Mumbai’s largest circulated daily
newspaper, The Times of India had published an article on February 6,
2006 by an extremist, Abu Bakr, captioned ‘Why should Muharram be
considered sacred?’ The article and its claims were effectively debunked
in the same newspaper. Following is the gist of the article.
Mr. Abu Bakr: Unfortunately your
inability to follow the teachings of Islam is reflected in your
writings. Let us examine what you have written and what the reality
actually is.
You wrote:
The tenth day of Muharram is ‘Aashura’.
The Jews of Madina fasted on this day, the day on which Prophet Moses
(a.s.) and his followers crossed the Red Sea miraculously. So the Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) directed the Muslims to fast on the day of Aashura.
The Answer:
The hadith you have quoted is in actuality thus:
The Prophet (s.a.w.a) on migrating to
Madina found the Jews fasting on the 10th of Muharram. On enquiry, he
was told: “It is an auspicious day; it is the day when God delivered the
children of Israel from their enemy (i.e. Pharaoh); and, therefore,
Moses fasted on that day.” The Prophet (s.a.w.a) said, “I am worthier of
Moses than you are.” Thereupon, he fasted on that day and ordered (the
Muslims) to fast.
(Al- Saheeh of al-Bukhari, Vol.3; Egypt ed.; p.54. Mishkatul-Masabih; Delhi ed.; 1307 A.H.; p.l72)
It is noted by the commentator of
Mishkatul-Masabih that “it was in the second year, because in the first
year the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had arrived at Madina after ‘Aashura, in
Rabi’ul-awwal.”
It should be noted that the Jews had
their own calendar and monthly cycles. There is no logic in saying that
they fasted on the 10th of Muharram- unless it could be proved that this
date always coincided with a Jewish day of fast.
The first month of the Jews (Abib, later
named Nisan) coincided with Rajab of the Arabs. W.O.E.Oesterley and
Theodore H.Robinson have written that in Arabia “the most important of
all the new-moon festivals was that which fell in the month of Rajab
(sic), equivalent to the Hebrew month ‘Abib, for this was the time when
the ancient Arabs celebrated the Spring festival.” (Hebrew Religion;
S.P.C.K., London; 1955; p.128)
Probably, in ancient times the two
branches of Hazrat Ibrahim’s (a.s.) household followed the same system
of intercalating an additional month. And in this way the 7th Jewish
month, Tishri I, coincided with Muharram. And the ‘Aashura of Muharram
synchronized with 10th of Tishri I, the Jewish Day of Atonement – a day
of fast. The two calendars lost their synchronization when Islam, in the
9th year of Hijrah, disallowed intercalation. But on deeper
consideration it transpired that this parity was lost long before the
advent of Islam, because the Arabs did not follow any mathematical
calculation in their intercalation. That was why Muharram of the 2nd
year of Hijrah began on 5th July, 623 C.E. (Al-Munjid, 21st ed.), months
before Tishri I (which always coincides with September-October).
Clearly, ‘Aashura’ of Muharram in that
year (or, for that matter, during the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) whole life at
Madina) had no significance whatsoever for the Jews.
You wrote:
In the beginning, fasting on this day
was obligatory but later, the fasts of Ramadan were made obligatory and
the fast on the day of Aashura was made optional.
You further state:
Yet, the sanctity of Aashura cannot be
ascribed to this event for the simple reason that the sanctity of
Muharram and the day of Aashura was established during the days of the
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), much before the birth of Husain.
The Answer:
The question is: Why did they fast on that day?
The Jewish Midrashic literature relates
the 10th day of the 7th month (Yom Hakippurim – Day of Atonement) to the
event of bringing the tablets of the Covenant from Mount Sinai, as Dr.
Mishael Maswari-Caspi has written in his letter.
The question is: If the Jews had wanted
to keep the long-lost synchronization of Tishri I and Muharram in view,
how was it that they forgot to narrate this tradition to the Prophet
(s.a.w.a.)?
The month in which God delivered the
Israelites from Pharaoh was Abib (i.e. Rajab), as the Bible clearly
states: “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the pass-over unto the Lord
thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth
out of Egypt by night.” (Deut. 16:1)
The question is: How could the Jews
transfer an event of Abib (originally coinciding with Rajab) to
Muharram, in open defiance of their Torah?
Here is a point to ponder for the
Muslims: The Prophet (s.a.w.a.) was sent with a religion to abrogate all
previous religions and shari’ah. How was it that he deigned to imitate
the custom of the Jews?
It is clear from above-mentioned facts
that the Jews had no reason at all to fast on Aashura of Muharram at
that period; and this story, built on that premise, is just that – a
fiction. Obviously, it was invented by a narrator who only knew that
once upon a time Muharram coincided with the Jews’ Tishri I; but was
totally unaware of contemporary Jewish religion and culture.
One feels constrained to mention here
that this and other such traditions were forged by camp-followers of the
Umayyads, after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.), as a part of their
campaign to turn the 10th of Muharram into a day of rejoicing. These
traditions are of the same genre as those which say that it was on the
10th of Muharram that Noah’s ark rested on Mount Arafat, the fire
became cool and safe for Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) , and Hazrat Isa (a.s.)
ascended to the heavens. In the same category came the traditions
exhorting the Muslims to treat Aashura as a festival of joy, and to
store one’s food-grain on this very day, as it would increase one’s
sustenance and bring the blessings of Allah to the household.
You wrote:
In fact, it is one of the merits of
Husain (a.s.) that his martyrdom took place on this day. Another
misconception is that it is an inauspicious month since Husain was
killed during Muharram. Hence people avoid conducting marriages during
this period.
This is baseless. If the death of an
eminent person on a particular day renders that day unlucky for all
times to come, no day of the year would be free from bad luck. The Holy
Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) have liberated us
from such superstitious beliefs.
The Answer:
This is nothing but blind prejudice
since there are no traditions which state that it is haraam (unlawful)
to conduct weddings on Aashura or in month of Muharram and Safar. I
would like to ask you that will you get married on the day your father
or mother die or will you postpone it for a month or so as a mark of
respect or consideration? (I wouldn’t be surprised if you say – there
is no harm).
You wrote:
Lamentations, breast-beating and
mourning in memory of Husain’s martyrdom are not sanctioned by Islam.
Though such martyrdoms are tragic, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has
forbidden holding mourning ceremonies on the death of any person.
People of Jaahiliyyah (ignorance) used to mourn over their deceased then The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) stopped the Muslims …………..”
The Answer:
Hasn’t it occurred to you that had it
not been for these mourning rituals, the distinction between the path of
Imam Husain (a.s.) and that of Yazid would have been destroyed. Yazid
will for ever be deemed as a hateable man who symbolises filth, shame,
debauchery, decadence, immorality, mental corruption, and all the
ingredients existent in the DNA of Iblis (Devil).
We deem our Azadari (mourning) as the
means via which we can express our sorrow for the Ahle bait (a.s.). The
words of Imam of Ahle Sunnah Allamah Fakhrudeen Raadhi are very
important:
“It is our firm belief that one who dies with love for the descendants of Muhammad (s) dies a martyr”.
(Tafseer-a-Kabir, vol. 7, p. 390, line No. 9)