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The Virtues of Allah’s sacred month of Muharram
Allah’s sacred month of Muharram is a
blessed and important month. It is the first month of the Hijri calendar
and is one of the four sacred months concerning which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the number of
months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by
Allaah 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…” [al-Tawbah 9:36]
Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive
months of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which
comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.” (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 2958).
Muharram is so called because it is a
sacred (muharram) month and to confirm its sanctity.
Allaah’s words (interpretation of the
meaning): “so wrong not yourselves therein…”
mean do not wrong yourselves in these sacred months, because sin in these
months is worse than in other months.
It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas said
that this phrase (so wrong not yourselves therein…) referred to
all the months, then these four were singled out and made sacred, so that
sin in these months is more serious and good deeds bring a greater
reward.
The Virtue of observing more naafil
fasts during Muharram.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The best of fasting after
Ramadaan is fasting Allaah’s month of Muharram.’” (reported by
Muslim, 1982).
Virtues of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah
The first ten days of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allaah has preferred over all the other days of the
year. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father)
reported that the Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are
more beloved to Allaah than these ten days." The people asked,
"Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?" He said, "Not
even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went
out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came
back with nothing."
(Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 2/457).
You should know, my brother
and sister in Islam, that the virtues of these ten days is based on many
things:
- Allaah swears an oath by them,
and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance
and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"By the
dawn; by the ten nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid
and others of the earlier and later generations said that this
refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said:
"This is the correct opinion." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
8/413)
- The Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified that these are the
best days of this world, as we have already quoted above from saheeh
ahaadeeth.
- The Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged people to do
righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people
throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place -
for the Hujjaaj (pilgrims) to the Sacred House of Allaah.
- The Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to recite a lot of
Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allaah"), Tahmeed
("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer ("Allaahu
akbar") during this time. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah
be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet [an error occurred while processing this directive](peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are no days
greater in the sight of Allaah and in which righteous deeds are more
beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a
great deal of Tahleel ("La ilaaha ill-Allaah"),
Takbeer and Tahmeed." (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224;
Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is saheeh).
- These ten days include Yawm
‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allaah perfected His
Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two
years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of
Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day
of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other
day.
6. These ten days
include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj.
Hajj and its Virtues
This
is a brief discussion on Hajj – its virtues, benefits and a little
about its rulings.
According
to the correct view, Hajj was made obligatory in 9 AH (i.e., after
Hijrah, migration to Madeenah),
the year of the Delegations, in which the chapter of Aal-‘Imraan was revealed; (it is this chapter) in
which Allaah says which means, “…And
(due) to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for
whoever is able to find thereto a way…” (Aal-‘Imraan: 97)
Hajj is a fareedhah
(obligatory duty) and is one of the pillars of Islaam. The evidence for
this is the verse mentioned above. There is also confirmation of it in
the Sunnah, for Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated
that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
said, “Islaam is built upon five
(pillars): testimony that there is no God but Allaah and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allaah, establishing regular prayers, paying the Zakaah, Hajj and fasting (the month of) Ramadhaan.” (Bukhaari & Muslim)
Hajj must be performed straight away;
the proof for this is the verse referred to above. This (i.e., doing
things straight away) is the guiding principle concerning the commands in
the Sharee’ah (jurisprudence). The
evidence of it in the Sunnah is as follows:
- Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him,
narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
gave a sermon and said: “O people,
Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you, so do Hajj.” (Muslim)
- Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
said, “Whoever wants to go for Hajj,
let him hasten in doing so because he may fall ill or some other
problems may arise.” (Ibn Maajah
& Abu Dawood) He also said, “Hasten to do Hajj (i.e., the obligatory Hajj)
for none of you knows what may happen to him.” (Ahmad)
It
is obligatory to do Hajj once in one's lifetime. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be
pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
gave a sermon and said, “O people, Allaah
has enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” A man asked,
“Every year, O Messenger of Allaah?” He remained silent until the man had
repeated it three times, then he said, “If I say yes, it will become obligatory and you will
not be able to do it.” He, then, said, “Do not push me to tell you more than what I have
left you with, for those who came before you were
destroyed because they asked too many questions and argued with their Prophets.
If I command you to do a thing, do as much of it as you can, and if I
forbid you to do something, then avoid it.”
(Muslim)
There
are many Hadeeth which speak about the virtues of Hajj,
including the following:
- It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah,
may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was
asked which deed was best, so he replied, “Belief in Allaah and His Messenger.”
He was asked, then what (was the next best deed), and he said, “Jihaad for the sake of Allaah.” He was
asked, then what (after that) and he sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
replied, “An accepted Hajj.”
(Bukhaari & Muslim)
An
accepted Hajj denotes that:
- It must be paid for with legal earnings.
- One should keep away from evil, sin and unjust disputes
during it.
- One should observe all its rituals according to the Sunnah.
- One should not show off by doing Hajj – it should be
purely and done sincerely for the sake of Allaah.
- One should not follow it with acts of disobedience and sin.
- Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I heard the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam say: “Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and
does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits a sin or
disputes unjustly during the Hajj, will come back (free from all
sins) like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Bukhaari
& Muslim)
- Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him,
also reported that the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
said, “From one ‘Umrah
to another is an expiation for the sins committed between them, and
the accepted Hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.”
(Bukhaari & Muslim)
- ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, may
Allaah be pleased with her, asked the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam,
“O Messenger of Allaah, can we not go out on campaigns and fight
in Jihaad with you?” He said, “But the best and most beautiful of Jihaad is an accepted Hajj.” ‘Aa’ishah, may
Allaah be pleased with her, said, “I never stopped going for Hajj
after I heard that from the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam.”
(Bukhaari)
- ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him,
reported that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
said, “Hajj wipes out whatever (of
sins) came before it.” (Muslim)
- ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him,
narrated that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam
said, “Keep on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just
as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron, gold and silver.”
(Tirmidhi & An-Nasaa’i)
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