The Blessings of the Day of Ashura

The Blessings of the Day of Ashura

Opening Supplications

Introduction: The Significance of Ashura

Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed us to gather to commemorate the historic day of Ashura. Ashura is a very important day in the life of this Ummah for a number of reasons. One of the distinctions of this day is that it is one of the days that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged us to fast. In fact, as we will come to inshallah, there are opinions—the opinion of Abu Hanifa and others—that before Ramadan was made incumbent in the second year of the Hijra, fasting the day of Ashura was the obligatory fast for the Muslims. Imam al-Shafi'i and others say it was sunnah mu'akkadah, highly highly encouraged.

The Prophetic Tradition of Fasting Ashura

The Hadith of Abu Huraira

So we start with this topic inshallah: fasting on the day of Ashura. It's related from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning the day of Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram: "The Prophets used to fast this day, therefore all of you should fast it." This hadith is narrated by Baqiy ibn Makhlad, who died in 276 after the Hijra. He was the first great muhaddith of al-Andalus, the first great hadith scholar of Islamic Spain. He was the first one to narrate many, many hadith in Spain and he spread the science of hadith in Islamic Spain. He has a musnad similar to the musnad of Imam Ahmed—the musnad of Imam Baqiy ibn Makhlad.

The Practice of Previous Nations

So the Prophets before this ummah used to fast this day. The Jews and Christians used to fast this day. The Quraysh in Jahiliyyah also used to fast on Ashura, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast this day even before he went to Medina. He would fast it in Mecca.

Dalham, the son of Salih, says that Ikrimah said to him: "What is it about Ashura?" And Ikrimah said that the Quraysh committed a grave sin on that day in Jahiliyyah, before Islam, and it weighed greatly on their hearts—literally in their breaths, but it weighed greatly on their hearts. So they asked: "What is the atonement for this day?" And it was said that they should fast the day of Ashura. So they began fasting it, even before Islam. That is the 10th day of Muharram. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast it before Islam in Mecca, before he was called to the prophetic office.

The Jews of Medina and the Day of Ashura

The Hadith of Ibn Abbas

You mentioned the Jews used to fast the day. In Bukhari and Muslim, in the Sahihain (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Medina and found the Jews fasting the day of Ashura. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: 'What is this day that you are fasting?' They said: 'This is a great day. Allah saved Moses and his people in it, and He drowned Pharaoh and his people. So Moses fasted it in gratitude, so we fast it.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'We are more worthy of Moses than you.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted it and he commanded his companions to fast it."

So the Quraysh were fasting it in Mecca, but for another reason—because of a sin they committed. When he came to Medina (peace and blessings be upon him), he was surprised to find the Jews also fasting that day, so he inquired. And they said: "It's a great day. It's the day that Allah saved Moses and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people. So Moses fasted that day out of thankfulness to Allah, thankfulness to God, so we also fast it." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We have more right to Moses than you." So the Messenger of Allah fasted that day and he ordered his companions to fast it also.

Additional Blessings of Ashura

In another narration, another version of this hadith has the addition:

"The day that the Ark came to rest on Mount Judi. Therefore, Noah and Moses fasted this day out of their thanks to Allah, be He glorified, mighty and majestic." (Quran 11:44)

The Transition from Obligatory to Voluntary Fasting

The Hadith of Ibn Umar

It's related by Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the Sahihain—meaning in Bukhari and Muslim-that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast Ashura and he ordered his companions to fast it. When the month of Ramadan was made obligatory to fast, he left that—that is to say, he left off the order—but he continued to fast it voluntarily. And there are many hadith to this effect.

Distinguishing from the Jews and Christians

The Practice of Fasting the Ninth Day

Another narration conveys another aspect of Ashura. It is narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted Ashura and ordered his companions to fast it, they said: "O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that the Jews and the Christians glorify." So

the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If next year comes, God willing, we will fast the ninth day."

Imam Ahmed narrated in Al-Musnad from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast the day of Ashura, and oppose the Jews and fast a day before it or a day after it."

So when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—or the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—fasted Ashura and commanded, ordered his companions to fast it, they said: "O Messenger of Allah, it's a day that the Jews and Christians magnify." Then the Messenger of Allah said: "When the next year comes, we will fast the ninth day"—meaning the day before the tenth day of Muharram, Ashura. So this is the basis for fasting the day before. And another version of the hadith related by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast the day of Ashura and differ from the Jews; fast along with it the day before it or the day after it."

