The Month of Muharram- Shaykh Abdul Hadi

Khutbah al-Ula (First Sermon)

Alhamdulillah, we praise Him, we ask His help and we ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. Whomsoever He sends astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He has sent him with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad and his family and companions.

The best hadith is the Book of Allah. And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Brothers and sisters, Alhamdulillah, we have started the new year from the Islamic calendar. We have completed 1437 Hijri and entered into 1438 Hijri. May Allah bestow His mercy and blessing upon us all everywhere, and remove the hardship from the Ummah.

Reflecting on the New Year

At the beginning of this new year, in the month of Muharram, Muslims should have considered and deeply analysed what they have achieved during the last year and what they have lost. If we have achieved something in a positive manner, then we should continue this. And if we have lost, then we have to analyse the reasons for this failure to avoid further damage in the future.

We can check our situation in categories for easy understanding: Iman, Amal, Akhlaq, and social life — at both individual and collective levels.

The Foundation: Iman and Aqeedah

Let us start and discuss the issues relating to Iman, because this is the foundation and the whole building of Islam is based on this. All messengers of Allah have focused on this, including our final Prophet Muhammad, alayhi salatu wa salam. He started his Da'wah work from Tawheed and he emphasised on that.

Then Allah says: this is my straight path, you have to follow. If you leave this straight path, then you will be misguided. So we have to remain on the path which Prophet Muhammad, alayhi salatu wa salam, left upon the entire Ummah.

But unfortunately, although this is very important, it is a grey area, and many Muslims are involved in things which are not a part of the Qur'an and the teaching of Rasulullah.

The False Claim About Karbala and Hajj

Recently, during the Hajj period, some people started propagating about the importance of pilgrims going to Karbala rather than Makkah al-Mukarramah. Some even tried to compare the journey of Hajj and Karbala, and they encouraged people by claiming that the journey to Karbala had more superiority and fazilat over the journey of Hajj. As well as this, there was a massive propaganda against Hajj by spreading unnecessary rumours in the Muslim community. But Alhamdulillah, despite these rumours, Hajj was completed without any security lapse, issues, or problems. Alhamdulillah.

We have to think about this. How can any person who understands the Qur'an and Sunnah compare Hajj in Makkah al-Mukarramah with visiting a place in Iraq — Karbala? Do we have any authority to change the Deen? Does anyone have any right to add or reduce in Islamic Shari'ah, in the pillars of Islam, in the articles of Deen? The answer is no. No one has that authority.

Rather, there is a great warning. Allah says in Surah an-Nur, verse 63:

Beware of those who go against the Prophet's command, lest a fitnah befall them or they receive a painful punishment.

Those who are going against the teaching of Rasul-e-Akram, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, strongly said: be careful, do not innovate anything in the Deen. And another authentic hadith states:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 18, Hadith 19 — also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari)

If any person acts upon anything which is not according to my teaching, that will be considered null and void. We don't get any reward. Rather, it is not considered a part of Islam or the Deen.

Hajj: An Obligation Upon Every Believer

Hajj is a pillar of Islam. According to the Qur'an and many authentic ahadith, it is obligatory upon every believer — male and female — who has the istita'ah (capability), once in a lifetime. As Allah says in Surah Al-Imran, verse 97:

Not only is Hajj obligatory upon every believer, but the rituals of Hajj also bind us to follow Rasul-e-Akram, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, because our noble Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 15, Hadith 310)

You have to take the rituals of Hajj from me. So we are bound to follow Rasul-e-Akram, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in how to perform Umrah and how to perform Hajj. Because Hajj is Ibadah, and Ibadah cannot be done according to our own understanding or our own desires. It must be according to the teaching of Rasul-e-Akram, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam. The Companions observed his method of Hajj in detail.

But nowadays, we compare this with visiting Karbala — a place in Iraq. In India and Pakistan, some very unscholarly type of people used to say that if you visit a certain shrine, a certain qabar, that will be considered equal to a small Hajj. Not better than Hajj — they used to say equal to a small Hajj. But the Ulema, the scholars of the area from all schools of thought, took this as a joke. This is not part of the Deen, and they did not take it as part of the Shari'ah. But unfortunately, some now even give priority to visiting Karbala over Hajj. What a statement that is.

