Index

The day of Ashura in Islam

The day of Ashura in Islam

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The tenth day of this month has a special name “Ashura”. What does one get for fasting it? The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us, “Fasting the day of Ashura is an expiation for (sins committed in) the past year.” (Narrated by Muslim)

We all know that Muharram is one of the sacred months, which Allah, the Sublime, about which he said His Holy Book, “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them.” (Sura At Tawbah, ayah 36).

The Arabs used to consider these months sacred during the time of Jahiliyyah, except for a group called AlBasl who held eight months of the year to be sacred as being of extra significance in religion. Muharram is an honourable month of the Islamic year and it is called so (i.e. forbidden) because fighting was then forbidden and Almighty Allah forbade us from committing injustice in them as a kind honour to it, although injustice is extremely forbidden at all times. Therefore, we must adhere to the commandments of Almighty Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and not commit sins in this month because of its sanctity and sacredness.

2026-05-01 (Dhul-Qaida 1447) №5.


Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali (Zayn al-‘Abidin)

“I have never seen a Quraysh better than Ali ibn al-Husayn.” (az-Zuhri).   In a special year, the final page in the history of the Persian kings was turned. Yazdegerd, the last Persian king, died homeless and persecuted. His generals, guards and members of his family were...


Escape from silence

Why when we alone, we immediately reach for our phones, turn on a series, or other stuff, or do anything to avoid encountering our own thoughts? What are we so afraid of hearing in that silence, and how can we learn to bear it in order to finally hear our true selves?   This is not just a...


When a mother has no more strength

Being a mother is a serious science You can read dozens of books on raising children but until you raise your own little one, you are just a theorist. Being a mother is a practice. And each of us has moments when we want to lock ourselves in a back room, go for a walk through the streets at night...


The Ideal Husband’s Commandments

Family is a daily effort. And for any family to be successful, both spouses must work hard, for, as the saying goes, one man is no match for another. To be happy in marriage, a woman does not need much... Although it is not... In fact, she needs much... But in this article, we will limit ourselves...


The Aghlabid Dynasty

In 184 AH (Muslim calendar), Caliph Harun al-Rashid sent a new governor to the province of Ifriqiya (Africa). This vast province, which regularly disrupted the supply of goods and food to the capital of the Arab Caliphate, troubled the Caliph and required constant, heightened attention. A...