So again, that's the basis for fasting the ninth along with the tenth, or the eleventh along with the tenth.

Additional Practices for the Day of Ashura

Giving Charity on Ashura

Another practice associated with this day is to give charity on the day of Ashura. It's related from Abdullah, the son of Amr, the son of Al-As, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever fasts the day of Ashura, it is as if he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity on the day of Ashura, it is as if he has given charity for the entire year." So giving charity on this day is also a highly desirable practice.

Spending Generously on One's Family

Another desirable practice is to spend for your family, treat your family on the day of Ashura. Whoever spends and treats his family on the day of Ashura, Allah will spend on him throughout the rest of the year. So this is another highly desirable practice for this day.

Building Islamic Culture Through Ashura Traditions

So all of these things are customs we should try to introduce into our families, into our communities. And this is the process of constructing our Islamic culture—that we have festivities, occasions, customs, traditions associated with certain Islamic dates, events, practices that give richness to our religion. So if we pray, fast, and just go through the motions, but it's Ashura: "That's why I bought you this new bike. And remember, that's from the blessings of Ashura." As you grow up, it's a blessed day.

The Animals That Fasted on Ashura

Here's something amazing that most people aren't familiar with, though some are: that many of the animals and insects and critters used to fast on Ashura.

Imam Khatib al-Baghdadi produces a hadith in his history where he says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: "The sparrow hawk was the first bird to fast Ashura." And there are many similar narrations concerning the ants.

Fath bin Shakhraf says that he used to crumble up bread to feed the ants every day. When the day of Ashura came, they wouldn't eat it. There are many narrations like this. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali gathers many of them in his book, Lataif al-Ma'arif.

Another narration reports that Abd al-Qadir, the Abbasid caliph, observed the ants not eating anything that he left on the plate on Ashura. So he went to one of the scholars of his era, Abu Hassan al-Khazwini al-Zahid, and he informed him of that. And then Abu Hassan al-Khazwini said: "It's a day that the ants fast."

Similar narrations come from Abu Musa al-Madini, who's one of the great, great hadith scholars of the Ummah. So these are not just isolated mystics who maybe did too much dhikr and thought they saw the ants acting strange, but many of the great hadith scholars—Abu Musa al-Madini and others—relate this. And Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, whose methodology is considered Salafi, gathers all these narrations together in his book, Lataif al-Ma'arif. So this is something that people should—these narrations should be seriously countenanced.

The Virtues of Fasting Muharram

The Hadith About the Month of Muharram

The virtue of Ashura: we mentioned one of its virtues—whoever fasts it, it's as if he or she has fasted the entire year, and whoever gives charity on that day, it's as if he or she has given charity for the entire year.

"If you are going to fast any month besides Ramadan, then fast Muharram. Because in Muharram there's a day that Allah turned in repentance to one group of people"—referring to Adam (peace be upon him)—"and He will turn in repentance to others."

And the others are all of us.

Seeking Forgiveness on Ashura

The Day Adam Was Forgiven

One of the practices of Ashura—that's why we did the istighfar initially is to seek forgiveness on this day, to seek forgiveness on the day of Ashura. This was the day Adam (peace be upon him) was forgiven. So in addition to the children of Israel being delivered from bondage, in addition to the ark coming to rest on this day, it's also the day Adam (peace be upon him) was forgiven by Allah.

"So Adam received words from his Lord, and He turned to him in forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful."

So Adam sought forgiveness and Allah accepted it on this day. So this day we're encouraged to seek forgiveness.

The Importance of Repentance for the Ummah

And the ummah in general—one job of the leaders of this ummah is to encourage the people to repent, to encourage the people to repent. And one reason it's the job of the political authorities is that it brings good from Allah to the rulers and to the lands of the Muslims. So one of the conditions of the rain prayer is that before holding the prayer, the people are asked to repent to Allah and seek forgiveness for three days. Then they go out to the musalla and pray.

So good comes to the ummah through repentance and through seeking Allah's forgiveness. So this is something we should remind ourselves of constantly, but especially on Ashura. Set aside an hour and make istighfar. Seek forgiveness from Allah. Turn to Allah and repent from all of our sins. Let us try to do this, inshallah.

