Pearls of Islam Reminder Series

Muharram - the Start of a New Year

By Arsalan Ashraf
So we have started a new
year and have entered
1433 after Hijra. This, of
course, means that we are
now in the blessed month
of Muharram - one of the
four sanctied months, the
o t h e r t h r e e b e i n g
Zulqadah, Zulhijjah and
Rajab. Allah has chosen
Muharram as a month for His special blessings, so
we must try to make the most of them.
The word Muharram itself means Forbidden. Even
before Islam, this month was always known as a
sacred month in which all unlawful acts were
forbidden, prominently the shedding of blood. The
message being that abstinence from sinning should
be even more strongly enforced during this month.
Allah says in the Quran regarding the sanctied
months,
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve
months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the
Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of
them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so
wrong not yourselves therein [al-Tawbah 9:36]
It was reported that Ibn Abbaas said that the phrase
(so wrong not yourselves therein) referred to all the
months, however, these four were singled out and
made sacred, so that sin in these months is more
serious and good deeds bring a greater reward. So
we must strive during this month to avoid bad and do
what is good, something that is much easier said than
done. But even little things like cutting down on some
bad time-wasting habits (e.g. that compulsory game
of FIFA everyday!) to read a page of the Quran daily
instead can massively increase our reward and
closeness to Allah in this blessed month.
Virtue of Fasting During the Month The Prophet
(PBUH) said,
The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allahs
month of Muharram. (reported by Muslim).
Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not
obligatory, the one who fasts in these days out of his
own will and choice is entitled to a great reward by
Allah Almighty. This doesnt mean you have to fast
the entire month; each fast during this month has
merit. Therefore, we should avail of this opportunity
as much as we can.
The Day of Ashurah Although the month of
Muharram is a sanctied month as a whole, the 10th
day of Muharram is the most sacred among all its
days.
Abu Qataada has related that the Prophet (PBUH)
has reported to have said, It is my thought that by
fastingon the 10th of Muharram Allah will pardon the
sins of the pastyear. (Tirmizi)
According to Hadith, it is more advisable to either
prex or sufx the fast of Ashurah with another fast,
i.e. fast on 2 days, the 9
th
and 10
th
or the 10
th
and
11
th
. The reason being, as mentioned by the Prophet
(PBUH), that the Jews used to fast on Ashurah alone,
so this would distinguish the Islamic way of fasting
from that of the Jewish people.
Ashurah falls on the coming Tuesday this year so we
must all try and fast on this holy day to acquire its
massive blessings inshallah.
Giving Charity Charity is also greatly rewarded by
Allah on this day. It has been reported from Abd Allah
ibn `Amr ibn al-`As (Allah be pleased with him), that
Whoever fasts Ashura it is as if he has fasted the
entire year. And whoever gives charity this day it is
like the charity of an entire year.
This just left me thinking, if only the Charity Week
Dinner had been on the day of Ashurah, what the
potential reward from that gingerbread house might
have been
Nevertheless, we should try to give any spare money
we may have to a worthy cause; we will all be fasting
on the day, so you can even do this by giving the
lunch money you save to charity!
To conclude, how many of us are going to be making
a new years resolution come the end of December?
How about making the most important resolution to
improve yourself as Muslim NOW at the start of the
new Islamic year. And what better month to make that
change than the sacred month of Muharram!
THE PEARLS OF ISLAM
REMINDER SERIES
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Pearls of Islam Reminder Series
You Are Never Alone

By Aamir Shamsi

Times will come in the life of a
believer where we will be tested in
this world whether it is through a
"loss in goods or lives or the fruits
(of your toils)" [2:155] but we must
always remember that we are
never alone and that we should
and need to turn to Allah in these
times.

Trials and tribulations can not only
change the course of your life but
also make you feel very down and
lost. Nothing remains the same
and although an oxymoron, those
who have been in such a situation
like I have will understand when I
say life can be consumed by
emptiness. Although it is
important to understand the many
reasons why calamities befall us
and how to cope with them, we
must never forget that we will
always have the one that loves us
more than a mother loves her
child (Muslim) close by to bring
some solace to our hearts. In
order to bring about this comfort
we must make du'a, build a
connection with Allah and believe
that everything that happens is for
the best.

'XD

Du'a is the weapon of the believer
for it can change the fate of our
lives. And it is for this reason, as
well as the fact that it shows our
need for Allah, that it is highly
encouraged in Islam. So we
should ask our Lord to alleviate
our pain, to make things easier
and to grant us peace and
happiness with His decree, even
though in some situations it is
extremely difficult to accept what
has happened and to want to
move on from it, for it is only He
that has the power to make things
better.

Connect with Allah

As the creation of Allah, we are all
connected with our Lord through
our souls. He is our provider, our
sustainer and our support. But it is
our responsibility to nourish this
connection for "Verily in the
remembrance of Allah, do hearts
find rest" [13:29]. We can do so by
reciting Quran, reading our salat
with concentration and regular
dhikr. The stronger our connection
with Allah the greater the comfort
our hearts will receive for it is then
when we truly feel Allah's
protection over us and this will
make the difficult times that much
easier for us.

Everything that happens is for
the best

Allah loves us so much that
everything that happens that is
not a direct result of our own
actions is for the best for us - "but
it may be that you hate a thing
which is good for you, and it may
be that you love a thing which is
bad for you. Allah knows and you
know not" [2:216]. Having this
belief at all times and being
thankful for all that comes your
way is a real test of our faith but
also an undeniable fact. If
adopted in our mindset it will ease
our pain for we will understand it
is for our best and so the true
believer would not want it any
other way than what Allah sees
best.

All the above can be summarised
with my favourite du'a that one
should regularly recite:
"Hasbunallahu Wa'Nimal Wakeel"
Allah is enough for me and
there is no better to look after me.



"When you feel all alone in this world
And there's nobody to count your tears
Just remember, no matter where you are
Allah knows, Allah knows"
- Nasheed by Zain Bhikha
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Monday 31st October 2011 4 Dhul - Hijjah 1432 Volume 4 Issue 1


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