The Spirit of Ashura and the Love of the Prophet (PBUH)

Discourse of Huzoor Wala Shan Pir Sahib (RA)

Dated: 20 September 1985

Speech No. 25

﷽

فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰی وَ نِعۡمَ النَّصِیۡرُ

رَبِِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ وَیَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ یَفۡقَہُوۡاقَوۡلِیۡ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِ عَلٰی سَیّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اٰلِ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اَصْحَابِہٖ وَعَلٰی اَذْوَاجِہٖ اَجْمَعِیْنَ وَبَارِکْ وَسَلِمْ وَصَلِ عَلَیْہٖ

All praise is for Allah.

Countless thanks to Allah Almighty, the Master of all dominion, who has once again granted us the opportunity and ability to gather here for His pleasure, in His remembrance, and in His love. Millions and millions of blessings and peace be upon the Leader of the Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), through whose blessed means these favors have been bestowed upon us.

Respected listeners!

Along with worship and the remembrance of Allah, we should also recognize the value of time—what time it is and how precious it is—so that we may attain complete humility and devotion in our worship. This is the month of Muharram, and it is the day of Ashura. When the Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Madinah, he saw that the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked the reason, and they replied that on this day Prophet Musa (AS) was granted deliverance from Pharaoh. The Prophet (PBUH) then said, “I am more entitled to Musa (AS),” and from that day onward he also observed the fast of Ashura.

Besides this virtue and importance, Ashura has many other merits that cannot all be mentioned due to their vastness. However, the greatest lesson for us is that on this day Allah made manifest the condition of those who truly loved the Prophet (PBUH) and the condition of those who were deprived of this treasure.

Those whose hearts possessed this wealth considered it necessary to sacrifice their lives, their children, and everything they had for the religion of the Prophet (PBUH). They proved that nothing is more precious than devotion and love for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). But those who lacked this treasure—even though they recited the declaration of faith, offered prayers, and kept beards—were unaware of the true spirit of religion. On that day they displayed such behavior that they spent all their strength in support of falsehood and in the effort to extinguish the truth.

They deemed it acceptable to kill the beloved grandsons of the Prophet (PBUH), those whom he carried upon his shoulders and fed with his own blessed hands, those whom he declared leaders of the youth of Paradise. Their Islam and their faith lost their reality. They even cried out, “Hurry and kill Husayn (AS) so that the dispute may end; the prayer is becoming late.” How blind they were! They could not understand what prayer was, whose prayer it was, and before whom they would stand.

Worship is indeed the means of salvation and success for a human being. But worship that is empty of the love of the Prophet (PBUH) is rejected and thrown back upon the worshipper. True worship is that in which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is present in one’s heart. God forbid, if this feeling is absent, one should not abandon worship; rather, after worship one should pray for the attainment of this true wealth:

“O Allah! Grant us that true treasure which is the cause of honor and success in both worlds.”

Now, with full attention, let us begin the sacred Awrad-e-Pak.

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

The Awrad-e-Naziriyah Sharif was recited and supplication was offered.