The Example of Umar bin Abdul Aziz

Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him), who's called al-Khamis min al-Khulafa ar-Rashideen-who's sometimes referred to as the fifth of the rightly guided caliphs—he wrote a letter to all of the outlying towns. And in the letter, he said: "Say as your father Adam said:

'Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, surely we will be amongst the great losers.'

And say as Noah said:

'My Lord, I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.'

And say as Jonah said:

'There is no god except You. Glorified are You. Surely I have been amongst the wrongdoers.'"

The Need for All to Seek Forgiveness

These are our prophets. These are prophets. So what is our state that we're not beseeching Allah for forgiveness? All of us—we know our sins. We know our shortcomings. We know our misdeeds. We know that which no one else knows about us.

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Imam Ali, when he was praised, said—as mentioned in Nahj al-Balagha:

"O Allah, do not take me to account because of what they're saying about me. And make me better than they think of me. And forgive me for what they do not know."

Because anyone of us that people might admire—they don't know those secret things that are between the person and Allah. So all of us, no matter who we are, are in desperate need of Allah's forgiveness, and we're in desperate need of the mercy of Allah.

The Hadith on Repentance

So we are encouraged to repent. And again, these were all prophets. Imam al-Bukhari relates in a sahih hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"If the servant confesses his sins to Allah and then repents for those sins, Allah will turn to him or her in repentance."

Sayyid al-Istighfar

So the Sayyid—what's called Sayyid al-Istighfar—is the following du'a that all of us should learn and should say it morning and in the evening, as much as it's easy for us:

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god except You. You have created me and I am Your slave. And I am acting on the basis of the covenant and promise established between me and You to the best of my ability. I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done. I confess openly on the basis of the blessings You have bestowed upon me. And I confess my sins to You. So forgive me, for surely no one forgives sins except You."

And that's one of the great, great, great, great gifts we receive from Allah—that we can't receive from anyone else—that our sins are being forgiven.

Summary of the Blessed Practices of Ashura

So we mentioned that the day is famous for fasting. And just to reiterate: the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them) fasted this day, and we have textual proof specifically designating Noah (peace be upon him) and after him Moses (peace be upon him) as fasting this day. We know that the Jews used to fast this day, and that the Christians also fasted, but we have specific evidence mentioning the Jews fasting it in Medina. That the Quraysh before Islam used to fast the day in Jahiliyyah. And that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fasted this day in Jahiliyyah and fasted this day after Islam. And for one year after the Hijrah—the year after the Hijrah before Ramadan was made incumbent during the second year many of the scholars, amongst them Abu Hanifa, are of the opinion that it was obligatory to fast the day of Ashura.

So fasting is one of the distinctions of this day. We mentioned the desirability of seeking forgiveness on this day, as this was the day that Adam (peace be upon him) was forgiven.

The Martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn

Commemorating a Day for All Muslims

This day is also famous, as we all know—it's the day that Imam al-Husayn was martyred. It's the day al-Husayn was martyred. And this is a day all Muslims should reflect on and should commemorate, because al-Husayn was all of our Imams. He wasn't just the Imam of the Shia, but he was the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah also. And this event took place before the tenets of what would become Shia Islam were codified. So he's all of our Imams, Sunni and Shia.

So a person who's a Sunni Muslim should see no contradiction with the fundamental tenets of Ahl al-Sunnah by commemorating this day. Also, Imam al-Husayn was from the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And we're all taught to love the Prophet's family, Sunni or Shia. So the love, again, of the Prophet's family isn't something specifically for Shia, just as the love of the Sahaba shouldn't be something designated strictly for Ahl al-Sunnah. We should love the people that the Prophet loved (peace and blessings be upon him). And he loved his family, and he loved his companions, he loved his wives. And again, this brings us all together.

Unity on Common Ground

We should all, as Muslims, no matter what our orientation, be united on these points. And the beauty of the prophetic teachings is that if we look at the teachings with objectivity, we find that everyone can have a sound justification for what they're doing if what they're doing is consistent with the basic tenets of the faith.

The Verse of Purification (Ahl al-Bayt)

So to make an example of this, the verse in the Quran:

"Rather, Allah desires to remove from you all impurity, O people of the house, and to purify you completely."

That rather Allah desires to purify you—to purify you of all sins, to purify you of being influenced by Shaitan, to purify you of all impurities, O people of the house—to purify you greatly. It's a very rough translation.

The Shia View and Its Support

This verse substantiates the view of the Shia that this verse is specifically referring to Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn. And the support for their position comes from an unexpected source. What would an unexpected source of support for a view that's held by the Shia come from? What would you think? From hadith.

