السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

As the day of Ashura approaches us, I’d like to remind everyone that it is recommended to fast on this day and the day before.

With regards to fasting:

⁃ The merit is that it expiates the (minor) sins of the past year

عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ فَقَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ

Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting the day of Arafat and he said, “It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.” Then, the Prophet was asked about fasting the day of Ashura and he said, “It will expiate the sins of the past year.”

[Sahih Muslim 1162]

⁃ It is recommended to fast 2 days, the 9th and 10th of Muharram

نِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ الأَعْرَجِ قَالَ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضى الله عنهما فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ صَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ‏ فَقَالَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ هِلاَلَ الْمُحَرَّمِ فَاعْدُدْ وَأَصْبِحْ يَوْمَ التَّاسِعِ صَائِمًا قُلْتُ هَكَذَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ

Al-Hakam ibn al-A’raj reported: I went to Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and I said, “Tell me about fasting the day of Ashura.” Ibn Abbas said, “When you see the crescent of the month of al-Muharram, count the days and wake up to fast on the ninth day.” I said, “Is this how the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, fasted it?” Ibn Abbas said, “Yes.”

[Sahih Muslim 1133]

ل النووي قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَصْحَابُهُ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ وَآخَرُونَ يُسْتَحَبُّ صَوْمُ التَّاسِعِ وَالْعَاشِرِ جَمِيعًا لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَامَ الْعَاشِرَ وَنَوَى صِيَامَ التَّاسِعِ

Al-Nawawi said, “Al-Shafi’i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaq, and others said it is recommended to fast the ninth and tenth of al-Muharram together, as the Prophet fasted the tenth and intended to fast the ninth.”

[Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1133]

نْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ إِلَى قَابِلٍ لَأَصُومَنَّ التَّاسِعَ يعنى من الْمُحَرَّمِ

Abdullah ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If I live until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth day of al-Muharram.”

[Sahih Muslim 1134]

Why did the Prophet ﷺ fast on Ashura?

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَوَجَدَ الْيَهُودَ صِيَامًا يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا هَذَا الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي تَصُومُونَهُ فَقَالُوا هَذَا يَوْمٌ عَظِيمٌ أَنْجَى اللَّهُ فِيهِ مُوسَى وَقَوْمَهُ وَغَرَّقَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمَهُ فَصَامَهُ مُوسَى شُكْرًا فَنَحْنُ نَصُومُهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْلَى بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ فَصَامَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ


Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Medina and he found the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. The Prophet said, “What is this day you are fasting?” They said, “This is a great day in which Allah saved Moses and his people, and he drowned Pharaoh and his people. Moses fasted on it due to gratitude, so we also fast on it.” The Prophet said, “We are more deserving and are closer to Moses than you.” The Prophet fasted the day of Ashura and he commanded fasting on it.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3397 and Sahih Muslim 1130]

What is the wisdom of fasting the 2 days?

It is to be different from the Jews. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade resembling the People of the Book in many ahaadeeth. For example, he said concerning ‘Ashoora’: “If I live until next year I will certainly fast the ninth.”
[Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 6]

Fast The Day Of 'Āshūrā Bi Idhnillāh

Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما reported:The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ observed Sawm (fasting) on the day of ‘Āshūrā and commanded us to fast on this day. • [رواه البخاري ومسلم]

Abū Qatādah reported: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was asked about observing as-Sawm (the fast) on the tenth day of Muḥarram, and he replied: “It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year.” • [رواه مسلم]

Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما reported:The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “If I remain alive till the next year, I shall also observe fast on the ninth of Muḥarram.” • [رواه مسلم]

This year the 9th and 10th of Muḥarram are falling on 7th and 8th of August, 2022 respectively so if you can, do not MISS this GREAT opportunity and fast on Sunday and Monday to earn the great reward of fasting of 'Āshūrā.

The best way of fasting in Muḥarram:

Al-Imām Ibn al-Qayyim [رحمه الله] said:

❝There are three levels of fasting ʿĀshūrā. The most complete is to fast a day before it and a day after it. After this is to fast the 9th and the 10th, and the majority of Aḥādīth [are found to support this]. Lastly, to fast the 10th by itself.❞

● [Zād al-Maʿād, (Page: 72)]

Al-Hāfiz Ibn Hajr [رحمه الله] said:

❝Fasting ʿĀshūrā is of three levels:

• The lowest is to fast it alone.

• Above this is to fast the 9th along with it.

• Above that is to fast the 9th and the 11th along with it. And Allāh knows best.❞

● [al-Fath, (4/246)]

Ask Allah for provision.

