Highlands Ranch Islamic Association

Ashura

Thursday, June 25th marks one of the most blessed, virtuous and significant day of the year, Ashura, that is 10th of Al-Muharram.
From the teachings of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ it is strongly recommended to fast on this day which expiates the sins (minor) of the previous year.

One of the most tragic events in Islamic History, that is of Karbala and the martyrdom of Syedna Hussain also occurred on this day.

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Husain is from me, and I am from Husain. Allah loves whoever loves Husain. Husain is a Sibt among the Asbat.”
[Timizi, Ibn Maajah, Musnad Ahmad]

It is important to learn about the family of the Prophet and inculcate the love of them in ourselves and in our children.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that if someone spends generously on their family on the Day of Ashura, Allah will treat them with generosity for the rest of the year (Bayhaqi).
One of the great Muhaditheen Sufyan bin Uyaynah said, “We tried this for fifty years and all that we saw was good.”

Habib Umar bin Hafiz said: “The purpose of this is that you show extra compassion to them. This is then a means of protecting your family from the forces of corruption that attempt to encroach from all sides. This does not just mean buying them food. You need to show them the compassion of Muhammad ﷺ through his teachings. Show them that the Prophet has taught you to laugh with them and to make sure they are well. He has taught you that it hurts you to see them suffer in any way in this life or the next. Let them experience the compassion of his teachings and show them that after 1,400 years his teachings are alive in your home.

The Advice of the Scholar al-Murabit al-Hājj Written in his Own Hand

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Reported from Abdullāh b. Mas’ūd that the Prophet ﷺ said:

This world (Dunya) is [only taken as] a home by those who will have no real home [in Jannah], and it is the wealth of those who will have no real wealth, and it is gathered and collected for by those who have no real intelligence.

And a poet said:

A person's true gain is his youth,
and loss lies in wasting it through negligence.

I counsel myself and I counsel you with the counsel of Allah to the first and the last:

“Indeed, We have commanded those given the Scripture before you, as well as you, to be mindful of Allah.” (Qur'an 4:131)

And the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures, death.”

There is no resting place after death except one of two abodes: either the abode of everlasting bliss or the Fire.

Beware of excessive companionship with most people of this age. For Abu Hamid al-Ghazali said in the fifth century:

“Beware of the pseudo-scholars (charlatans) of your time, for they are wolves in clothing.”

What is required of a person is spending his life learning beneficial knowledge and striving against his own soul with acting upon what he has learned.

People today claim to be scholars, but the matter is not so. The true scholar is the one who fears Allah.

al-Hasan al-Basri said when someone told him, “The jurists (Fuqaha) do not say that”:

“Have you truly seen a jurist? The jurist is the one who fears Allah.”

May Allah make me and you among those who listen to his speech and follow the best of it. Amin. And may Allah send blessings upon Sayydina Muhammad ﷺ.O Allah, forgive, have mercy, and pardon what You know.

Extremely grateful to all the wonderful Interfaith Coalition of Douglas County members and other community leaders who showed up at Eid Al Adha prayers at HRIA. May God bless you all immensely Ameen. 🤲💚

Awza’i رحمه الله said,

“I realized that people were reserving things (their duas, needs, wishes) for the day of Arafah to ask Allāh for them.

And some of them used to say:

‘For fifty years I have been supplicating on the day of Arafah and the year does not go by except that I see the answer of my dua come to pass as the morning light (as clear as day).’”

[Lataif al Ma’arif]

*Four to Prioritize on the Day of Arafah*

1. Takbir | Fill your tongue with the remembrance of Allah after every prayer starting from Fajr of the Day of Arafah until the 13th of Dhul Hijjah after Asr.
اللّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلهِ الْحَمْدُ

2. Fasting { For those not in Hajj, fasting the Day of Arafah wipes away the sins of the previous and coming year by Allah’s mercy.

3. Dua | This is the greatest day for supplication. Ask Allah for everything, forgiveness, guidance, provision, steadfastness, and Jannah. Make dua with certainty and sincerity.

4. Tahlil | Repeat abundantly the best words ever spoken by the Prophets. It renews faith, strengthens the heart, and draws you closer to Allah.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ.

May Allah allow us to maximize the Day of Arafah and accept from us all. Ameen.

Al-Hāfidh ibn Ḥajr al-ʿAsqalānī رحمه الله said:

"The Day of Jumu'ah (that comes) within the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is more virtuous than Jumu'ah in other than it due to it combining the two virtues (of Jumu'ah and Dhul Hijjah) therein."

[Fatḥ al-Bārī bi-Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (3/29)]