KHUTAB III - 39. MUH.ARRAM & ‘ĀSHŪRĀ’
39. MUH.ARRAM
& ‘ĀSHŪRĀ’
The
name of the first month of the lunar calendar is called Muh.arram (30 days) because it is one
of the four months where the pre-Islamic Arabs h.arām
(prohibited) from fighting. The other months were Rajab, Dhū-l Qi‘dah,
and Dhū ’l-H.ijjah.
The ‘Āshūrā’
is the 10th of the month of Muh.arram where
Muslims fast voluntarily. Among important events occurring on this date
of the month are as follows:
a. the exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt
and their relief from the bondage of Pharaoh.
b. Prophet Noah’s ark landed at the
top of Ararat called in the Qur’ān al-Jūdī
c. the assassination of the
Prophet's grand-son al-H.usayn at Karbalā’.
A. The exodus of the Israelites
from the bondage of
Pharaoh in Egypt.
Muslims are recommended to fast on this day in
commemoration of the escape of the Israelites from bondage. There are nine h.adīths about it, among which are
as follows:
1.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ كَانَتْ قُرَيْشٌ تَصُومُ عَاشُورَاءَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ
اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُهُ فَلَمَّا هَاجَرَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ صَامَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ فَلَمَّا فُرِضَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ
مَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ (رواه
البخاري و مسلم)
On the authority of ‘Ā’ishah r.a., she
said, “The Quraysh tribe used to fast on ‘Āshūrā’ in pre Islamic era,
and the Messenger of Allah used to fast on that day. When he emigrated to Medinah
he fasted on that day and ordered the Muslims to fast on it. When fasting in
the month of Ramadan was enjoined to Muslims, he said that whoever would, let
him fast, and whoever would, he might leave it”. (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)
2.
عَنْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ
بْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ
وَأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَامَهُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ
قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ رَمَضَانُ فَلَمَّا افْتُرِضَ رَمَضَانُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ عَاشُورَاءَ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ شَاءَ صَامَهُ
وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهُ (رواه مسلم )
On the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar r.a.,
he said: “People in pre-Islamic era used to fast on the day of ‘Āshūrā’,
and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. as well as the Muslims had fasted on
that day before fasting in the month of Ramadan was enjoined. When fasting in
Ramadan became enjoined he said, ‘Āshūrā’ is one of the days of Allah,
and therefore, whoever will let him fast, and whoever will, let him leave it.”(Reported by Muslim)
3.
دَخَلَ الْأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ عَلَى
عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ يَتَغَدَّى
فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ ادْنُ إِلَى الْغَدَاءِ فَقَالَ أَوَلَيْسَ الْيَوْمُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ قَالَ
وَهَلْ تَدْرِي مَا يَوْمُ عَاشُورَاءَ قَالَ وَمَا هُوَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ يَوْمٌ
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ تُرِكَ (رواه مسلم) On
the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd that al-Ash‘ath visited him while he was
having his lunch; then he said, “O Abū
Muh.ammad, come and have lunch with us,”
then he asked, “Is not it ‘Āshūrā’ today?” He said, “Do you know
(something) about ‘Āshūrā’?” He
asked, “That is it?” He said, “It is the day the Messenger of Allah used to
fast before fasting in Ramadan was enjoined. When fasting in Ramadan was
enjoined, he left it.” (Reported by
Muslim).
4.
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَوَجَدَ الْيَهُودَ يَصُومُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ
فَسُئِلُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالُوا هَذَا الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي أَظْهَرَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ
مُوسَى وَبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى فِرْعَوْنَ فَنَحْنُ نَصُومُهُ تَعْظِيمًا لَهُ
فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَحْنُ أَوْلَى
بِمُوسَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَمَرَ بِصَوْمِهِ (رواه مسلم)
Ibn ‘Abbās r.a. narrated
that the Messenger of Allah arrived at Medinah and found the Jews fasting on
the day of ‘Āshūrā’. When they were asked about it they said, “This was
the day when Allah rendered Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel victorious
over Pharaoh, and therefore we fast in glorifying it”; then the Prophet s.a.w.
said, “We are more deserving to Moses than you,” then he ordered (the Muslims)
to fast on that day.