And Imam Tirmidhi relates, Imam Abu Dawood relates, Imam Tabari relates many narrations—at least ten various chains of transmission—that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Ali, Fatima, al- Hasan, and al-Husayn, and he said: "These are the people of my house." He called, or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, he called Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn, and he said: "These are the people of my house." And Imam Tabari, as we mentioned, relates at least ten narrations—I didn't count them—that this verse

was revealed concerning them. So their substantiation comes from the hadith, from the Sunnah, from the proofs of Ahl al-Sunnah.

The Sunni View and Its Support

The opinion of the majority of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah is that Ahl al-Bayt refers to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And the support for the opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah comes from the Quran, because what we recited—"Innama yuridu Allahu li-yudhhiba 'ankumu al-rijsa Ahla al-Bayti wa yutahhirakum tathira"—is half of a verse. The first half and the preceding verse were revealed concerning the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (may Allah be pleased with all the Sahaba).

So the first part of this verse is addressing the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "And stay patiently in your homes. Don't go out except for a need." So this verse was proof that the women of the Ummah should stay in the house, but there should be decency in our society. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told the men to stay in the house, and we should be cognizant of this so we can look at the fullness of Islamic teachings. So no one can say: "Look, see, Islam wants women to have no role in society, just to stay in the house."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a group of his Sahaba hanging out on the side of the street. What did he say? "Beware of sitting on the sides of the street. Don't hang out here. Stay in your houses unless you have a reason to come out." And then they said: "But we have to come out." He said: "Then give the road its right. Lower your gaze, etc. Command the good, forbid the wrong." So the whole of Islamic teachings have to be looked at.

In any case, so that's referring to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "And don't go around adorned as women used to do before Islam. Establish regular prayer. Pay the binding charity. And obey Allah and His messenger." And then: "Rather, Allah desires to remove from you all sin and all impurities, O people of the house." So this is a continuation of what was mentioned earlier in the verse. And that's the substantiation or support for the view of Ahl al-Sunnah that the verse refers to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Bridging the Opinions

So this is beautiful, in that a source usually Sunnis rely on is supporting the Shia opinion, and a source usually Shia rely on is supporting the Sunni opinion. So to join between the opinions: all of the Muslims, Sunni and Shia, should love and reverence the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and not belittle or slander or denigrate any of them in any way. And the immediate family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn—and the Sahaba in general. And therefore we touch all the bases.

Moving Beyond Past Conflicts

And whatever we should do, we shouldn't revive and try to refight the battles of the past. That's a course of fools, because what's gone is gone. And as Allah says in the Quran during that time concerning the earlier people:

"That is a nation that has passed away. They will have what they earned, and you will have what you earned. And you will not be asked concerning what they were doing."

So that's applicable for us. Those Muslims who preceded us have gone forth to Allah. The good that they earned, they will have. And whatever bad they might have earned, they'll have. And we will not be asked what they were doing. We're not going to be asked about the conflict between Imam Ali and Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them all). We're not going to be asked about those events that occurred. We're going to be asked about what we did to improve the condition of this Ummah and humanity in general. What we did to hold aloft the banner of Islam. What we did to work and to sacrifice for Islam. That is the only thing we're going to be asked about. That's the only thing we're going to be asked about. And those who preceded us, they're going to be asked about what they did.

وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

So we should be cognizant of that.

The Stand of Imam al-Husayn

His Ijtihad and Sacrifice

Now, just to briefly mention Imam Husayn—his going forth to a sure death in Iraq was based on his ijtihad. So we know that many of the other mujtahidun, such as Ibn Abbas, his cousin, tried to persuade him from going forth based on his ijtihad and his assessment of the situation. And we discussed this issue in detail during the course we did, "Exemplars of Courage," in discussing the stand of both Zaynab bint Ali—al-Husayn's sister Zaynab, who was with al-Husayn at Karbala and survived the massacre there—and Zayn al-Abideen, Ali bin al- Husayn bin Ali. So Zayn al-Abideen was also there, and he was the only male who wasn't killed because he was sick on that day. So he didn't go forth to the immediate battlefield, but he survived and was taken to first Ibn Ziyad and then to Yazid.

