Reflections on The Day of Ashura

All praise due to Allah and his praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and his followers until the day of judgment. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship and Muhammad is his last and final messenger.

My brothers and sisters, last week or early this week on Monday we celebrated the day of Ashura and we fasted the day of Ashura and we get to know that the day of Ashura is the day which is also known as the Passover, is also the day where Allah saved Musa, Moses and his people from Fir'aun and that a day that we celebrate every year since the time of the Prophet Muhammad and it's so ironic that this day comes in such time. I personally don't know any nation or any religion celebrate a special day in another religion. I mean think about it, there is no other religion will recognize Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr or the day of Badr or the day of Al-Hijrah or the day of Al-Isra or Al-Mi'raj or one of these fundamental days or main days that we have as Muslims.

When you look and you see how much this religion declaring that it is the natural inheritor of all the religions before it and it's the natural extend for all these messages that came before Muhammad. It is a day where a fundamental change happened to humanity that's why it's so important for us as a nation. As we fasted that day it just not became just a ritual, an empty ritual does not have an impact on our thoughts and our behavior and reflect upon what fasting that day, recognizing that day as an important day means to us. That led me to think and reflect upon Prophet Moses and his message and what happened to him that day before and after the day when Allah saved him from Pharaoh.

Connecting Generations Through History

It is an interesting observations that you might come across or you can come up with and these are few that I had myself. Number one: this is a day where connect nations to each others would connect people from different generations to each other. We can't live isolated from the past and we cannot just live in the past. Whoever do not reflect on what happened in the past are doomed to repeat the same mistakes and will not be successful in building on the previous experience.

I'm not necessarily saying that history repeats itself but I pretty much agree with the person who said history not necessarily repeat itself but it rhymes and that's very true.

And especially our Ummah as the Muslim Ummah and the people of the book, the Jews and Christians before us and the Prophet told us in many occasions that this Ummah will follow the footsteps of Ahlul Kitab to the extent Ibn Abbas said that he is not sure if parts of this Ummah will also make a calf and they will worship it like what happened before.

So it's so important to observe, to see the good and the bad and the ugly and to learn from it.

Learning to Love Justice and Hate Injustice

Also this incident teaches us to love goodness in the hearts of the believers, to hate injustice and to love and to support what is right and what is correct even if it has happened to people who don't relate to us who are not part of our faith who are not part of our culture who are not part of our, you know related to us through lineage.

But I'm happy that the people of Musa, the children of Israel were saved in that day and that's why the Prophet celebrated and Musa was saved that day and he was happy for that. He was happy for the end of the injustice of Pharaoh and his people and that's something that we should as a Muslim Ummah to learn, to adopt and to be very clear and proud of that. I will stand against injustice having everywhere or anywhere to anyone and I will support what is right and what is correct no matter who the person is even if that person someone fundamentally I disagree with but if that's correct, it is correct and that's when Allah described us as Ummah Wasat.

You witness over people—what that means? You witness and testify that this is right and this is wrong and what's right I will support and what's wrong I will oppose.

The Ties of Faith Above All Others

This also reminds us the strongest tie that connect us together is that we are brothers and sisters in faith. That we connected by the tie by the name of Allah, by the love for the sake of Allah that's much stronger from being from the same you know any type of nationalism or any type of ethnic groups or anything like that which is fine. We might be ethnically connected or related to each others or some common culture but what's the strongest tie that can ever be exist between two individuals or groups is the tie through faith and this tie will never vanish will never end and still we connected to Musa after all these generations and Muhammad connected to him after all these years and centuries and we do the same and that's something that we should learn as Muslims is to love one another and to care for one another and to make sure that when we deal with each others we deal with each others for the sake of Allah the almighty our creator.

Justice Always Prevails Over Injustice

Also this is a reminder that no matter how powerful injustice look like no matter how big army they have powerful soldiers and machineries or war machines that they have no matter how you know big number of supporters or money or whatever or dynasty or civilization if that civilization and that country and that government and that individual is based his power on injustice abusing other it will come to an end at one point.

What Firaun did to the children of Israel have led to the destruction of Firaun because injustice will never prevail and justice eventually will prevail and that what will create stability in any society. He is a corrupt one. Allah says he used to kill the children and he used to keep the woman or the daughters so they will be used by his people when they grow older and he don't want to kill all the children of Israel at that time one year he will kill all the boys and one year he will spare them and not sparing them because he likes them no he spare them because he want to use them as slave as labor so he will not run out of slaves and cheap labor.