(Reported by
Muslim)).
According
to the Old Testament God ordered Prophet Moses a.s.to take the Children
of Israel out of Egypt
at night, after they had borrowed an abundance of jewelry from the people of
Pharaoh. The following morning, when nobody was found at the Israelite quarter
Pharaoh became angry. He mobilized his troops: he took six hundred of the best
chariots, along with all other chariots of Egypt (Exodus 14:7)
The Old
Testament said further that although the Israelites went away with their arms,
in order to avoid encountering the enemy which led to war, God led them not the
shortest way to the Red sea, or they might change their minds and return to Egypt.
(Exodus 14:17-18).
The
Qur’ān states how they were being followed by Pharaoh and his army, as follows:
فَأَتْبَعُوهُمْ مُشْرِقِينَ. فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَى الْجَمْعَانِ
قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَى إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ.
قَالَ كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ.
فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ فَانْفَلَقَ فَكَانَ
كُلُّ
فِرْقٍ كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ. وَأَزْلَفْنَا ثَمَّ الْآَخَرِينَ. وَأَنْجَيْنَا مُوسَى
وَمَنْ مَعَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ.
ثُمَّ
أَغْرَقْنَا الْآَخَرِينَ.
(الشعراء : ٦٠-٦٦)
So, they pursued them at sunrise. And when the two
hosts
saw each other, the companions of Moses said, “We are
sure
to be overtaken.” Moses said, “Nay, verily with me is
my Lord.
He will guide me.” Then We revealed (to
Moses) (saying), “Strike
the sea with your stick.” And
it parted, and each separated part
(of that sea water) became like huge mountain. Then We
brought near the others [i.e., Pharaoh’s party] to
that
place. And We saved Moses and all those with him.
Then We drowned the others. (Q. 26:60-66).
It is said that Aaron (Hārūn),
Yūsha‘ bin Nūn and a believer among the family of Pharaoh were at the front;
Moses was in the rear. They asked him, “O Prophet of Allah, is it here that
your Lord commanded you to bring us?” (Ibn Kathīr)
According
to the Old Testament the Children of Israel kept complaining all the way. They
were reluctant to leave Egypt,
despite Pharaoh's oppression. They said,
Was it because
there were no grave in Egypt
that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing
us out of Egypt?
Didn’t we say to you in Egypt,
“Leave us alone, let us serve the Egyptians”? It would have been better for us
to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert. Moses answered, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm
and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today. The
Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you;
you need only to be still.” (Exodus
14:11-14).
The Old Testament gave us more details of this
episode, as follows:
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the
sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry
ground (Exodus 14:16).
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and
all that night the Lord drive the sea back with a strong East wind and turned
it into dry land. The waters were
divided…(Exodus 14:21)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand
over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their
chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at
daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing towards (or
from) it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and
covered the chariots and horsemen-- the entire army of the Pharaoh that had
followed the Israelites into the sea. No one of them survived. But the
Israelites went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their
right and their left. (Exodus
14:26-29)
… they went to the desert
of Shur. For three days
they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah,
they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is
called Marah [in Arabic, “murrah” fem. of “murr”, meaning “bitter”]). So the
people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” then Moses cried
out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the
water, and the water became sweet. (Exodus 15:22-25)
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve
springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. (Exodus 15:27)
Instead of stretching out his hand over the sea as
mentioned in the Bible, the Qur’ān said that Prophet Moses was ordered by Allah
to strike the sea with his stick. However, both sources mentioned that Prophet
Moses was ordered by Allah to strike to stone (rock) with his stick so that
water came out of it, as follows:
وَإِذِ
اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْفَجَرَتْ
مِنْهُ
اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا
مِنْ رِزْقِ
اللَّهِ
وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ (البقرة :
٦٠)
And (remember) when Moses
asked for water for his people,
We said: “Strike
the stone with your stick.” When gushed
forth therefrom twelve springs. Each (group of)
people knew its own
place for water. “Eat and
drink of that which Allah has
provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief
on the earth.” (Q. 2:60).
