Marriage or Higher Education? Which Should a Muslim Woman Prioritise When a Righteous Suitor Arrives?

Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan حفظه الله

Do Not Think Yourself Incapable: Stop Saying “I Can’t”—Great Achievements Begin with a Single Attempt!

Shaykh Muhammad bin Ramzan Al-Hajiri حفظه الله

Does the Most Hopeful Hour for the Acceptance of Duʿāʾ on Friday Include Women as Well?

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned Friday and said:

“There is an hour on Friday during which no Muslim servant happens to be standing in prayer, asking Allah for something, except that He grants it to him.”

And he ﷺ gestured with his hand to indicate how short that time is.

But if someone were to ask: Does this also apply to a woman if she happens to coincide with this hour while standing in prayer, since the hadith says: “a Muslim servant”?

We would say: It is an established principle that a ruling mentioned concerning men also applies to women, and likewise a ruling mentioned concerning women applies to men, unless there is evidence indicating otherwise.

📚Taʿlīq ʿalā Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (3/708)

A Questioner Saw Shaykh Salih al-Luhaydan Driving a Taxi in a Dream—A Simple and Funny Interpretation!

Shaykh Salih Al-Luhaydan رحمه الله

The Slander of “Scholars for Dollars” and the Reality of the Scholars of the Sunnah: A Powerful Personal Testimony!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

A Prophetic Supplication Ibn Taymiyyah Constantly Advised for Guidance and Truth: Hold Fast to It Amidst the Confusion and Differing of Our Time!

Shaykh Abdurrazzaq Al-Badr حفظه الله

A Companion Sought One Comprehensive Deed Amid the Many Duties of Islam—The Prophet ﷺ Gave Him a Lifelong Prescription!

Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

The Sacred Month of Allah Has Arrived: The Virtues of Muḥarram and Fasting ʿĀshūrāʾ — The Best Fasting After Ramadan!

Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan حفظه الله

A New Hijrī Year, A New Beginning: The Door of Repentance Remains Open—Place Your Trust in Allah and Renew Your Repentance!

Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

A New Hijrī Year Has Begun: Reflections on the Passing of Years and the Reality of This World—A Wake-Up Call for Every Muslim!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

The Best Fasting After Ramadan – The Eminent Virtue of Muharram and the Day of Ashura

Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan حفظه الله

The Sacred Month of Allah: Muḥarram—A Season of Great Virtues, Abundant Fasting, and the Immense Reward of ʿĀshūrāʾ!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

The Virtues of Muharram and the Sunnah of ʿĀshūrāʾ

My dear brother and sister,

The month of Muḥarram is not just the first month of the Hijri year — it is a sacred month, one of the four sacred months that Allah has magnified in His Book. Allah said:

“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it 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.” [Surah at-Tawbah, 9:36]

The Prophet ﷺ called it “the month of Allah”, and this is a special honour — for Allah has added it to Himself, and nothing is attributed to Allah except what He has honoured.

📖 The Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, time has returned to its original state as it was the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive — Dhul-Qaʿdah, Dhul-Ḥijjah, and Muḥarram — and Rajab of Muḍar, which is between Jumādā and Shaʿbān.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

📚 Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The scholars differed about which of the sacred months is best. Al-Ḥasan and others said: ‘The best of them is the month of Allah, Muḥarram,’ and this was also favoured by many later scholars.” [Laṭāʾif al-Maʿārif, p. 70]

📖 Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Which night is best?’ He said: ‘The middle of the night.’ I said: ‘And which month is best?’ He said: ‘The month of Allah which you call Muḥarram.’” (Reported by al-Nasāʾī and others, and the ḥadīth is authentic)

🔹 The Prohibition of Fighting in Muḥarram

There is a great difference of opinion among the scholars about whether the prohibition of fighting in the sacred months was abrogated or not. Some said it was abrogated due to the command to fight the polytheists, while others said the prohibition remains unless one is attacked. [See Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 2/468]

🔹 The Virtue of Fasting in Muḥarram

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best fasting after the month of Ramaḍān is the fasting of the month of Allah, al-Muḥarram. And the best prayer after the obligatory ones is night prayer.” (Reported by Muslim)

Though ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted a full month other than Ramaḍān, the scholars explained that the ḥadīth encourages abundant fasting in Muḥarram, not necessarily fasting the whole month.

🌟 The Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ (10th of Muḥarram)

This day has a powerful history. It is the day when Allah saved Mūsā (Moses) and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his army.

📖 Ibn ʿAbbās said: “The Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on the day of ʿĀshūrāʾ. He asked them about it, and they said: ‘This is the day Allah made Mūsā victorious over Pharaoh, so we fast it.’ He ﷺ said: ‘We are more entitled to Mūsā than you.’ So he fasted it and commanded others to fast it.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

📖 The Prophet ﷺ also said: “I hope from Allah that fasting the day of ʿĀshūrāʾ will expiate the sins of the previous year.” (Reported by Muslim)

🔸 The Prophet ﷺ fasted this day in four stages:

1. He used to fast it in Makkah before Hijrah without commanding others.

2. When he arrived in Madinah and saw the Jews observing it, he fasted it and ordered the Muslims to fast it.

3. When Ramaḍān became obligatory, he gave people the choice.

4. In his final year, he intended to fast the 9th along with the 10th to differ from the Jews, saying: “If I live till next year, I will surely fast the 9th as well.” (Reported by Muslim)

💠 So the Sunnah is to fast the 10th of Muḥarram, and if you can, also fast the 9th to follow the Prophet’s guidance and differ from the People of the Book.

A Magnificent Virtue of Abundant Ṣalāh Upon the Prophet ﷺ on Jumuʿah: Your Name Is Presented to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Every Friday!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

A Decisive Refutation of the Slander Against Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb and His Blessed Call: Did He Really Declare Muslims to Be Disbelievers?

Shaykh Saleh Al-Fawzan حفظه الله

Beware of Taking Your Religion from Just Anyone: Not Everyone Who Speaks About Islam Should Be Followed—The Danger of Listening to the People of Innovation!

Shaykh Abdurrahman Al-Umaysan حفظه الله

The Modern AI Deception of the People of Innovation: When Unable to Refute the Truth—They Fabricate Videos of Scholars and Put Words in Their Mouths!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

The Ruling on Electronic Tasbīḥ Rings: Modern Convenience or a Departure from the Guidance of the Prophet ﷺ?

Shaykh Salih Al-Luhaydan رحمه الله