﷽
وَاَط۪يعُوا اللّٰهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ ر۪يحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُواۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصَّابِر۪ينَۚ.
وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ صِيَامِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ.
Dear Muslims!
Last Monday was the first day of the month of Muharram. Alhamdulillah, we welcomed a new Hijri year. I pray to Allah (swt) that the year 1443 of the Hijri calendar be conducive to goodness for our great nation, the Islamic world, and all humanity.
Dear Believers!
The Hijri calendar starts with the hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his Companions from Makkah to Madinah. Hijrah is more than just a journey from one location to another. Hijrah is a manifestation of genuine devotion, allegiance, and submission to Allah (swt) and His beloved Messenger (saw). It is the name of the journey of moving away from falsehood, petty concerns, and all types of ambitions and wishes that waste one's life toward the truth, right, moral, and wisdom. It is a story of helping, solidarity, sharing, friendship, and brotherhood.
Dear Muslims!
The first month of our Hijri calendar is Muharram. Muharram means being worthy of reverence. This month is filled with virtues, grace, divine prosperity, and an abundance of divine blessings. In this regard, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) teaches us that the most meritorious fasting outside of Ramadan is that performed in the month of Muharram.[1]
Dear Believers!
Next Wednesday is the Muharram 10th, the Day of Ashura. When the Prophet Muhammad (saw) migrated to Madinah, he saw that the Jews performed Ashura fasting and asked them why they did so. The Jews replied, "Today is the great day when Allah saved Musa (Moses) and his people, and drowned Firawn (Pharaoh) and his people in the water. Musa used to fast on this day as a sign of gratitude to Allah, and we do the same." Then, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "I am closer to Musa than you."[2] and advised his ummah to observe Ashura fasting for two days, either on the ninth and tenth days, or on the tenth and eleventh days.[3]
Dear Muslims!
The Day of Ashura is also the day on which a great tragedy, the Karbala incident, occurred, which sears our hearts as we recall. The Prophet Muhammad's (saw) beloved grandchild, Husain, whom he called as "my sweet-smelling flower in the world"[4] and described as "the master of the Heaven's youth"[5], and over 70 Muslims, most of whom were from the family of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), were massacred and martyred on the 10th of Muharram in Karbala. Husain and the others who accompanied him are immortalized in the hearts of all Muslims for their valiant stand against injustice and persecution, as well as their earnest walk in the name of the truth. Those who dared to force them into this persecution are imprisoned in the collective conscience of all Muslims.
Dear Believers!
The Karbala incident is a common grief for all of us as the Muslim ummah and a heart wound from our history. How tragic it is that new Karbala occurrences continue to take place in the Islamic geography today due to aspirations and interests, since not enough lessons are taken from the terrible tragedies of the past. However, what falls upon every Muslim, whose heart aches at the mention of Karbala and who sighs in sorrow when the name Husain is uttered, is to correctly read and comprehend the Karbala. It is our collective obligation to preserve the spirit of tawhid and wahdat, as well as to safeguard our togetherness and solidarity, in order to prevent future Karbalas from occurring. We must stand up for what is right and seek the truth. In times of sedition, we must use our foresight and insight to see through the reality. We must stand up against persecution and injustice just like Husain (ra).
I would like to use this occasion to wish the mercy of Allah the Almighty (swt) first and foremost upon Husain, the Master of Martyrs, as well as all our martyrs who have sacrificed their lives in the cause of our sacred values. I would like to conclude this Friday's khutbah with the following verse from our Lord (swt): "Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute with one another. Or you lose courage and then your strength would depart. Be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient."[6]
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[1] Tirmidhi, Sawm, 40.
[2] Muslim, Siyam, 128.
[3] Ibn Hanbal, I, 240.
[4] Bukhari, Fadha'il al-Ashab al-Nabi, 22.
[5] Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 30.
[6] Anfal, 8/46.
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