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as
the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidium, but there was no water for the
people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to
drink.” (Exodus
17:1-2) “... why did you bring us out
of Egypt
to make us and our children and our livestock die of thirst?” (Exodus
17:3). The Lord answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you
some of the elders of Israel
and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile,
and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock,
and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of
Israel.
(Exodus 17: 5-6)
The twelve springs for the twelve tribes
The twelve springs were intended for the twelve tribes
of the Children of Israel, each with a spring in order to avoid fighting among
themselves for water. As for their food Allah sent them manna (a kind of
honey) and salwá (quails). Allah said,
وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمُ
اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى إِذِ اسْتَسْقَاهُ
قَوْمُهُ
أَنِ
اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ
عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ
وَظَلَّلْنَا
عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِنْ
طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ
وَمَا
ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(الأعراف : ١٦٠)
And
divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations.
We revealed
to Moses when his people asked him for water
(saying):
“Strike the stone with your stick,” and there gushed
forth
out of it twelve springs, each group knew its own place for
water.
We shaded them with the clouds and
sent down upon
them
manna and the quail (saying): “Eat of the good
things
with which We have provided you.” They
harmed
Us not but they used to harm
themselves. (Q. 7:160)
Allah also said,
وَلَقَدْ
أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ
يَبَسًا
لَا
تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَى.فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ بِجُنُودِهِ فَغَشِيَهُمْ
مِنَ الْيَمِّ مَا غَشِيَهُمْ.
وَأَضَلَّ
فِرْعَوْنُ قَوْمَهُ وَمَا هَدَى. يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدْ أَنْجَيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ
عَدُوِّكُمْ وَوَاعَدْنَاكُمْ
جَانِبَ
الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنَ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى (طه :
٧٧-٨٠)
And indeed We revealed to
Moses (saying): “Travel by
night with My slaves and strike a dry path for them in
the sea,
fearing neither to be overtaken [by Pharaoh] nor being
afraid
(of drowning in the sea).” Then Pharaoh pursued them
with his
hosts, but the sea water completely overwhelmed them
and covered them up. And Pharaoh led his people astray; and he did not guide
them. O Children of Israel! We delivered you from your
enemy,
and We made a covenant with you on the right side of
the Mount,
and We sent down to you manna and quail (Q. 20:77-80).
With regard to the twelve
tribes of the children of Israel,
A.Y. Ali's gives us his commentary as follows:
Here we have a reference to the tribal organization of
the Jews, which played a great part in their forty years’ march through the
Arabian deserts (Num. i and ii)
and their subsequent settlement in the land of Canaan
(Josh. xxii and xiv). The twelve tribes were derived from the sons of Jacob,
whose name was changed to Israel
(soldier of God) after he had wrestled, says Jewish tradition, with God (Genesis
xxxii:28). [“Israel”
in Hebrew means “contender of God”]). Israel had twelve sons (Gen xxxv:22-26),
including Levi and Joseph. The descendants of these twelve sons were the “Children
of Israel”.
Levi's family got the priesthood and the care of the Tabernacle; they were
exempted from military duties for which the census was taken (Nu. i, 47-53)
and therefore from the distribution of Land in Canaan (Josh. xiv,3); they
were distributed among all the Tribes, and were really a privileged caste and
not numbered among the Tribes; Moses and Aaron belonged to the house of Levi.
On the other hand Joseph, on account of the high position to which he rose in Egypt
as the Pharaoh's minister, was the progenitor of two tribes, one in the name of
each of his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Thus there were twelve Tribes in
all, as Levi was cut out and Joseph represented two tribes. Their having fixed
stations and watering places in camp and fixed territorial areas later in the
Promised Land prevented confusion and mutual jealousies and is pointed to as an
evidence of the Providence of God acting through His prophet Moses.
(Note
no. 73 of Q. 2:60)
Manna and
Salwá (quail)
The Bible gives us more details about the manna and salwá.
Manna was “a layer of dew on the ground around the camp. When the dew was
gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor"
This was "the bread of the Lord” given to them. Each person could gather
as much as he needed, but only an omer (about 2 liters) he could take to his tent. However, on the
sixth day, they collected double they needed, as there would be no manna
on the Sabbath day, the day of rest. (Exodus 16:113-16)
There was no explanation in detail about the quails.
