Fasting ‘Ashura

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al- Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

The month of Muharram is a holy month. The holiest day in it is the 10th day. That’s why, our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam advised us to fast on the 10th. It is not Fard, it is an advice. It has great benefit for us in Akhirah. We are given good tidings of paradise then. Whoever fasts on that day, his sins of last year will be forgiven. Out of mercy to us, Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla creates occasions to forgive our sins. And this is one of such occasions.

If you repent and ask for forgiveness every day, your sins are forgiven. Angels don’t write it down until 8-10 hours pass so that people repent and ask for forgiveness, and their sins are forgiven. If they don’t, they write it down. So the sins of last year are forgiven on the day of ‘Ashura for people who forgot or ignored it.

You don’t fast for a day. You must fast either on the 9th and 10th, or the 10th and 11th. And the sins of a year will be forgiven. When they are forgiven, heaviness is lifted from you. Certainly, it is for the last year. For next year, we must ask for forgiveness again so that our sins will be forgiven. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is told in Surat al-Fath, “I forgive all your past and future sins” by Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Prophets are infallible anyway. They don’t have any sins. Infallible means they don’t commit sins. There is no one infallible apart from the Prophets. Awliya’, Sahabah and Ahlu l-Bayt; all of their ranks are lower than that of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. They don’t have infallibility.

Some people think Awliya’ don’t make mistakes and sins. They do. They are the servants of Allah ﷻ. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla created people. And He ﷻ created them in order to forgive their sins. However, the Prophets who are created as special have no mistakes and sins. Because if they had sins, people would not value them. They would not have any importance.

Even though our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam didn’t have any sin, he ﷺ said AstaghfiruLlah al-’Azim 70 times a day. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ said that to make a lesson for us. In spite of having no sins, he ﷺ repented and made Istighfar. Therefore, we repent and ask for forgiveness every day.

Our fasting on ‘Ashura, on the 9th and 10th will bring more benefit insha’Allah. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla will give us great rewards in Akhirah. Actually, it is much better if you fast from the 1st to the 10th. But at least, do so on the 9th and 10th, or the 10th and 11th. Because you can’t fast for only one day as our Holy Prophet ﷺ says. He ﷺ said, “If I am alive till next year, I will fast for two days.” But as a miracle, he ﷺ knew that he wouldn’t be alive. Therefore, he ﷺ advised that to us.

May Allah ﷻ be pleased with all of you. It is a holy day. Some people say it is bad. It is not bad. There is goodness in everything. There is an example, a lesson and advice for people. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla gave us all kinds of goodness. He ﷻ gave goodness to the Ummah of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. Whoever follows him ﷺ reaches goodness. Who don’t follow know for themselves. May Allah ﷻ improve them. May Allah ﷻ give guidance to all of us.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 14 July 2024/ 08 Muharram 1446 Fajr Prayer, Akbaba Dergah