Also this day to remind us that don't, as I said earlier, don't ever be tempted by how powerful injustice looks like or people who are abusers. You know look like and I want to take this from the individual level to the countries and nations level. Sometimes people get in relationships and there is an abuser in the relationship and you think because that person is so powerful maybe the abuser is your spouse and you think he has so much money he has so much power he is very strong he is very popular whatever strength that might appear to you that you think that this will make him go away with it. You know what at one day he will lose and will be exposed and one day those who are weak who are unfairly treated Allah will grant them success and will grant them you know victory and if it is not in this day it will be in the next life.

Allah says we want to show our favor upon those who have been abused by Pharaoh and his people and we will give them power we will make them inherit the land of Pharaohs.

And we will let Pharaoh and his people see with their eyes what they feared the most which is Allah will give them power over them.

Musa told his people seek aid from Allah be patient.

This land belongs to Allah to the creator of this earth and He will give it to whomever He wishes.

And the outcome will be always great for the people of Taqwa, the people of piety.

Allah's Planning Against the Plotters

It is also a reminder for us that Allah plots against the plotting of the disbelievers the plotting of the abusers the plotting of the corrupt ones.

And when Allah plots against them there is no way for them to survive and Allah says in relation to this in many ways.

So Allah came upon them from a direction they did not expect.

Allah says to his mother put your boy in a casket and throw him in the river he will be picked by his enemy he will be raised by his enemy only to come back to destroy them so can you imagine how Allah plot against pharaohs? He made them raise the one who will kill him eventually. In the end Allah's plan is way more beyond anyone of us can even imagine.

Allah says that Pharaoh picked him for what? To be end up their enemy and source of regret and sorrow (hazan).

We hear so many people very negative about what they see today. We don't know so many things appear as if it is bad but it ends up as something good in the end. What determined that is how good and fair and just and righteous you are in your action.

Trust in Allah's Wisdom and Timeline

Also this make us always have trust in Allah's wisdom. Sometimes I see people when they deal with injustice in the world as if they feel injustice happen in the absence of God. When we see the injustice happen in our society and around the world and innocent people die and innocent people get abused and people just you know so much social injustice happen in our neighborhood and around us inside the family I want you to always remember that this doesn't happen in the absence of Allah but he has his timeline he has his plan for you but you need to be patient and to know that victory comes from Allah and sometimes he brings the victory through the hands of the believers and sometimes in a way that is never expected like what he did to Musa and his people.

Allah says to Muhammad and to all of us isn't Allah is the most sufficient one for you? Your creator is the most sufficient one the one who will take care of you.

Gentle Speech Even to Enemies

The day of Ashura reminds us of something interesting too. Allah says to Musa when you speak to Pharaoh when you talk to Pharaoh and his soldiers and his lieutenants.

Speak to him in a nice way gently that he might change he might be reminded he might change maybe a change of heart happen to him. That teach us that no matter how much you think of your enemy or someone that you hate so much or someone that you see as something a very bad person or a very bad entity you still been ordered by Allah to speak nicely and been ordered by Allah to still put the effort to give the dawah, to call to be nice and not to give up.

The Necessity of Cooperation and Help

That also this day of Ashura when I reflect upon the story of Musa it shows us the importance of cooperation working together. You can't do it on your own you can't do it yourself you need your brothers, you need your sisters you need allies, you need help.

Even if you are Moses with all these miracles that Allah giving Musa still Musa says to Allah:

He says Ya Allah give me one of my family member which is my brother Harun to help me. With all the power Allah speaks to him directly Allah says I raised you Ya Musa I took good care of you until I raised you to be in this stage and at that age with all this Musa still need his brother so anyone think that I can make it on my own and I don't need any help is wrong. Need to remember what Musa said.

Humility and Supplication

The death story remind us also no matter how material you know materialistic things that you have maybe you have money, you have followers you have fame, you have status you have political status, social status whatever it is too many followers, whatever power you have you still need the power of God.

That's why Musa says O Allah open my heart O Allah aid me, O Allah enable me. He's still begging his Lord praying to his Lord and that give you a sense of humility because so easy when you're so powerful to be arrogant and I would say one of the biggest problem comes sometimes with religiosity. One of the biggest problems to religious people is arrogance. One of the biggest problem that can face religious people is that they became arrogant because when you became a religious you think that you know what God is on my side so I became like you know I speak on his behalf and I became arrogant and that's so dangerous.