In any case, his ijtihad led him to go there. And his pursuit of justice and his desire to see the prophetic model reinstituted in the rule of the Ummah sent him forth. And because of that, he lives on:

"Don't say concerning those who are killed in the way of Allah that they are dead. Rather, they live on."

And he lives on in the memory of the Muslims. All of us know about al-Husayn. All of us know about Karbala. And as the Khatib mentioned where I went for Jumu'ah today, no one knows—very few, unless someone is a student of knowledge—who killed Husayn. If I ask right now, probably 90% of you wouldn't know who killed al-Husayn, who commanded the force that went out to Karbala. Most people don't know. But we know al- Husayn's name. And we know of his courage. And we know of his example.

Justice Worth Sacrificing For

So he should be an exemplar for us that justice is something worth sacrificing for. Justice is worth sacrificing for. He sacrificed his life in the name and the pursuit of justice. So we should always remember that. And Allah in the Quran—and this is an emphatic form:

"O you who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah."

And again, this is something we should never forget. And this should frame how we see Islam—that we are witnesses for the people.

Our Role as Witnesses for Justice

Maintaining a Standard

Now, if we're caught up in everything the people are caught up with, how can we be witnesses? Witnesses imply some sort of a normative standard. So if we reject any standard, much less try to be that standard, then we are squandering or failing in one of the duties that we've been commissioned as an ummah. And none other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is going to question us about that.

"You're the best community raised up for the people, for the service of the people."

"Thus have We made you a balanced nation, a middle nation, that you will be witnesses against the people and the Messenger himself will be a witness against you."

So we have a job in terms of our witnessing. And one of the witnesses is for justice. Be witnesses to justice—or upright, rather, for justice. Be upright for justice. And another closely related verse: witnesses for justice. So that is part of our role as an ummah. And again, that implies some sort of a standard.

Practical Examples of Upholding Standards

So in our little things, we should be upright and we should be witnesses. For example, using profanity. You find some Muslims who come here from other countries, they get jobs and they're working with people, and they hear people using this language, and so they start using it. So I'm not trying to impugn their character—they're just imitating the other people. This is unbecoming of a Muslim. If you hear that, give the Muslim nasiha.

Because growing up in this society as a Christian—and some of you know exactly what I'm talking about—we couldn't even whisper one of those words. This was before they put people in jail for punishing their children. We would be severely punished. If you ever said it in the presence of any of your elders—your parents- especially if you said it to them, I'm not exaggerating. So I'm not saying we should start punishing people, but we should give people advice. This is not becoming of a Muslim.

How will we be witnesses when in our behavior we're beneath the people we're witnessing to? And that's where the Prophet comes:

"And the Messenger will be a witness against you."

The Prophet as Witness

So on Yawm al-Qiyamah, if nations try to claim they never got the prophetic message, we will witness against them. This is in the hereafter. And if we try to claim, "Well, we really didn't know Islam. You know, it was not clear. It was fuzzy," the Prophet will witness against us (peace and blessings be upon him).

At his farewell address, the last thing he said at Arafah: "Have I delivered the message?" They said: "Yes." He said: "O Allah, bear witness." He called Allah to witness that he delivered the message to this ummah. He called Allah to witness that he delivered the message to this ummah. So if any of us say he didn't, or we really didn't get it, it wasn't clear, then the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him) will witness against us: "I gave the message. And what you need from the essential parts of it is clear."

(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

"What's lawful is clear, and what's unlawful is clear. And there are some grey areas—doubtful matters that most of the people don't know the ruling of those areas."

So what should you do? Avoid those things.

"Whoever avoids the doubtful things has escaped with his religion and honor intact."

Justice Within the Bounds of Sharia

Not "By Any Means Necessary"

So in conclusion, we are people who pursue justice, but not at any cost. We are never the people – as Malcolm X said, he said it before he understood Islam thoroughly—"by any means necessary." No. By any lawful means necessary. By any divinely sanctioned means necessary. But not by any means necessary.

So we're not the Shining Path, the Marxist guerrillas or Maoist guerrillas in Peru in the jungles. We're the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). And we have a law to guide our actions and everything. So we don't say our pursuit of justice allows us to kill civilians. Our pursuit of justice allows us to kill other Muslims. Never. Never. And we should hold on to that principle. And we should pursue justice, but we should pursue justice within the confines of Sharia.

So we'll stop here. It's late. And this was just a little gathering to say a few things about Ashura.

