“This is what is interesting: the tradition of gratitude was already embedded in the human soul, even before revelation had perfected it”_..._ M. Syarif Hidayatullah
At the end of the night of 1 Muharram, when the sky is still shrouded in darkness and the stars seem to whisper of destiny, two interconnected portraits of the times emerge. In every corner of the city, torchlights blaze to welcome the new Hijri year—full of solemnity, full of resolution.
Meanwhile in another corner, on a silent prayer mat, someone moistened his lips with a barely audible prayer: “"O Allah, this is Your month... don't let me wrong myself."”
That night is the gateway to Muharram—one of the four sacred months mentioned directly by Allah in the Quran. But why is this month called “sacred”? What secrets does it hold?
And how is it possible that one day in this month—the day of Ashura—binds the story of three great prophets: Nuh, Musa, and Muhammad ﷺ, while also holding a historical wound that will never dry: Husain's blood in Karbala?
Let us explore together, not with the spirit of preachy dogma, but with the curiosity of a seeker of wisdom.
Long before humans created the calendar Gregorian, Before smartphones displayed new year notifications, Allah ﷻ had already established His own time system. His word in QS. At-Tawbah verse 36:
“"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months, in Allah's decree when He created the heavens and the earth, of which four months are haram. That is the straight religion, so do not wrong yourself in it..."”
This verse is not just astronomical information. It is a spiritual map. Allah refers to these months by the word “"haram", which literally means "forbidden" or "glorified." Why? Because during these months, the tradition of warfare is halted. Blood is forbidden to be spilled. But more than that: sins are considered heavier during this month, as rewards are multiplied.
The Prophet ﷺ detailed the four months in one historic moment during the Farewell Pilgrimage:
“"Indeed, time revolves as it did on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. There are twelve months in a year, of which there are four haram months: three consecutive months, namely Dzulqa'dah, Dzulhijjah, Muharram, and Rajab which is between Jumaday (Ula and Tsaniyah) and Sha'ban."” (HR. Bukhari no. 3197, Muslim no. 1679)
Scholars refer to these months as “zones of peace” that Allah has prepared in the cycle of time. They are like oases in the desert of life—places where weary souls battling the world and themselves can pause, drink from the spring of nature, and reassess their journey's provisions.
Did you know, dear reader, that people Arab Jahiliyah—a society known for its harshness and love of war—does it actually respect these months? If someone met his father's killer during the sacred months, he would not touch him. Such is the ingrained respect for this time, even before Islam perfected it.
Long before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent, the Quraysh people knew the tradition of fasting on the day of Ashura. Aisyah radhiyallahu 'anha narrated:
“"In the past, the Quraysh fasted on the day of Ashura during the Jahiliyah period, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also fasted on that day..."” (HR. Bukhari no. 2002, Muslim no. 1125)
Why do they fast? Some traditions say that this is a remnant of the teachings of the Prophet Ibrahim. ‘Peace be upon you which is still held by some Arab descendants. The Day of Ashura is considered a special day—a day when something great happened, although the details have become obscured by the mists of time.
Here's what's interesting: the tradition of gratitude is ingrained in the human psyche, even when revelation had not yet perfected it. The Quraysh fasted without knowing exactly what event they were celebrating. They simply believed: today was different.
The first year of Hijriah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had just arrived in Yathrib (Name before Medina), a city inhabited by three large Jewish communities: Bani Qaynuqa', Bani Nadhir, and Bani Qurayzhah. One day in the month of Muharram, he found them fasting. Moved by curiosity, he asked:
“"What day is it today?"”
They answered:
“"This is a great day. On this day Allah saved Musa and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his army. So Musa fasted on that day as a form of gratitude, so we also fasted."”
So the Prophet ﷺ said the sentence which became the key to connecting the prophets' message:
“"We have more right to Moses than you."” (HR. Bukhari no. 2004, Muslim no. 1130)
Then he fasted and ordered his friends to fast.
Note the beauty of this response. The Prophet did not say, “You are wrong,” or, “Moses is only ours.” He actually embraced that tradition, straightened it out, and returned it to the same roots of monotheism.
Moses ‘Peace be upon you was a prophet sent to the Children of Israel, but he was also a link in the same prophetic necklace. So Musa's thanksgiving is Islamic thanksgiving. Musa's fast was Muhammad ﷺ's fast.
Initially, the Ashura fast had obligatory status. Ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him narrates:
“"The Prophet ﷺ fasted Ashura and ordered his companions to fast. When fasting in Ramadan was obligatory (2 AH), he abandoned the obligation of Ashura and said: 'Whoever wants to, please fast. Whoever doesn't want to, please leave it.'"‘ (HR. Bukhari no. 1893, Muslim no. 1126)
This is it Nasikh And mansukh in the Shari'a: Allah transferred the obligations from Ashura to Ramadan. But interestingly, the Prophet ﷺ never left the Ashura fast. Even before his death, he planned something that had not yet been implemented:
“If I am still alive next year, I will surely fast on the ninth day (of Muharram).” (HR. Muslim no. 1134)
Why the ninth? Because he wanted to differentiate himself from the Jews, who only fasted on the tenth. His principle was clear: Muslims don't simply follow; we perfect and differentiate.
