The Great Bounties of Ashura

The Great Bounties of Ashura

Imam Zaid Shakir

Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. On the 10th day of the noble month of Muharram, the Zaytuna community gathered for an evening of remembrance and reflection. We now share with you concluding remarks by Imam Zaid Shakir concerning the great bounties of this date.

The Day of Forgiveness and Seeking Repentance

Imam Tirmidhi relates a tradition where the Prophet ﷺ said: "This is a day, Ashura, where Allah forgives many people and others seek forgiveness from Him." So this day should have been spent, amongst other things, in prayer, devotion, to the extent of our ability, because many of us had to work, and seeking forgiveness. And one of the best forms, and even tonight, because the Prophet ﷺ also encouraged fasting the day before and the day after, is the dua of Adam (عليه السلام - 'alayhis-salām) since this is the day Adam's repentance was accepted, to say the prayer of Adam and Ḥawwā, Adam and Eve:

"Oh God, we have wronged our souls, and oppressed ourselves, through our actions. If You don't turn to us in repentance, and have mercy on us, if You don't forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be amongst the great losers."

Reflection on Our Spiritual State

So this gives us pause to reflect on our spiritual state, on our relationship with God, and on how we sometimes take our sins and transgressions for granted. We don't think about them, but how many of us are really different from Adam (عليه السلام - 'alayhis-salām) and his wife, Adam and Ḥawwā, Adam and Eve?

Who amongst us has not oppressed his or her soul? Has not done wrong?

Who amongst us is not in need of the forgiveness and mercy of God? Who doesn't need the mercy of God? In this world and more importantly in the next.

We will be amongst the great losers. Who is going to be saved through their own efforts? Their efforts alone, without God showering His mercy upon us?

The Necessity of Seeking Forgiveness

So brothers and sisters, this behooves us to examine ourselves. When these special occasions come, they're occasions where we should reflect in the appropriate way. So this is when Adam (عليه السلام - 'alayhis-salām) his tawbah was accepted. And he pleaded to God for mercy and for forgiveness. So this is a reminder for us that this should be a major part of our business in this world.

Just as we strive to feed ourselves, and we strive to clothe ourselves, and we strive to meet the perfect mate, we should be striving to seek the forgiveness and mercy of God in this world. Because if we leave this world and our sins aren't forgiven, then we're (مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ - min al-khāsirīn) we're amongst the great losers.

And as Allah (تعالى - ta'ālā) says in Quran:

Every soul will taste of death.

And then you will be given your recompense for this in full stint on the day of judgment.

Whoever is pulled back from the hellfire and entered into paradise, that is the victorious one.

And what is the life of this world except the deceptive enjoyment? It deceives us. We enjoy it and we think these pleasures will last forever. Or we take these pleasures by usurping other people's rights.

The Recording of Our Deeds

So I can eat, drink and be merry because of my oppression, because of my usurpation, because of my actions which are leading to misery for someone else. And I don't think about that. But Allah (سبحانه وتعالى - subḥānahu wa ta'ālā) Almighty God, is recording everything we do, we say, everything we think in this world. And if it's not right, we're going to be recompensed in full. Similarly to every good deed, even every good thought, even every good intention. Whoever intends a good deed and is prevented from doing it, how is it recorded?

(Sahih Bukhari 6491)

A good deed is recorded for him. And if he or she actually does it, then ten goods are recorded from the one act.

(Sahih Muslim 131)

And if he or she intends a bad deed, and is prevented or leaves it, and doesn't do it, is it written as neutral, nothing? Or is it written as a bad deed, because he or she thought about it? It's written as a good deed. Leaving the bad deed is a good deed. Leaving the (سَيِّئات - sayyi'āt) is recorded as (حَسَنَات - ḥasanāt)

Allah (تعالى - ta'ālā) is merciful brothers and sisters. He is merciful.

And who is the best to forgive? And the best to bestow mercy?

The most merciful of those who show mercy.

The Martyrdom of Al-Husayn

So these are some things associated with the day itself. Now we all know in history this was a momentous day in Islamic history, because it was the day that Al-Husayn, the son of Ali (رضي الله عنه - raḍiya-llāhu 'anhu) the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ. The son of Ali (رضي الله عنه - raḍiya-llāhu 'anhu), may Allah ennoble his countenance and be pleased with him. And the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, Al-Husayn.

And Al-Husayn has the (تَزْكِيَة - tazkiyah) of the Prophet ﷺ. Many times amongst the things that the Prophet said magnifying the virtue and manifesting the virtue of Al-Husayn:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3768)

Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn will be the leaders of the youth of paradise. That sufficient character reference, as we translate (تَرْكِية - tarkīyah) that way, that sufficient character reference for Al-Husayn.

The Character and Knowledge of Al-Husayn

Al-Husayn was one of the Ulama, Al-Husayn of the Sahaba, the latter Sahaba, the older, younger Sahaba. His knowledge, he was one of the Atqiya, one of the most pious of his generation. He was one of the most insightful of his generation, and all this is known. And he went forth based on his Ijtihad. His Mujtahid, based on his Ijtihad, he went forth to what was certain death, even though he was warned.

Amongst those who warned him, Ibn Abbas warned him not to go forth. Even his envoy that he sent to Al-Iraq, Muslim bin Aqeel, his cousin, the son of Aqeel bin Abi Talib, the brother of Imam Ali and the brother of Jafar. Aqeel, Muslim bin Aqeel was sent by Husayn to Kufa to gauge the situation there. The people were inviting Husayn: "Come, come, come and set up Khilafah here."