(Haram) relationships and bonds of love are a waste of time and of wishes that fly away like the wind. The beginning of such relationships is an adventure one doesn't calculate the consequences of, and the end is either psychological damage and disruption or moral corruption. The shortest path to true love is marriage. The Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith: "We have not seen the like of marriage for two who love each other." [Ibn Majah, 1847]

"(Arabic) Grammar is difficult in the beginning, but it becomes easy in the end. It's example is like a house made of sugarcane, and the door is (heavy) iron. It is difficult to enter, but once you are in, everything becomes easy."

Ibn Uthaymīn | Explanation of Ajurumiyyah, p. 15

Ibn al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله:

“It is only a moment and then these difficulties come to and end; be patient upon them. Be patient upon restraining your soul from its desires, be patient upon the obligations Allāh has commanded you with. Be patient upon the calamities that afflict you which are either from yourself, from Allāh, or from the people. Be patient until you reach the abode of relaxation (Jannah).”

[Al Kaafiyah al-Shafiyah 4/460]

abū hurayrah (‏رضي الله عنه) said:

the first things that will be removed from this ummah are modesty and trustworthiness, so ask Allāh for them both.

- makārim al-akhlāq (178)

🌵."

Ibn Al-Jawzī رحمه الله said:

“Consistency is a significant principle in memorisation because many people stop revising the things they memorised and so they end up forgetting what they know, and then spend long periods of time attempting to regain it.”

book: Captured Thoughts by Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī رحمه الله pg. 432

Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī رحمه الله said:

“It is possible that one will die today, get prepared like one who is preparing to die.

If you go to sleep thank Allāh for safety as Allāh is Ever-Able to cause you to die tonight, so be eager to do good actions.”

📖book: The Remembrance Of Death And The Afterlife by Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī رحمه الله pg. 18

regardless of how many distractions exist, this dunya will only and always manage to blind the one that shows it love and attention.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I was thinking about all the people I look up to and something they all had in common was not letting the dunya distract them. I realized a lot of aspiring students of knowledge always have major goals but many don’t come with the traits of people who have attained those goals.

When Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab رحمه الله finished writing ‘Kitab at-Tawheed’, he was only 25. He managed to write this on the go, rather than sitting with it as a typical author would. This cannot be achieved except with discipline.

After Islam, time is probably the most valuable thing we have. If anything is emphasized by the people of knowledge most, it is for us to take advantage of it. We see that the students of knowledge that are going up in ranks day by day, they’re not on social media wasting their life (if they are, they’re benefitting the people).

I say this as advice to myself first and foremost, if you cannot leave social media completely, keep track of your screen time and make it a goal to lower it everyday.

May Allah allow us to tread this path of gaining knowledge with complete discipline. Ameen.

فإنَّه يراك ..

«طهِّر لربِّك سريرتك، فإنَّها عنده علانية، وأصلح له غيبك، فإنَّه عنده شهادة، وزكِّ له باطنك، فإنَّه عنده ظاهر».

طريق الهجرتين، لابن القيم (٥٠/٢)

روى الحاكم أن النبي ﷺ قال:
Al-Hākem reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:

أتاني جبريلُ عليه السَّلامُ فقال: يا محمَّدُ!
“Jibrīl عليه السلام came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad!

عِشْ ما شئتَ فإنَّك ميِّتٌ،
Live as you wish, for you will surely die.

وأحبِبْ من شئتَ فإنَّك مفارقُه،
Love whom you wish, for you will surely be separated.

واعمَلْ ما شئتَ فإنَّك مجزِيٌّ به،
Act as you wish, for you will surely be paid back in kind.’

ثمَّ قال: يا محمَّدُ!
Then he said, ‘O Muhammad!

شرفُ المؤمنِ قيامُه باللَّيلِ ،
Know that the believers’ glory lies in night prayer,

وعِزُّه استغناؤُه عن النَّاسِ.
and his dignity in self-sufficiency.’”

[حسنه الألباني في صحيح الجامع (73)]

⠀
يا عائشةَ، ارفُقِي؛ فإنَّ الله إِذا أَرادَ بأَهلِ بيتٍ خيرًا أَدخلَ عليهم الرِّفق.

أَخرجه أَحمد (٢٤٧٣٤)

سبحانه وتعالى

قال عامر بن قيس: ثلاث آيات من كتاب الله اكتفيت بهن عن جميع الخلائق:
١/﴿وإن يمسسك الله بضر فلا كاشف له إلا هو وإن يردك بخير فلا راد لفضله﴾
٢/﴿ما يفتح الله للناس من رحمة فلا ممسك لها وما يمسك فلا مرسل له من بعده وهو العزيز الحكيم﴾
٣/﴿وما من دابة في الأرض إلا على الله رزقها﴾

وأما عن خطر النظر الحرام، قال ابن القيم رحمه الله:
"...وليس على العبد شيءٌ أضرَّ من إطلاق البصر ، فانه يُوقِع الوحشة بين العبد وبين ربه"

الداء والدعاء ص٤١٦