Religion as much as it can make you humble and down to earth can make you so arrogant so you have to be careful. One of the way to take that arrogance away is always to turn to Allah always to pray to him always to show your weakness and you say this is only by your favor my Lord and this is only because of your guidance only because of your help and aid.

Admitting Mistakes Shows Strength

The day of Ashura reminded us of Musa when he admitted his mistake in front of his enemy. In front of his enemy he told Pharaoh yes I killed the Egyptian and I run away from the country I admit it I made a mistake I did it while I was ignorant. Admitting your mistakes will never lower you it will elevate you. People who admit their mistakes only strong people. Weak people cannot admit their mistakes cannot face their mistakes.

Rejecting Empty Words and Propaganda

The day of Ashura remind us that we don't ever be tempted or deceived by empty slogans and words and big words that carry no meaning in reality. Why? Pharaoh is what he used to say. Pharaoh is saying he is a magician about Moses about Moses he wants to use his magic to put a spell on you he is crazy and you know in order for you to be a magician at that time you have to study a lot then the next thing he said he is crazy. Two contradicting statements either he is crazy, insane or he is a scholar and magician and all this knowledge but whatever, whatever sticks. Through all these accusations and he said I care about your religion he is telling his people Pharaoh Moses will spread corruptions on earth I care about human rights I care about minorities rights I care about this.

If these words do not represent on reality into actions that means it is just empty words have no value. We should not be tempted by because that is what Pharaoh did through his media propaganda. May Allah make us among those who reflect and learn and grow.

Being Tested Before Leadership

Imam Ahmad was asked would the person became a leader then be tested he said no you tested first then you become a leader. You go through hardship and calamities and challenges then you become a leader. Allah says in the Quran when they were patient and they strong in facing calamities and dealt with it in a perfect way Allah made them later leaders and look to any successful business man that you hear today about today even successful marriages even successful communities they did not come just like that. It is a lot of struggle a lot of hard work led to success.

You know the only time I always say that the only time success comes before work in dictionary that is the only time you find it but in real life you have to work hard in order for you to achieve success you have to be patient.

Arrogance Blinds the Heart

The day of Ashura reminds us that arrogance and kufr goes hand to hand. I can't understand until this moment Moses with his people coming to the sea the sea split they walk through the water and Pharaoh is watching and his soldiers then the dumb man he just follow. If you see that go back to your home even leaving you and your country just leave it he think that he can't. After this what you want more than that? It is so clear but arrogance blind make you blind make you can't see.

That's why they said no matter what you say, no matter what you show us, no matter what miracles you have, no matter what you say, we will never believe in you and there is a lot of people like that today. No matter how much you explain to them the truth give them facts, show them the data show them pictures and images and you show them every evidence that you have no arrogance. That's not the way of the believers.

Fasting as an Act of Worship and Gratitude

I will end with this when the Prophet heard that Moses celebrated this day and the Jews after him celebrated that day when he was saved he said, we have more rights over Moses that's also a Prophet of us we believe in him and he celebrated that by fasting and he added even one more day fasting to it and it shows you that our celebrations of great victory is not just by dancing and eating and drinking and that's also. It comes in a form of worship praying and in a form of ritual a form of getting down on your knees and you pray to your lord and shows your servitude to Allah and it shows you that fasting is one of the greatest way of showing your gratefulness to Allah and from this some ulama said any day that is so special and you want to thank Allah even a personal view and you want to fast as a form of thanking to Allah, that could be there's too many lessons.

Learning From History and Divine Guidance

But I hope today you learned that this big incident in history it just should not pass by like that, just a historical or a story that we read but something that we read to learn to be inspired by and that's the reason why it was mentioned. That's why Moses was mentioned in the Quran more than any other Prophet—136 times in the Quran. There's no Prophet was mentioned as many as Moses because there is so many to learn from his life.

May Allah make us among those who follow his footsteps and I ask Allah to bring peace and justice to the land of the holy land and we ask Allah to make us also just and fair in all our affairs and I ask Allah to forgive our sins and to guide our hearts and to protect us and our family and to bless us and our country and to bless our family, our business, our wealth and to ask Allah to forgive all our shortcomings.