The Mission of Muslim bin Aqeel

So Al-Husayn, he sent Muslim bin Aqeel, and Muslim bin Aqeel, originally being, initially rather being received by the people of Al-Kufa, was abandoned and left to the mercy of the governor of Kufa, Ubaidullah bin Ziyad. Kufa being a city in southern Iraq. Now, before Muslim bin Aqeel was taken into custody by Ubaidullah, Ubaid bin Ziyad, Ubaidullah bin Ziyad, he was allowed to send a messenger back to Al-Husayn to tell him not to come to Kufa because the people would betray him just as they had betrayed Muslim bin Aqeel, his cousin.

Warnings Against the Journey

Ibn Abbas told him not to. He said the people are calling you not to stability but to conflict, because if they were serious about establishing Khilafah there, then they themselves would initiate the action before you even got there. So he said don't go. The great poet of the Arabs, great poet Farazdaq, he met Al-Husayn in Iraq and he

told him don't go. Al-Husayn persuaded him to go forth. So he went forth with a small band of 80 people, including his wife, his children, his closest friends and allies, and they were met by the army of Ziyad. And he met his martyrdom.

Lessons from the Story of Al-Husayn

Now there are many lessons we can draw from this story, and many people draw lessons from this story. But the lessons we draw should be relevant for our situation here and now. Some people, they draw from this that no matter what the odds, you should challenge oppressive, unjust, tyrannical authority, because Al-Husayn challenged unjust, what he viewed based on his Ijtihad to be unjust tyrannical authority. But his situation and our situation is different. We are not Mujtahidun. He was Mujtahid.

The Difference Between Al-Husayn's Situation and Ours

So he had the ability to gauge the situation based on his understanding of Islam. That we are not Mujtahidun, then we are bound to follow what has been left to us in terms of legal and political guidance by the ulama. And the ulama counsel us against armed rebellion in the face of overwhelming odds, because it will lead to more harm than good in our situation. So we are not drawing a parallel between Husayn's situation. There is good that came out of that: the principle of justice being upheld, the principle of commanding the good and forbidding the wrong in the face of overwhelming odds. But in terms of actual political theory, this is not a model nor an example for us as Muslims in our contemporary situation.

Understanding Why Oppressive Leaders Exist

Another lesson: we can draw is that some people point the finger at Yazid and say Yazid was a tyrant, and Yazid bin Muawiyah was instituting dynastic rule that had no precedent or basis in Islam, and that all tyrants who are like Yazid and the leaders of the Muslim countries, we should challenge them and we should overthrow them and we should rebel against them.

A greater lesson for us is to understand why those leaders are there in the light of the Quran. And we mentioned this verse on Sunday. Allah (تعالى - ta'ālā) says in the Quran:

Thus we give authority to some oppressors over other oppressors because of that which they have earned.

Taking Personal Responsibility

So what is the lesson for us? Al-Husayn, as we said, was a Mujtahid, and Al-Husayn moved based on his Ijtihad. So his lessons were derived from his Ijtihad. Our lessons are derived from the clear text of the Quran and Sunnah and the interpretation of the scholars. The lesson for us based on this verse is to understand if we as Muslims have tyrannical oppressive rulers, is because we ourselves are oppressors.

We give authority to some oppressors over other oppressors because of that which they have earned themselves. So more pressing than pointing at that one down here and down that one and down that, is to look at ourselves, each and every one of us, and take personal responsibility for our situation. Down with that pirate within me. Down with that one who doesn't pray, who doesn't sacrifice for the religion, that spends more hours in front of a television than in front of a Mus'haf. Down with that oppressor, that zalim li nafsi, the one who's oppressing his own soul. And when we eliminate that oppressor, Allah (تعالى - ta'ālā) will give us leadership that's commensurate to our state.

Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change that which is with themselves.

A Religion of Personal Responsibility

This is a religion of personal responsibility. This is a religion of personal responsibility. This isn't a religion of pointing the finger at the other guy. This is a religion of looking in the mirror. And if you, we look in the mirror and we don't like what we see, we have to change it. And when we do that, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى - subḥānahu wa ta'ālā) will give us the kind of leadership that we deserve. So this is a lesson for us.

The Truthfulness of Al-Husayn

Another lesson: we don't want to belittle the sacrifice of Husayn. He was one of the people that Allah mentions in the verse:

From amongst the believers, there are men and women-grammatically (رِجَالٌ - rijāl) can be applied to both, even though it sounds plural. That's why it says there are men and women who are truthful in that which they have covenanted with God.

Examining Our Own Truthfulness

Pause. Are we truthful in the covenant? We proclaim every time we read it in the Quran:

Of Muhammad ﷺ, and all of us are similarly commanded. He's the first, awwal al-muslimin, min hadhihi l-ummah. "Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, my dying, are all for God, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner. With this I've been commanded, and I am the first to submit His will, to submit her will, as a Muslim."

We say it, we repeat it. Do we mean it? Husayn meant it. So, if anything, we should take an example from his seriousness. When we say it, we should mean it. And we should understand, if we don't mean it, part of the test for us as believers in this world is we're tested in our truthfulness.

The Test of Faith

Alif-Lam-Mim. Do the people think they'll be left alone merely saying, "We believe," and not be tested? All of the prophets were tested. They were tormented. Many of them were tortured. Our Prophet ﷺ, peace and blessings of God be upon him, is no exception. Their followers were tested. And we're going to be tested. So we have to prepare ourselves to stand up to the test.

Do you think you'll be left alone? People are in shock when September 11th came and then the community was tested, as if we never read the Quran.

Do the people think they'll be left alone merely saying, "We believe," and then going about their business, making lots of money, and just hanging out, chilling in America, and they will not be tested?

And