THE TENTH OF MUHARRAM; THE ASHURA DAY
اليَوم العاشر
On this day, Imam al-Hussein was martyred. It is indeed the day of the calamitous misfortune and the day of grief for the Holy Imams and their adherents. Thus, Shia Muslims are required to stop earning any worldly benefit, stop storing anything in their houses, and devote themselves to weeping and mourning the misfortunes of Imam al-Hussein. They are thus required to hold consolation ceremonies in the same way as they do for their dead sons and relatives. They are also required to visit the holy tomb of Imam al-Hussein with the Ziyarat Ashura salutatory prayer that will be later on cited in this book. They are also required to invoke curse upon the enemies and slayers of Imam al-Hussein and to express sympathy to each other, saying, May Allah double up our rewards on account of our sorrow for (the martyrdom of) al-Hussein and may He include you and us with those who shall take revenge upon his killers with his blood-claimer; Imam al-Mahdi, who belongs to the Household of Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
يوم استشهد فيه الحسين (عليه السلام) وهو يوم المُصيبة والحُزن للائمة (عليهم السلام) وشيعتهم وينبغي للشّيعة أن يمسكوا فيه عن السّعي في حوائج دُنياهم وأن لا يدّخروا فيه شيئاً لمنازلهم وأن يتفرّغوا فيه للبكاء والنّياح وذكر المصائب وأن يقيمُوا ماتم الحسين (عليه السلام) كمنا يقيمُونه لأعزّ أولادهم وأقاربهم وأن يزوروه بزيارة عاشوراء الآتية ان شاء الله تعالى وأن يجتهدوا في سبّ قاتليه ولعنهم وليعزّ بعضهم بعضاً قائلاً أَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ أُجُورَنَا بِمُصَابِنَا بِالْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَجَعَلَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ مِنَ الطَّالِبِينَ بِثَأْرِهِ مَعَ وَلِيِّهِ الإِمَامِ الْمَهْدِيِّ مِنَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ |
Devotees of Imam al-Hussein should confer the martyrdom of their Imam and should weep for him.
وينبغي أن يتذاكروا فيه مقتل الحسين (عليه السلام) فيستبكي بعضهم بعضاً
It is narrated that when Prophet Moses was ordered to meet al-Khedir,([1]) the first matter they discussed was the misfortune that the Household of Prophet Muhammad would face. They therefore wept heavily for these misfortunes.
وروى انّه لمّا أمر موسى (عليه السلام) بلقاء خضر (عليه السلام) والتّعلّم منه كان أوّل ما تذاكروا فيه هو انّ العالم حدّث موسى (عليه السلام)بمصائب آل محمّد (عليهم السلام) فبكيا واشتدّ بكاؤهما |
Ibn Abbas is reported to have said, “When I accompanied Imam Ali in Dhi-Qar, he took out a paper comprising the dictations of the Holy Prophet and handwritten by Imam Ali himself. He read some segments of that paper and I heard. It contained the story of Imam al-Hussein’s martyrdom with full details of the way he would be killed, the person who would kill him, those who would support him, and those who would be martyred with him. Imam Ali then wept heavily and caused me to weep.”
وعن ابن عبّاس قال: حضرت في ذيقار عند أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) فأخرج صحيفة بخطّه واملاء النّبي 4 وقرأ في من تلك الصّحيفة وكان فيها مقتل الحسين صلوات الله وسلامه عليه وانّه كيف يقتل ومن الذي يقتله ومن ينصره ومن يستشهد معه ثمّ بكى بكاءً شديداً وأبكاني
There is not enough space in this book to mention a part of the story of Imam al-Hussein’s martyrdom; therefore, the complete story can be seen in the books specified for this respect. These books are called maqtal.
وعن ابن عبّاس قال: حضرت في ذيقار عند أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) فأخرج صحيفة بخطّه واملاء النّبي 4 وقرأ في من تلك الصّحيفة وكان فيها مقتل الحسين صلوات الله وسلامه عليه وانّه كيف يقتل ومن الذي يقتله ومن ينصره ومن يستشهد معه ثمّ بكى بكاءً شديداً وأبكاني
There is not enough space in this book to mention a part of the story of Imam al-Hussein’s martyrdom; therefore, the complete story can be seen in the books specified for this respect. These books are called maqtal.