If they had even a little knowledge of Qur'an and Hadith, or a basic understanding of Islamic Shari'ah, or a minimum knowledge of Islamic Aqeedah, they would not say such things. They should remember that similarly, in the past, people had introduced many shrines, many graves, many quboor to be venerated. And these innovations will be considered among them. And they have to remember what happened to those who used to visit and worship graves.

So we have to understand the importance of Aqeedah, as well as the danger posed by those who are creating fitnah in Aqeedah — by the name of Islam, by the name of Rasul-e-Akram's Sunnah — yet you don't find such things in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of Rasul-e-Akram, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And Muslims have suffered in the past because of this type of fitnah. So we have to be careful about what is going on around us in the name of Islam.

Amal: Actions and Practical Life

After Aqeedah, after Iman — because this is the foundation — we turn to Amal: our actions and practice in our daily life.

Are we ready to give Islamic teaching as a true reflection of Qur'an and Hadith, wherever we live and whatever we do? Islam should be my priority. Shari'ah should be my identity. People should smell the scent of my Akhlaq, my actions, my conduct. I have to be ready to give up everything because of Islam, to please Allah. I have to be ready to give priority to my Deen.

The Lesson of Al-Hijrah

And this is an important lesson from Al-Hijrah. What is Al-Hijrah? As it is stated in Sahih al-Bukhari, Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, says: the first step of Hijrah is to give up what has been prohibited by Allah — what is Haram. I have to be ready to give up those Haram things. That is the first step towards Hijrah.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 1, Hadith 10)

And if there is any need, a believer is ready to give up his desires, his wealth, and even his hometown because of his Deen, because of his Shari'ah — just as they did. Why did the Prophet migrate from his hometown where he was born? And many other messengers as well. Finally, our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, migrated from Mecca to Madinah al-Munawwarah. And the Companions left everything behind — for the sake of Islam, for the Deen, to please Allah. They migrated from Mecca, which is the most sacred piece of land on earth.

In this there is a lesson, my brothers and sisters: our goal and objective is more valuable and important than any place. If someone feels that he cannot practice his Deen, he must prepare himself to leave that place and travel to another place where he is free to practice his Deen. This was the true sacrifice of the Prophet, the Companions, and those who made Hijrah. And what was the result of this migration? The true love for Allah and His Messenger. In a very short time, with limited resources, the Muhajireen and Ansar among the Sahabah, Ridwanullah alayhim, achieved marvellous results and unbeatable success. Their feet touched lands that were unimaginable in the beginning for them.

If you go and visit Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah, you will find very few graves of the Sahabah there. Many Sahabah's graves are not in Makkah or Madinah, but spread around the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. Why did they go there? What they achieved from this migration — the Sahabah, Ridwanullah alayhim, left a great lesson: live and die in the way of Islam.

The Warning: Being Like Foam on Water

But the situation of the Muslim Ummah in general — as an authentic hadith says, Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 37, Hadith 4297)

A day will come when nations will gather against you, just as hungry people gather around plates of food — they attack the food. A similar situation will come upon you. The Sahabah, Ridwanullah alayhim, became very surprised at this and they asked: is this because we will be less in number? The Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said: no, you will be more in number — but your value will be like foam on water.

If we forget our purpose, we will be like this. We will make unnecessary things in our lives into major concerns.

The Example of Umar ibn al-Khattab

Look at Umar ibn al-Khattab, a great Sahabi, a great ruler, a great companion who left behind many successful stories — for rulers, for those in authority, and for the general people. People were enjoying a marvellous system in his time. He made the people of his era rich and well off, full of peace and prosperity, and he created justice and freedom for everyone.

But when he was attacked, wounded, and dying — he was the Khalifah and ruler of a vast land — he was giving instruction to his son Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him. And what was it? That if there was any personal loan upon him, to check among the family members, try to borrow from them, and pay it off. Khalifah and Sahabi, Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him — although he was dying as a ruler of a prosperous people — this was his personal situation. And Umar ibn al-Khattab was buried on the 1st of Muharram.