Question and Answer: The Event of Ghadir Khumm

There's a question about: Does Sunni understand the hadith concerning Ghadir Khumm? The hadith is widely used by Shia to explain what actually happened—the events of Ghadir Khumm, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his companions and he praised Imam Ali. But there are different interpretations of that.

The Shia Interpretation

Shia interpret that as that being the nomination of Imam Ali to succeed him.

The Sunni Interpretation

And Ahl al-Sunnah do not deny that hadith. The hadith is in Bukhari. It's in Muslim. It's in most of the Sunni compilations. But Ahl al-Sunnah interpret that hadith to mean that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was extolling the virtues of Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

And amongst the things that indicate that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with all of the companions) was rightfully the successor of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is that during the Prophet's illness, he nominated Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the community in prayer. And during the Prophet's life, this was one of the functions of the prophetic office. So the one to succeed him as the Khalifa—which meant successor—is the one that he designated to hold that office during his lifetime, during the time of his illness before his death. And there are other proofs.

Respecting All Opinions

So again, one should always look at the big picture. And when one looks at the big picture, you gain respect for all of the opinions.

So the events at Ghadir Khumm did occur. Ghadir means a pond or spring of water between Mecca and Medina, closer to Mecca, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his companions. So that did occur and is mentioned in Sunni sources. But there's a difference of opinion concerning the interpretation.

A Beautiful Example of Humility

And one of the beautiful things I heard when I was visiting an Iranian friend of mine when I went back east a few weeks ago—we were in their house watching the Iranian satellite channel, and it was the day of Ghadir Khumm, the very day. So the Islamic Republic of Iran had a special celebration to commemorate that day. And the Hujjatul Islam—one of the titles of their scholars beneath the Ayatollah—who was giving the lecture, it was a question and answer session. So he was asked about this hadith. He said it occurred. The Sunnis recognize it. The Shia recognize it.

And then he was asked: "What did it mean when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) praised Ali?" You know what he said? He said: "I don't know. I wasn't there." He said: "I don't know. I wasn't there."

So in other words, I have an opinion, but, you know, maybe I'm wrong.

The Wisdom of Imam al-Shafi'i

As Imam Shafi'i said—there's a beautiful saying of Imam Shafi'i—he said: "I believe I'm right, but then again, you could be right. And that being the case, I could be wrong."

So I have an opinion on this or that affair, and I think I'm right. That's why I articulate this particular opinion. But I could be wrong. And the possibility that I'm wrong means that the other person could be right.

So in other words, hold on to your opinions, but not so doggedly that you don't admit the possibility that the countervailing opinion might be right. Therefore, you respect it. So I think you're wrong, but I respect your opinion if it's based on something sound from the sources of the religion. And that's how we should approach our affair. And that will save us a lot of misery and a lot of disputation over the deen, because it's not our way to argue about the religion. Present it, and people can ponder it, accept it or reject it.

Closing Supplications

We ask Allah that He forgives us on this day. We ask Allah He blesses all of us with the strength to fast tomorrow.

Encouraging Children to Fast

One of the things we didn't relate, but it's related by many sound narrations, is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the companions to fast on Ashura, they ordered their children. And in one narration, they would gather the children in the masjid and give them toys to play with so they could fast and not think about being hungry. And then it says if they complained of hunger, they would give them a little something to eat until iftar time came.

So we should all try to fast. Encourage our family members to fast. Encourage those who can. And the children also to fast. Even if they're small, tell them to fast. We should encourage the children. But naturally, if they get hungry, feed them. Then tell them to fast some more so they get used to it.

Final Du'a

"O Allah, make our gathering a merciful gathering, and separate us after it with innocence, and don't make anyone among us or with us wretched or deprived."

"O Allah, we ask You for forgiveness and well-being in religion, in this world, and in the hereafter."

"O Allah, divide for us from Your fear what stands between us and disobedience to You, and from Your obedience what You convey us with to Your Paradise, and from certainty what makes easy for us the difficulties of this world."

"O Allah, let us enjoy our hearing, our sight, and our strength as long as You keep us alive, and make it a heritage from us. And make our vengeance against those who wrong us, and help us against those who are our enemies. And don't make our affliction in our religion, and don't make this world our greatest concern or the

extent of our knowledge. And don't give power over us to one who doesn't fear You regarding us and doesn't have mercy on us, O Most Merciful of the merciful."

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ، وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Glory, beyond what they describe. And peace be upon the messengers. And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."

الْفَاتِحَة