فمن شاء فليطالع كتب الخاصّة في المقتل
At any rate, if one offers water to people on this day at the holy tomb of Imam al-Hussein, his reward will be similar to the reward of one who offered water to the companions of Imam al-Hussein at Karbala.
وعلى أيّ حال فمن سقى النّار عند قبر الحسين (عليه السلام) في هذا اليوم كان كمن سقى أعوانه (عليه السلام) في كربلاء
A great reward is also recorded for one who repeats Surah al-Tawhid one thousand times on this day.
ولقراءة التّوحيد ألف مرّة في هذا اليوم فضل
It is narrated that Almighty Allah shall have a merciful look at one who repeats this Surah one thousand times on this day.
وروي انّ الله تعالى ينظر الى من قرأ هذه السورة ألف مرة هذا اليوم نظر الرّحمة
Sayyid Ibn Tawus has mentioned a supplicatory prayer similar to the Dua al-Asharat supplicatory prayer to be said on this day. More specifically, this supplicatory prayer seems to be the same as the Dua al-Asharat prayer but according to another narration.
وقد روى السّيد لهذا اليوم دعاء يشابه دعاء العشرات بل الظّاهر انّه نفس الدّعاء على بعض رواياتها
Sheikh al-Tusi has mentioned that Abdullah ibn Sinan reported from Imam al-Sadiq a four unit prayer and a supplicatory prayer to be offered and said at the first hours of this day; but on account of briefness, they will not be cited in this book. They, however, can be seen in Zad al-Maʿad.
وقد روى الشّيخ عن عبد الله بن سنان عن الصّادق (عليه السلام)صلاة ذات ركعات ودعاء يؤدّى غدوة ولم نوردها اختصاراً (من شاء فليطلبها من زاد المعاد
Loyalists of Imam al-Hussein are required not to eat or drink anything on this day, but not in the intention of ritual fasting, and to break this abstention from food and drink with a meal that is usually offered to the unfortunate people, such as yoghurt, milk, or the like meals; and that should be at the last hour of this day after the afternoon time. In other words, they should avoid having rich or delicious meals on this day, for it is a day of misfortune. They are also required to put on clean dresses and to unfasten the buttons and raise their sleeves just like the misfortune-stricken people.
وينبغي ايضاً للشيعة الامساك عن الطعام والشّراب في هذا اليوم من دُون نيّة للصّيام وأن يفطُروا في آخر النّهار بعد العصر بما يقتات به أهل المصائب كاللّبن الخاثر والحليب ونظائرهما لا بالأغذية اللّذيذة وأن يلبسوا ثياباً نظيفة ويحلّوا الأزرار ويكشطوا الأكمام على هيئة اصحاب العزاء
In Zad al-Maʿad, Allamah al-Majlisi says that it is preferable not to observe fasting on the ninth and tenth of Muharram because the Umayyad ruling authorities used to observe fasting on these two days in order to express delight for and to gloat over the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein.
وقال العلامة المجلسي في زاد المعاد: والأحسن أن لا يصام اليوم التّاسع والعاشر فانّ بني اميّة كانت تصومها شماتة بالحسين (عليه السلام)
Having seen a good omen in the killing of Imam al-Hussein, the Umayyad ruling authorities fabricated many lies against the Holy Prophet and falsely ascribed to him that he mentioned many merits to be the reward for observing fasting on these two days.
