10th Muharram 1444AH
Assalamu alaykum warahmatullah!
The much-awaited Aashura continues this night after Salatul Maghrib (8th August 2022) marks its day. Apart from fasting commonly known to be highly rewarding, there are equally many other meritorious acts that we are encouraged to do. Some of these actions include:
1. Charity by way of providing food to one’s family and other believers
There are two types of narrations related regarding these matters. The first pertains to the virtue of giving general charity on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura), and the second relates to the virtue of spending specifically on one’s family on this day.
As far as general charity is concerned, it has been reported from the Companion Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (RA) that he said, “Whoever fasts on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura), it is as though he has fasted the entire year. And whoever gives charity on this day, it is like the charity of an entire year” (Recorded by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his Lata’if al-Ma’arif from Abu Musa al-Madini). It was also reported that If someone provides a believer with a meal to break his fast on the night of Ashura, it will be just as if the entire Ummah of Muhammad (SAW) had broken fast as his guests, and had filled their stomachs to capacity (Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq Vol. 3 by Shaikh ‘Abdul Al-Qadir Al-Jilani).
As for spending and being generous on one’s family, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) is reported to have said, “One who generously spends on his family on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura), Allah will be generous on him for the entire year.” (Recorded by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his Lata’if al-Ma’arif from Tabarani in his al-Awsat and Al-Bayhaqi in his Shu’ab al-Iman).
If someone gives a thirsty person a drink of water on the Day of Ashura, it is just as if he had never disobeyed Allah for a single instant.
If anyone uses his wealth to treat his dependents (family) with special generosity on the Day of Ashura, Allah will treat that person with special generosity throughout the rest of that year.
2. Care for the Orphan
If someone strokes the head of an orphan with his hand on the Day of Ashura, for every hair on the orphan’s head, Allah will promote him by one degree in the Garden of Paradise.
3. Visiting the Sick
If someone pays a visit to a sick person on the Day of Ashura, it is just as if he had visited all the children of Adam.
4. Performing Qiyamul Layl (Night Prayer)
If someone spends the night of Ashura in vigilant worship, and enters upon the morning in a state of fasting, he will die without knowing the agony of death. (the night of Ashura is the night before the Day of Ashura, this year, it is on Sunday night, 07th August 2022).
If someone performs four raka’ats of ritual prayer (salat)on the Day of Ashura – reciting in each cycle (raka’at) Surah Al-Fatiha one time, and Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul hu Allahu ahad…) fifty times – Allah will forgive him the sins of fifty past years, and also for fifty years that are in the future. Allah will also build for him, in the midst of the heavenly host, a thousand Palaces of Light.
In another Hadith, the worshipper should perform four raka’ats, with two salutations (salams). In each cycle (raka’at), he must recite:
Surah Al-Fatihah one time
Surah Al-Zalzala (Surah 99) one time
Surah Al-Kafiroon one time
Surah Al-Ikhlas one time
After concluding the prayer, recite Salawat on Rasulullah (SAW) seventy times.
(Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq Vol. 3 by Shaikh ‘Abdul Al-Qadir Al-Jilani)
Please note that some scholars consider these narrations to be weak (dha’if), while others like Imam Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban have accepted them as reliable. Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali relates from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RA) that he did consider some basis for them. He also quotes Sufyan ibn Uyayna (RA) as saying, “I have practiced this [spending on the family] for fifty or sixty years, and have found nothing but good in it.” (Lata’if al-Ma’arif P 64)
Moreover, scholars have generally agreed on the permissibility of acting upon weak narrations for virtuous actions, as long as they are not fabricated (mawdu’). And Allah knows best.
Suleiman Zubair