The mystery of Noah's ark is a frequently debated area, and a point where we must be scientifically honest.
In various popular lectures, we often hear a very dramatic narrative: “"On the day of Ashura, the Prophet Noah's ark landed on Mount Judi. The flood waters receded. Noah and all the passengers on the ark—human and animal—fasted as a sign of gratitude to Allah."”
This story is deeply touching. It's emotionally captivating. But there's one major problem: it lacks a valid chain of transmission back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The scholars hadith traced this history and found that it originated from stories Israel—stories that entered the Islamic tradition from Jewish and Christian sources whose truth has not been verified by revelation.
Some are recorded in classical interpretation books such as Interpretation of Ath-Thabari or Ad-Durr Al-Mantsur by As-Suyuthi, but muhadditsin such as Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani and Al-Albani emphasized: there is not a single authentic or hasan hadith that states that the Prophet Noah fasted Ashura.
Then, how should we behave?
This is where intellectual and spiritual maturity is needed. We don't need to outright reject this story with a rigid apologetic spirit, because it could be that historically there were seeds of a tradition of gratitude among previous peoples that reached the Arabs. But we also shouldn't make it part of the Shari'a, let alone believe it to be the word of the Prophet.
Because Islamic law The reason for the fasting of Ashura in Islam is only one thing: saving the Prophet Moses from Pharaoh. This is what is established by the authentic hadith. As for the story of Noah, it lives on in history as a symbol of how gratitude was the universal response of the prophets to salvation—but a symbol is not the same as a postulate.
A moderate Muslim's stance is: "I don't reject the story of Noah as a possible historical event, but I don't worship according to it. My worship is based on verified revelation."“
By acting in this way, we respect historical heritage without sacrificing the integrity of the sharia.
It would be incomplete to talk about Ashura without touching on the events of Karbala. On the date 10 Muharram 61 Hijriah, in a barren desert called Karbala, the grandson of Rasulullah ﷺ—Imam Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib radhiyallahu 'anhuma—was martyred along with 72 of his followers in the battle against Yazid bin Muawiyah's troops.
It was a tragedy that shook heaven and earth. The tears of surviving companions, such as Abdullah ibn Umar and Anas ibn Malik, flowed as they remembered how the Prophet's beloved grandson—who had once been carried on his back while prostrating—had to die in isolation and thirst.
However, it is important to understand: the Karbala incident is not the reason for the fasting of Ashura. The Ashura fast existed long before Husain was born. In tradition Ahlus Sunnah, The best way to honor Husayn is not by wailing, beating his chest, or injuring his body as some groups do, but by living the sunnah of his grandfather—fasting, giving alms, and emulating his courage in upholding justice.
Ibnul Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Ashura fast has three levels: the most perfect is fasting the day before and after it (9, 10, 11 Muharram), the next is fasting on the 9th and 10th, and the minimal is fasting only on the 10th.”
The promised benefits:
“Fasting Ashura, I hope to Allah that this fast can erase the sins of the past year.” (HR. Muslim no. 1162)
What is meant by "sins" here are minor sins, as explained by the scholars. As for major sins, they require special repentance.
We have come a long way: from the silence of the night of 1 Muharram, to the map of the sky established by Allah, to tracing the dust of the history of Quraysh and Medina, to clarifying the claims about Noah's ark, to witnessing the blood of Husayn soaking Karbala.
Now, let's go back to the self-reflection.
Allah says: “"Do not wrong yourselves in the haram months."”
What is “self-inflicted”? Ibn Kathir explain: “"That is committing sinful acts and abandoning obligations."” The haram month multiplies evil as it multiplies good. So, have we taken care of ourselves this month?
Let's be honest, how many times have we wronged ourselves without realizing it? On social media, for example. Hurtful status updates. Demeaning comments. Gossip about friends. Backbiting that we consider trivial. Yet, if done in the sacred month, it carries a heavier weight in the sight of Allah.
Month forbidden It is a zone of peace. He taught that Islamic law is not only about vertical worship, but also about maintaining horizontal harmony: not shedding blood, not hurting feelings, not damaging relationships.
So, let's make this month of Muharram a turning point. As Noah's ark landed on a new land, as Moses was saved from the parting sea, as Husain chose to die honorably rather than live in disgrace - we too can start a new chapter. Not with empty resolutions, but with real determination: I will not wrong myself again.
Wallahu a'lam bish-shawab.
