thursdays, and then to Mondays and Thursdays ... this is how you can help yourself grow slowly and steadily to adherence. Success comes through Allah alone.
Muslim prayer for the oppressed
“A person should help his brother, whether he is an oppressor or is being oppressed. If he is the oppressor, he should prevent him from continuing his oppression, for that is helping him. If he is being oppressed, he should be helped to stop the oppression against him.”
- The Prophet Muhammad
Allah Almighty commands Muslims in the Qur'an to
Hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves. (Aal `Imran 3:103)And again:
The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Apostle. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise. (At-Tawbah 9:71)
The above injunctions in the Qur'an clearly teach us that at all times, and most particularly in times of trials and tribulations, it is the duty of Muslims to stand together helping and supporting one another. Allah has decreed that the Muslims should form an Ummah (a closely-knit community) that loves and cares for one another and are ever willing to make sacrifices for one another.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his companions) taught that the Muslim Ummah should act like a body: If one part of the body suffers pain, the other part also suffers. When there is such a spirit of mutual trust and help, there will be unity and strength, safety and security.
Unity was the blessing the early Muslims had when they faced threats of extinction, so they could confront their non-believing enemies with confidence and put an end to injustice and oppression.The sad state of affairs faced by Muslims today is undoubtedly due to the fact that we do not follow the guidance of Allah Almighty given in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Consequently, Muslims in one part of the world are apathetic when Muslims in another part are tortured, dismembered, and massacred.In Palestine and Lebanon, Kashmir and Chechnya, Afghanistan and Iraq, Muslims are deliberately targeted, mostly in the name of the so-called War on Terror. In several countries of the world, including the Muslim world, Muslims are arrested and thrown into secret torture chambers "to break them down" and make them confess to crimes they never heard of. This makes it only natural for many Muslims to feel utterly dejected and disgusted.
Allah tells us in the Qur'an what means
And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? — Men, women, and children, whose cry is:
"Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!}* (An-Nisaa' 4:75)
This evidently is a direct and categorical command from Allah to Muslims to fight for the liberation of the weak and the helpless people from oppression and tyranny; and note that this fight is real jihad in the cause of Allah Almighty.In view of the foregoing, we may outline the ways in which we can respond to the present scenario:First of all, we must utilize all the political means to protect our Muslims brothers and sisters, and what is more, we must urge our own rulers to be committed to the welfare of the Muslim Ummah. Also, we must persuade the United Nations, the European Union, and even the Organization of the Islamic Conference to stop adopting policies that directly or indirectly promote the predatory expansionist agenda pursued by neo-colonial forces.Individually and collectively we should raise funds to help our brothers and sisters in need, and we should use the media to bring before the world's eye the sufferings of our people.
We need to highlight the targeted killings, the ruthless demolition of homes, the blatant deprivation of basic needs inflicted on the poor and the defenseless people by the marauders who do not care for innocent humans with a different skin color.With the help and cooperation of our religious leaders as well as fearless journalists and activists, we should wage a relentless jihad for the liberation of the oppressed. We should persuade the whole Ummah to work for the common welfare of the starving, homeless multitudes in Asia and Africa; we should indeed adopt all possible measures to effectively resist all forms of exploitation, aggression, and occupation.
Indeed, we should relearn the very purpose and meaning of "striving with might and main" in the way of Allah.Also, through constant and sincere prayers to Allah Almighty, we need to lend moral and emotional support to those who are deprived of their means of livelihood, their homes, and their very human dignity. And this is the least we can do for our brothers and sisters.
Narrated Abu Ma’bad, that the Prophet said, “… and be afraid of the curse of an oppressed person because there is no screen between his invocation and Allah.” Sahih Bukhari: Volume 2, Book 24, Number 573.
May Allah ease the travails of our people, and guide all Muslims, especially our rulers and leaders, to uphold justice and truth.This 1st of Muharram is New Year's Day, all of us as Muslim fathers and husbands should take time to reflect on our lives with our families. We should use the blessing of 1st of Muharram to look at ourselves with sincere and honest eyes, and take stock.
Aside from meeting our material and financial responsibilities, are we really fulfilling the amanah that Allah has given us in the form of our families? Are we teaching and modeling mercy, love, and forgiveness, or do we just see our families as our personal slaves? When we begin to open our hearts and look at things with a different set of eyes, we may not like what we see. Nevertheless, 1st of Muharram is the perfect time to begin this all-important and difficult work of struggling with ourselves to clear our hearts of all but Allah. As the saying goes, there is no better time than the present.
Reflection: “Fatimah Is a Piece of Me” — Seeing Our Children as a Reflection of Ourselves
When we read about the Prophet’s love and care for his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), about whom he said “Fatimah is a piece of me, whosoever tortures her has tortured me, and whoever pleases her has pleased me,” it is easy to understand the special place that children are meant to have in the lives of parents. In blessing us with children, the All-Merciful has given us each a human mirror. These little mirrors, in their role as learners, reflect back to us what they see, hear, and understand from us. As such, to be in tune with our children and their many ways of communicating, we are more able to understand ourselves and what we are “projecting” onto the world around us. Any parent who takes a minute to observe their child knows this to be true.
From the perspective of living Islam, however, we should also understand this to be an opportunity from Allah to examine ourselves. In so doing, our children, in another one of their roles as a mercy to parents, become allies for our own self-growth and purification. We help them as parents and they help us to better understand ourselves. The key to profiting on their gift is to be conscious of our every word and every action when we are around them. Of course this is a tall order for most us; however, when we understand the importance of every moment we share with our children, we can begin to appreciate them in a whole new way.
We pray:
Our Lord! we have wronged our own souls: if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy mercy we shall certainly be of the losers. Q7:23
Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, and set firm our feet and make us victorious over the disbelieving people. Q2:250
Our Lord! condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith. Q2:286
Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment on the Hell Fire! Q2:201
Relates articles- We stand in solidarity :
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/newvoice/mattson_stopping-oppression.shtml,
http://www.nmnonline.net/tenets/THENEWISLAMICYEAR1421AFTERHIJRAH.html,
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/whysupplicationoppressed.html,
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