وتبرّكاً بقتله وقد افتروا على رسول الله (عليه السلام) احاديث كثيرة وضعوها في فضل هذين اليومين وفضل صيامهما
On the other hand, the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt are reported to have warned against observing fasting on these two days in general and on the tenth of Muhammad, the Day of Ashura’, in particular. The Umayyad authorities—may Allah curse them—used to store up their annual nutriment in their houses on the tenth of Muharram; accordingly, Imam al-Ridha is reported to have said, “If one refrains from arranging for any worldly benefit on the tenth of Muharram, Almighty Allah will grant him all his needs for this world and the world to come. If one considers the tenth of Muharram to be the day of his misfortune, sadness, and weeping, Almighty Allah will make the Resurrection Day the day of his delight and happiness; and he will be delighted by us in Paradise. If one considers the tenth of Muharram to be a blessed day and he thus stores up any annual nutriment on that day, Almighty Allah will not bless that which he stored up and will add him to the gang of Yazid, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, and Umar ibn Saʿd—may Allah curse them all.” |
وقد روي من طريق أهل البيت (عليهم السلام)احاديث كثيرة في ذمّ الصّوم فيهما لا سيّما في يوم عاشوراء وكانت أيضاً بنو أميّة لعنة الله عليهم تدّخر في الدّار قُوت سنتها في يوم عاشوراء ولذلك روي عن الامام الرّضا صلوات الله وسلامه عليه ، قال: من ترك السّعي في حوائجه يوم عاشوراء قضى الله له حوائج الدّنيا والآخرة ومن كان يوم عاشوراء يوم مصيبته وحُزنه وبكائه جعل الله يوم القيامة يوم فرحه وسروره وقرّت بنا في الجنّة عينه ومن سمّى يوم عاشوراء يوم بركة وادّخر لمنزله فيه شيئاً لم يبارك له فيما ادّخر وحشر يوم القيامة مع يزيد وعبيد الله بن زياد وعمر بن سعد لعنهم الله |
In conclusion, it is required to suspend any worldly activity on this day and to devote oneself to weeping, mourning the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein, recalling his misfortunes, and ordering one’s family members to hold a consolation ceremony in the same way as one may hold for his dearest people. It is also required to abstain from eating and drinking up to the last hour of the day at which one may break the abstention with a drink of water at least, without intending ritual fasting, since to observe fasting on this day is discommended except in cases of obligatory fasting, such as vow fasting and the like. It is also required not to store up anything in the houses, not to laugh, not to entertain oneself, and not to play.
فينبغي أن يكفّ المرء فيه عن أعمال دنياه ويتجرّد للبكاء والنّياحة وذكر المصائب ويأمر أهله بأقامة المأتم كما يقام لأعزّ الأولاد والأقارب وأن يمسك في هذا اليوم من الطّعام والشّراب من دون قصد الصّيام ويفطر آخر النّهار بعد العصر ولو بشربة من الماء ولا يصوم فيه الّا اذا أوجب عليه صومه بنذر أو شبهه ولا يدّخر فيه شيئاً لمنزله ولا يضحك ولا يقبل على اللّهو واللّعب
It is recommended, on this day, to invoke Almighty Allah to lay curse on the slayers of Imam al-Hussein one thousand times by saying:
ويلعن قاتلي الحسين (عليه السلام) ألف مرّة قائلا |
O Allah, (please do) curse the slayers of al-Hussein, peace be upon him. |
The summary of the aforementioned worthy essay of Allamah al-Majlisi is that the reports forged against the Holy Prophet concerning the merits of the tenth of Muharram, the Day of Ashura, are all in all fabricated. This topic has been discussed at length by the author of Shifa’ al-Sudur([1]) at explaining the Ziyarat Ashura salutatory prayer and, precisely, the statement that reads, “O Allah, verily, the descendants of Umayyah saw a good omen in this day… etc.” |
The summary of the author’s explanation is as follows: The Umayyad authorities used to regard this day as good omen and they thus used to do many things on it. |
(1) They betook as custom on this day storing up the annual nutriment considering such to achieve happiness, good livelihood, and luxury up to the next year. In order to deny this bad habit, the Holy Imams warned against it in many narrations. |
(2) They considered the tenth of Muharram a feast day on which they would commit to the manners of celebration, such as conferring upon the family members with whatever they need, procuring new clothes, having one’s mustache cut, trimming the nails, and shaking hands with each other as well as other norms. |
(3) They and their fans have been observing fasting on the tenth of Muharram after they have fabricated numerous traditions entailing the significance of observing fasting on this day. |
(4) They and their fans have declared that it is recommended to supplicate Almighty Allah on this day. In order to confirm this forgery, they have invented many merits for this day, included them with fabricated supplications, and taught them to the miscreants of the nation so that they would confuse people and make the matter ambiguous for them. The pro-Umayyad orators used to declare before people that a good event occurred to each Prophet on this day, such as that the fire that Nimrod the tyrannical ruler provoked in order to throw Prophet Abraham there was extinguished on the tenth of Muharram! Pharaoh who chased Prophet Moses was drowned on the tenth of Muharram! Prophet Jesus was saved from crucifixion on the tenth of Muharram!([2]) |
([1]) The author of Shifa’ al-Sudur is Ayatollah Mirza Abu’l-Fadl al-Tahrani.
([2]) All these are fabrications that were invented by the Umayyad ruling authorities in order to cover up their crime of slaying Imam al-Husayn and in order to make people forget this astounding event.