Thanks be to Allah Lord
of the worlds. And peace and prayers be upon the most honorable of all
messengers,
Allah assigned special privileges to the day of Friday, the day of Arafa, the
days of (Tashreeq) or the three Eid days after Hajj, the day of Eid 10th of
Del-Hejjah, The last ten days of Ramadan, the night of Qadr (the night the
Quran was descended from the heavens) in the month of Ramadan and the special
Haram or sanctified months. This month we are living through: “Muharram” is
also one of the four Muslim haram months. Those Haram or sanctified months
are: Thul-Qada, thul-Hejjah, Al-Muharram, and Rajab.
Many Muslims’ historic events took place in the month of Muharram, amongst
them: the tear up of the Muslims boycott article issued by Quraish, the
sending of the message to the kings and rulers of the big empires at the time.
Also, the approval of the Muslim’s Hijry dates system, the battle of
Kadissiyah and the prophet (PPBU) going for Khaiber. They all happened during
the month of Al-Muharram.
After the Hijrah or migration of the prophet (PPBU) to the city of Madinah, he
entered into a treaty with the Jews. They did not adhere to it, they broke the
promises they made; and the agreement they signed with the prophet. They
inflicted suffering upon Muslims in contrary to the treaty. So the prophet (PPBU)
cancelled the treaty and decided to face up the Jews. They kept plotting
against Islam and entered into several treaties with Gatafan clan into a
united front to face Muslims despite the treaties which clearly prevented both
sides from doing so.
In the month of Muharram of the 7th year after Hijrah a Muslim army of 1400
fighters including 200 nights led by the prophet himself headed to Khaiber.
The Jews armies assembled in the city of Khaiber and took their positions
inside the highly fortified castles, and the Muslim army surrounded it.
Outside Khaiber the army stopped and the prophet made this duaa’ or prayer:
Lord of the seven heavens and what they cover,
And lord of the seven earths and what they contained,
And lord of all Satans and whom they misguided,
We ask you the good in this town and the best of its people, and the best of
what’s in it.
We ask you to protect us from the evil in this town and evil of its people and
the worst of what’s in it.
At night the messenger (PPBU) told his companions that tomorrow he will give
the leadership of the army to a man who loves Allah and who is loved by Allah.
All were wondering who the lucky one who is being loved by Allah. At dawn
prayer they all assembled except Ali the cousin of the prophet who had a skin
rash; and he was sick and was unable to make to Fajr prayer. He was the one,
selected by the prophet (PPBU) and given the leadership.
The prophet’s instructions were: “Call them to Islam, Tell them what’s in it,
By Allah, if through you Allah will guide to Islam one of them is better to
you than all you may gain winning a fight”.
Ali called them to Islam, they refused and the fight took place. Muslims took
over the highly fortified castles one after the other.
They made an offer instead of having to leave the land. They offered to work
the land and pay half the produce to the Muslims who accepted. This
arrangement or agreement continued until the time they attempted to poison the
prophet (PPBU). His companion at the meal Beshr ben-al-Bara (ÈÔÑ ÅÈä ÇáÈÑÇÁ)
died from poisoning.
The prophet (PPBU) recommended fasting on the tenth day of the month of
al-Muharram which is the day of Ashooraa’. When he came to Madina on his
migration from Mekkah he found that Jews fast that day. When he asked them,
they told him that this is a good day; it is the day Allah save the children
of Israel from their enemy Pharos. Prophet Moses used to fast this day. The
Prophet Muhammad (PPBU) said: “I am more deserving (or more entitled) to Moses
than they are.” He did fast this day and he ordered Muslims to do so. The
scholars differ: some recommend fasting three days: 9th, 10th and 11th of
Muharram, some recommend two days: 9th and 10th and some recommend to fast the
10th day alone.