What to Do in the Month of Muharram

But in the month of Muharram, very few people remember this. And there were many battles between Muslims and non-Muslims mentioned in the Qur'an and authentic ahadith — like Badr, Uhud, Ahzab, and others — and many Companions became martyrs in these battles. But very few of us remember them; we don't even know their names or what they achieved for the Muslim Ummah. Yet repeatedly, in the month of Muharram, only one incident is remembered — and that, too, with many fabricated stories and excessive content without any authentic proof. And those who propagate these things are not even ready to show their respect towards the Sahabah, Ridwanullah alayhim, including the Khulafa: Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman.

Now, in the month of Muharram, what do we have to do? First, as I said, we have to check our situation, analyse our Iman and Aqeedah, and our practical life.

Fasting in Muharram: The Virtue of Ashura

Also, in the month of Muharram, our Nabi, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast. As the authentic hadith says:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 202)

The best fasting after Ramadan is in the month of Allah, Muharram. Especially the fast of the 10th of Muharram, which is Ashura. But we should differ from the Jews, who also fast on this day — either keep a day before or a day after: so the 9th and 10th, or the 10th and 11th. To gain the reward as well as to make some difference. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 197)

If I remain until next year, I will fast on the 9th day. So one may fast on the 9th and 10th, or the 10th and 11th.

Avoiding Prohibited Mourning Practices

And another thing: in this month, some Muslims try to engage in mourning — ripping their clothes and similar acts. This is strongly prohibited by Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and is not an Islamic practice. There is no common sense behind it, no logic behind it. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 23, Hadith 382; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 182)

He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, tears his garment, and calls with the call of Jahiliyyah. These things are denied; they have no basis in the Deen. So we have to avoid these things completely — things which are prohibited by Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

May Allah give us the tawfiq and ability for understanding the teaching of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and following it. And the last of our prayer is: praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon His noble Messenger, and upon his family and companions.

Khutbah al-Thaniyah (Second Sermon)

Dear brothers and sisters, praise be to Allah. We have entered this new year after completing the last year of the Hijri calendar. We have entered this month — the month of Allah, the sacred month. And the Islamic nation is going through its most difficult stages in terms of creed, actions, behaviour, treatment, and morals — whether in personal or social life.

For example, we start with creed. In the season of Hajj, some foolish people made up stories about visiting Karbala, claiming it has importance above Hajj, and some of them said that travelling to Karbala is more precious than going to the ancient House of Allah. False claims against Hajj were spread. But despite them, the rituals of Hajj were completed with ease, security, stability, and tranquility. Praise be to Allah for that — this is by the grace of Allah.

Is there any comparison between the journey of Hajj and the journey to Karbala? These distorted ideas and false beliefs will fail, just as those with distorted ideas in the past failed and lost. And this is what will happen to those who spread such ideas among the Muslim community.

And so there are many lessons in the history of migration — the migration of the Prophets. For example, look at our master Ibrahim, when he said:

Indeed, I am going to my Lord; He will guide me. And also the last of the messengers, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, peace be upon him — he left Mecca and migrated to Madinah. Then his companions left family, money, and homeland in the way of Allah. And this sacrifice and pure love for the religion of Allah caused magnificent achievements — they reached places no one had imagined, and attained perfection and excellence by the grace of Allah.

But the first step of migration, as proven in the authentic hadith, is that the true muhajir is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden. Otherwise, what will our journey amount to?

As he said, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: the nations will call upon you as food calls upon those who would devour it. So in this month especially, fast. The Messenger of Allah said: the best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram — especially Ashura, the tenth day. But because the Jews also fast this day, the Messenger of Allah said to differ from them by fasting a day before or a day after — meaning the 9th and 10th, or the 10th and 11th.

And as for those who show signs of mourning against the spirit of Islam and the Muslims, in the name of Islam, in the name of the religion, in the name of love for the Ahl al-Bayt — the Messenger of Allah said: he is not one of us who strikes the cheeks, tears the garments, and calls with the call of Jahiliyyah. These things are rejected and have no basis in the Deen. So we have to avoid these things completely.

Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and salutations.

O Allah, protect the believers and the Muslims, the living and the dead. O Allah, protect us and our brothers who have believed. O Allah, protect Islam and the Muslims. O Allah, protect the Muslims everywhere.

O servants of Allah, Allah commands justice and good, and giving to near relatives, and He forbids immorality, evil, and transgression. He admonishes you so that you may remember.

So remember Allah, the Great, who remembers you. And call upon Him — He will answer you. And the remembrance of Allah is the highest, the most precious, and the greatest.