However, according to a study on this subject this could happen when migrating
quails were tired of flying across the desert. They landed on the desert near
the camps and could be picked up easily.
The drowned Pharaoh
Allah said in the Qur’ān,
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ
فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ
الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آَمَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ
إِلَّا الَّذِي آَمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. آَلْآَنَ
وَقَدْ
عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ.
فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آَيَةً
وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آَيَاتِنَا
لَغَافِلُونَ (يونس
: ٩٠-٩٢)
And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and
Pharaoh with his hosts followed them in oppression and enmity, till when
drowning overtook him, he said: “I believed that none has the right to be
worshipped but He (Allah) in whom the Children of Israel believed, and I am one
of the Muslims (those who submitted to Allah's Will).” Now ((you believe) while
you refused to believe before, and you were one of the mufsidūn (evil
doers and corrupters). So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from
the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many
among mankind are heedless of Our signs, (Q. 10: 90-92)
Asad’s commentary on such incident is
as follows:
…. It should always be remembered that all Qur’anic
references to historical or legendary events – whether described in the Bible
or in the oral tradition of pre-Islamic Arabia – are invariably meant to
elucidate a particular lesson in ethics and not to narrate a story as such; and
this explains the fragmentary character of these references and
allusions." (Note: 110)
According
to Maurice Bucaille, Ramses II was the Pharaoh of the Oppression, whereas his
son Merneptah was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. He said that Moses was born during
the reign of Ramses II who built the two cities of Ramesses and Pithom, and
when Ramses II died Moses was in Midian. Then he was succeeded by his son
Merneptah. Ramses II reigned 66 years
(1301-1235 BC according to Drioton and Vandier's chronology, whereas according
to Rowton he reigned from 1290-1224 BC. Mernephtah reigned (according to
Drioton and Vandier) 10 years (1234-1224 BC) or 20 years (1224-1204 BC).
(Maurice Bucaille, The Bible, the Qur’an and Science. Indianapolis, Ind.:
North American Trust, Publication, 1979, p. 233).
According to the Old Testament, Moses was 80
years old, and Aaron 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 2, 23). Rasmses
II was 90-100 years old. He began reigning when he was 23-33 years old, and
could have married by that time. Moses was found by Pharaoh's household according
to the Qur’ān, or daughter according to the Bible, yet no contradiction
appears here according to Bucaille.
(Bucaille, p. 234). Bucaille, said:
When the Qur’ān was
transmitted to man by the Prophet, the bodies of all the Pharaohs who are today
considered (rightly or wrongly) to have something to
do with the Exodus were in their tombs of the
Necropolis of Thebes,
on the
opposite side of the Nile from Luxor. At the time
however, absolutely nothing
was known of this fact, and it was not until
the end of the 19th century that they
were discovered there. As the Qur’ān states,
the body of the Pharaoh of Exodus
was in fact
rescued. Whichever of the Pharaohs it was, visitors may see him the Royal
Mummy's Room of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. (Bucaille, p. 239)
Pharaoh Merneptah's mummy was discovered by Loret in
1898 at Thebes
in the King's Valley. Then it was transported to Cairo. Elliot Smith removed its wrappings on
the 8th of July 1907. (For details, see his book, The Royal
Mummies, 1912). Since then, the body of the mummy was well hidden under a
cloth, except its neck and the body, and the only general photographs possessed
by the museum were those taken by E. Smith in 1912. (Bucaille, p. 239)
In June 1975 Bucaille was allowed to examine the
uncovered parts of his body and took photographs. He said that the body of
Merneptah had lain in the tomb of Necropolis of Thebes for over 3000 years.
