Mufti Menk – Muharram and the Martyrdom of Al Hussain (RA)

			Salam aleikum, my brothers and sisters the 10th of Muharram. Every year sees a dispute among members
of the oma. And unfortunately people argue over what should be done, what shouldn't be done, what
exactly happened and what is the significance of this day. So I wish to simplify things, and only to
mention points that I think we can all nod our heads and say, yes, this is something I need.
		

			What happened?
		

			Initially, we did not know anything about the 10th of Muharram. Until we were told by the prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him, had he not told us sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we would have known
nothing about the 10th of Muharram. And perhaps we wouldn't have held it in any significance, but he
did tell us so that becomes irrelevant. He told us, what did he say? Well, when they arrived in
Madina, munawwara, the Jews of Medina, the Jewish community of Medina, not necessarily the entire
Jewish faith, but those who were in Madina munawwara they used to fast on this day, the 10th of
Muharram. And the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was told when they inquired why they fasted,
		

			that well this was the day that the Prophet Moses May peace be upon him, Musa alayhis salam was
saved. So there is discrepancy as to being saved from the pharaoh being saved in any other way. But
the majority say saved from the Pharaoh. So the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said, Well, we
are more deserving of the Prophet Musa or Moses May peace be upon him than them. So we will fast
this day, he fast the 10th. And then he said, If I am around next year, I will fast the ninth and
the 10th, to make it two days so that I can be different from this community. So Subhana Allah, that
was the significance to celebrate or commemorate the victory of the oppressed over the oppressor.
		

			The lesson learned is very clear. And it is more than less than any one of us being oppressed. It's
not going to last forever, a day will come when you will have victory, wow. SubhanAllah, I'm happy,
I'm excited about that. So a day will come when you will have victory, things will change your tough
days cannot last forever, Allah will definitely give you days of ease. And as for those who are
oppressors you wrong, people, you harm them, you make their lives difficult, you abuse them, your
day is coming to so you'd rather turn to Allah before that day, unlike the pharaoh who didn't turn
until he was punished, then it was too late. So that, in a nutshell, is the undisputed significance
		

			of this particular day, among the Muslims. Among the Muslims, we believe that yes, there is
significance. And we believe that it is the victory of the oppressed over the oppressor. And the
vast majority would say it is as soon as too fast. It's not compulsory, you don't have to fast but
it's as soon as too fast. And if you're fasting, it's better to fast two days. And if really, you
were able to just fast one day, it's okay. Now, decades later, after the profits of salams time,
		

			one of his grandsons and Hussein Oh, and her saying them the idea of their loved one, Homer
		

			was martyred. He was martyred on the same day by who by others who were also companions or who were
Muslim. Okay? They said the Shahada. They declared themselves as Muslim they read Salah, but the
hypocrites made them fight and I'm simplifying this too, for the lowest level of understanding. So
here you have two groups of Muslims. And the hypocrites made them fight each other until they
murdered each other which resulted in the murder, or the martyrdom of and her saying the banally are
of the Allahumma. One of the greatest of the companions of the Prophet SAW Selim and her saying the
banality of the Allahumma the son of the fourth Khalif of Islam, the son of the cousin of the
		

			Prophet Mohammed salam, but primarily the grandson, the son of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wasallam we are saddened we bleed every year when we think of it and every time we
think of it, not necessarily only during this occasion, but throughout the year. It's it's a point
of sadness, but what I believe the lesson we haven't learned to this day, we are still fighting each
other, still killing each other. What did we learn? Primarily, what's of the greatest importance is
the lesson like I said, the one about oppression, the one about the oppressed. Similarly, the one
about allowing hypocrites to make you fight each other and kill each other
		

			You're saying the Shahada on both sides? Why are you killing each other? Why do you have so much of
hate for each other within the oma? That is something we need to remedy. And I think an occasion
like this, if you know the reality of it, and you are true to the deen of Allah, and you are true to
Allah, you will actually learn the lessons from what happened to her saying him nearly out of the
Allahumma rather than making it an occasion of hate. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us goodness.
So you have people who say, oh, let's celebrate by distributing good food and so on. And this day, I
believe, that's a fabrication. I wouldn't do that. I don't want to do it. There are others who say,
		

			well, the narration is okay. That's up to you. I believe that's the narration fabricated. Islam does
not give importance to food and drink except during the two reads. That's it. Otherwise food and
drink on an occasion like this? No. I personally believe that narration is fabricated. If you don't
Alhamdulillah I'm not going to fight you because I've learned a lesson that what's more important is
not to kill each other over something. It's a difference of opinion. Subhana Allah, however, there
is the other side of the coin people who are so saddened and they believe you can or cannot get
married, they believe you have to wear black, they believe you have to beat yourself, etc. That also
		

			is a fabrication. To me, that's a fabrication, because you're missing the whole point. The whole
point was something happened in the history later on, after decades after the Prophet Muhammad Salah
Salah. And we didn't learn a lesson from that.
		

			We didn't we still don't have the love, we still don't have the care, we still don't have the
goodness, the good feeling in the hearts. Rather we are filled with more hate than they and we are
filled with the readiness and preparedness to kill each other. So panela over over matters that we
disagree on sometimes. My brothers and sisters I wish to say no matter what sector you belong to,
don't kill others. Don't you may believe you are right. It's okay. You as a human being you have the
right to believe you're right I believe I'm right to but how you communicate that don't you have the
confidence in the truth that you are rolling such that you can present your opinion and its
		

			evidences and walk away? That's it. You know, the duty of the messenger sallallahu Sallam was to
convey the message my alma, Selena and Bella. So we are the followers of the messenger convey the
message? Look, I believe this. I've given it to you. And I believe we should actually learn the
lesson which is more important than anything else. For me. The significance of the 10th of Muharram
primarily is that of the victory of the oppressed over the oppression, oppressor and depression.
		

			The story of Musa alayhis salam and the Pharaoh and perhaps the fasts that come in the Sahaba
narrations and thereafter, what happened in history is a lesson. It's a lesson. We don't really draw
the lesson we don't really take heed. And still we make a big noise during this occasion. And we
actually defeat the entire purpose of whatever happened. May Allah grant us goodness, I want to call
on you all my brothers and sisters, while you're doing whatever you believe you have to do.
		

			To understand we are one oma, come what may, no matter how much you feel that the other man who's
saying a shadow Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, wa shadow, Mohammed Rasulullah is a deviant. He has said
that Shahada and who knows that will come to his rescue by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala on
the Day of Judgment. May Allah forgive me, I thought really, I would mention this. I am in no ways
belittling anything that happened on this day. For me, one of my heroes is Al Hussein dibny idea of
the law one woman and he should be for every Muslim, the family of the Prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him should be more important than our own families and ourselves. Indeed. But what's the lesson
		

			we learned? That's the question, do we still go around, falling into the trap of the same hypocrites
who make us hate each other, fight each other kill each other? While we belong to the same Omar? Can
we not respectfully in a very dignified way express what differences we have and refrain from
swearing each other calling each other dirtiest of names? May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us the
lesson. I hope we've benefited from this. And I hope that we've not misunderstood what I've tried to
say aku loco leha was Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.