Each year Muslims throughout the world anticipate the coming of the New Year, welcoming the sacred month of Muharram. Within it is a day like no other, the Blessed Day of Ashura. Below is an excerpt from Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth, by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani detailing these many blessings of Muharram and Ashura.
As we are reliably informed by Shaikh Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn al-Banna, Allah's Messenger once said: If someone observes a day of fasting during Muharram, for every such day he will be credited with thirty days.
According to another traditional report, transmitted by Maimun ibn Mihran on the authority of Ibn Abbas (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him and his father), Allah's Messenger also said: If someone fasts on the day of Ashura in Muharram, he will be granted the spiritual reward of ten thousand angels. 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 community of Hazrat Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had broken fast as his guests, and had filled their stomachs to capacity."O Messenger of Allah" , his listeners exclaimed, ' it would seem that Allah ta' ala has given preference to the day of Ashura over all the other days!' "Yes," said he as he went on to explain: Allah (Exalted is He) created the heavens on the day of ' Ashura'. He created the mountains on the day of ' Ashura. He created the oceans on the day of ' Ashura'. He created the Pen on the day of Ashura. He created the Tablet on the day of Ashura. He created Adam (peace be upon him) on the day of 'Ashura', and He caused him to enter the Garden of Paradise on the day of Ashura.
Abraham (peace be upon him) was born on the day of 'Ashura, and Allah Ta'Ala delivered him from the fiery furnace on the day of Ashura, then He redeemed his son from being sacrificed on the day of Ashura. He caused Pharaoh to drown on the day of Ashura. Allah (Exalted is He) relieved Job [Ayyub] (peace be upon him) of his trials and tribulations on the day of Ashura. Allah [Exalted is He] relented toward Adam (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura. Allah [Exalted is He] forgave the sin of David [Dawud] (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura. Jesus {Isa] (Peace be upon him) was born on the day of Ashura. The Day of Resurrection will occur on the day of Ashura.
According to another version of this report, likewise transmitted on the authority of Ibn Abbas ( may Allah have be pleased with him), “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 ta' ala will promote him by one degree in the garden of Paradise.
"O Messenger of Allah,” exclaimed Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah (Exalted is He) has treated us with favor, by granting us the day of Ashura !" The Prophet then said: Allah (Exalted is He) created the heavens on the day of Ashura, and the earth likewise. He created the mountains on the day of Ashura, and the stars likewise. He created the Heavenly Throne on the day of Ashura and the Pedestal likewise. He created the Tablet on the day of Ashura, and the Pen likewise.
He created Gabriel on the day of 'Ashura, and the angels likewise. If someone performs the major ritual ablution on the day of Ashura, he will never experience any illness, apart for the sickness of death. If someone anoints his eyelids with antimony on the day of 'Ashura, he will not suffer inflammation of the eyes throughout the entire course of the year.
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. 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 ta'ala for a single instant.
If someone performs four cycles of ritual prayer on the day of 'Ashura, reciting in each cycle the Opening Sura of the Book, one time, and the Sura that begins with "Qul Huwa 'llahu Ahad, “ ‘Say: He is Allah,’ fifty times, Allah (Exalted is He) will forgive him the sins of fifty bygone years, and of fifty years that are still in the future. The most meritorious fasting, after the month of Ramadan, is fasting in the month of Allah which they call the Sacred Month al-Muharram. And the most meritorious ritual prayer – after that which is prescribed as an obligatory duty, and that which is performed in the middle of the night – is the ritual prayer of the day of Ashura.
Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah ennoble his countenance) is reported as having stated that the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), said: “In Allah's Sacred Month, Allah ta'ala has relented toward certain people, and He will also relent toward others.
Concerning the Origin and Significance of the Term “Ashura”
According to some of the scholars, it came to be called Ashura because it is the day on which Allah Ta Ala bestowed ten tokens of special favor upon ten of the Messengers (peace be upon them all). According to some however, it came to be called Ashura because it is the tenth of the tokens of special favor by Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) upon this community of ours. The day of Ashura, on which fasting counts as the atonement of one whole year.
Ashura has thus come to be on a par with the rest of the noble days, such as the two Eids, Friday, the day of congregation, the day of Arafat, and so on. Moreover, if it had ever been permissible to observe this day as the day of tragic misfortune, the companions and the successors (may Allah be well pleased with them all) would have observed it as such, because they were more closely in touch with it than we are, and better qualified to understand its true significance. In actual fact, as we know from traditional reports about them, they used to urge people to treat their dependents with special generosity on that day, and to observe it as a day of fasting. To cite one example, Al Hasan Al Basri (may Allah bestow Him mercy upon him) is reported as having said: “Fasting on the day of Ashura is an obligatory religious duty.” Hazrat Ali (may Allah bless his countenance) is also reported as having said: “Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said: “if someone spends the night of Ashura in vigilant worship, Allah will let him live as long as he wishes.”
