IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
The Holy Qur’an, Taubah, 9:36-37 says, “The number of months in the sight of God is twelve (in a year) — so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred. That is the straight usage. So, wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that God is with those who restrain themselves. Verily, the transposing (of a prohibited month) is an addition to unbelief: The unbelievers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it lawful one year, and forbidden another year, In order to adjust the number of months forbidden by God and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their course seems pleasing to them. But God guideth not those who reject faith.”
One of the unique things about the sacred months in Islam is that they have special commemorative spiritual nights in which Muslim faithful can develop their spiritual wellbeing. As prohibited months when wars, battles and hostilities are forbidden, they represent a time when Muslims should retreat for spiritual revival. As ordained periods by Allah, they serve as moments of spiritual nights of power in answer to prayers (Istijabah).They denote periods of spiritual re-assurance for the faithful. As commemorative periods of fulfilled hope for the prophets of Allah, great Sheikhs and Ulamma, they serve as moments of hope for the followers of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). As periods of victory for the patient ones who persevere and are unshaken in their faith at trying periods, the spiritual nights serve as re-assuring victory for those who establish prayers, fast, give alms and persevere or endure in patience and trust in Allah (SWT).
Indeed, the sacred months are unique. The Holy Qur’an, Taubah, 9:2 says, “Go ye, then, for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate God (by your falsehood). But that God will cover with shame those who reject Him”.
And the spiritual nights in them are useful for spiritual reawakening, more so, when the Islamic dates are determined by the position of the moon, which makes us get the actual commemoration of the spiritual nights. Thus, the potency, the freshness, efficacy and immediacy with which the prayers of the Prophets were answered on these spiritual nights, will be enjoyed by Muslims in all ages.
So, whenever we enter the first lunar month (Muharram) in the Islamic calendar, the Muslims wait with eagerness for the 10th night. This is called Ashura, Night of Blessings, which is the most valuable night of the month of Haram. The Holy Qur’an, Baqarah, 2:194 says, “The prohibited month for the prohibited month and so for all things prohibited there is the law of equality. If then anyone transgresses the prohibition against you transgress ye likewise against him. But fear God and know that God is with those who restrain themselves.”
Almighty Allah accepted many prayers on this Ashura Day. All-hearing Allah (Al-Sami) turned mercifully to many leaders of mankind and granted many requests on this day. The Answerer of Prayers (Al-Mujib) showed kindness on mankind on this day. The Acceptor of Repentance (Qabil-Etaub) granted many forgiveness on this day as He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
It was on this spiritual night that Allah (SWT) granted the prayer of Prophet Adam and his wife, Hawau, after 40 years of prayer and wandering on earth seeking forgiveness. The Holy Qur’an 7:23 relates the prayer of Adam and Eve thus: “They said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls. If Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy mercy, we shall certainly be lost.”
Almighty Allah fulfilled His promises to mankind on this day. God had sent the father and mother of mankind on earth from Paradise after taking the forbidden fruit with the deceit of Satan. The Holy Qur’an 2:36, says, “Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden) and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: ‘Get ye down all (ye people) with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time.’”
But for acknowledging their wrong for having the will to give up sin and for resolving to eschew sin in the future, Allah showed mercy on them. He made them meet on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia after 40 years of tribulation and separation between husband and wife on the Ashura Day, i.e. the 10th of Muharram. Some scholars say Prophet Adam and Hawau touched on earth in and around modern-day Iraq.
Also, Prophet Nuh (Noah) and his companions on the ark were delivered on this day of Ashura. For over nine centuries (950 years) of preaching, his people, including his son, had rejected the truth in the worship of only one God. The Holy Qur’an 11:32 says, “They said: ‘O Noah! Thou hast disputed with us, and (much) hast thou prolonged the dispute with us. Now bring upon us what thou threatenest us with, if thou speakest the truth.’”
The few that believed with him (Noah) and two pairs of each species were saved in Noah’s ark as the disbelievers were perished in an unprecedented flood that gushed from the fountains of the earth and the sky. Their Ark rested on Mount Judi or Kurd situated near the frontiers of modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Persia on the Ashura Day. Holy Qur’an 11:44 says, “Then when the word went forth: ‘O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! Withhold (thy rain)’. And the water abated, and the matter was ended. The ark rested on Mount Judi, and the word went forth: ‘Away with those who do wrong!’”
That was why our fathers in the past lit hurricane lamps in jollification on this day to commemorate how Noah and his companions disembarked from the Ark with joy with such lamps to touch on earth after 150 days of the unimaginable flood (Genesis 8:14-17; Genesis 7:4; Genesis 7:12). Prophet Noah and the species of all animals were in the Ark for a total of 371 days.
May Almighty Allah accept our prayers on this Ashura Day of blessings as He did the prayers of the Prophets, Sheikhs and Ulamas. Ameen.
and then