Doctors found in the examination multiple lesions of bones with broad lacunae –
some of which may have been mortal – died from drowning or very violent shocks
preceding the moment when he was drowned – or both at once. (Bucaille, p. 241)
Then
Allah made covenant with Moses of forty nights: he was to fast forty days, both
the day and night. So, he made haste to the mountain, leaving Aaron in charge
over the Children of Israel. (For further details, see Q. 20:83 ff)
B. Prophet Noah’s ark landed at
the top of Ararat
called in the Qur’ān al-Jūdī
The Qur’ān does not give us many details about the
flood, neither the time nor the duration of it, as the object of the story is
to give moral lessons to people in later generations, namely, whoever disobeys
Allah and His messengers would be eventually punished. However, the Bible gives
more details, such as the size of Prophet Noah's ark, and that the flood was a
universal catastrophe. This, in the light of modern knowledge, was
unacceptable. Based on Sacerdotal version of the 6th century BC, it
was calculated that the flood took place in the 21st or 22nd
century BC that destroyed the whole surface of the earth. By this time, it was
known that civilization had been flourishing in several parts of the globe,
such as in Egypt,
at the Intermediate period following the end of the Middle Kingdom.
One of the descriptions of the Qur’ān regarding the
occurrence of the flood as punishment for the people of Noah for their
disbelief is as follows:
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ
نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا مَجْنُونٌ وَازْدُجِرَ.فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ
أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ.فَفَتَحْنَا
أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ.وَفَجَّرْنَا الْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا
فَالْتَقَى الْمَاءُ عَلَى
أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ.وَحَمَلْنَاهُ عَلَى ذَاتِ أَلْوَاحٍ وَدُسُرٍ.تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا
جَزَاءً لِمَنْ كَانَ كُفِرَ.وَلَقَدْ
تَرَكْنَاهَا آَيَةً فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ.(القمر:
٩-١٥)
Before them the People of Noah rejected (their
apostle);
they rejected Our servant
and said, “Here is one possessed!” and
he was driven out. Then he called on his Lord,
“I am one overcome: do thou then help me.” So We opened the gates of heaven
with water pouring forth. And
We caused the earth to gush forth with springs so the waters met (and rose) to
the extent decreed. But
We bore him on an (ark) made of broad planks and caulked with palm fibre. She floats under Our eyes (and care): a recompense to
one who had been rejected (with scorn). And We have left this as a Sign (for
all time); then
is there anythat will receive admonition? (Q. 54:9-15).
The above verses indicate that the flood was caused by
heavy rain pouring from the sky and springs gushing water from the earth.
When Prophet Noah called his people to worship Allah
instead of idols, they rejected him, and said that only mean people followed
him. They threatened him with stoning to death if he did not stop preaching. He
prayed to Allah to deliver him and his followers. Allah answered his prayer and
saved him and those with him in a fully laden-ark, whereas those who remained
behind became drowned, including his wife and his son. (for further detail, see
Q. 26: 105-121, 29:15)
When Allah told Prophet Noah that no one would believe
him other than those who had already believed, He ordered him to build an ark.
Whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him they laughed at him. When water
gushed forth in torrents He ordered him to place on board of his ark one pair
of each kind of animals. The water kept rising until its waves were like
mountains. He called his son to join and believe him, but he preferred to take
refuge to the mountain, although he warned him that there would be no safety
except by believing him and joining him in the ark. A wave rose up between them
and the son drowned. (for further detail, see Q. 11:225-243).
The Qur’ān explained how the flood stopped, as
follows:
وَقِيلَ
يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ
وَاسْتَوَتْ
عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ.
(هود : ٤٤)
And it was said, “O earth! swallow up your
water!” and “O sky! Cease your rain!” The floodwater abated and the judgment
was carried out. The ark rested on Mount al-Jūdī, and it was said, “Gone are
the
wrongdoing people!” (Q. 11:44)
The story of flood was common
throughout the world. According to many Western scholars these common stories
of flood were derived from a single event, the Accadian (Babylonian) flood. The
ark “rested … upon the mountains of Ararat” according to the Bible (Genesis
8:4), and the highest range of Ararat was in Armenia. The Qur’ānic account was
that it rested on Mt. Judi (Q. 91:44), and the Orientalist R. Blachère said
that it was a peak of a mountain in Arabia.
However, Asad’s commentary on the above verse is that “the designation of
Ararat (the Assyrian Urartu) at one time included the whole area to the south
of lake Van in which Jabal Judi is situated”. This Jabal Jūdī [known in ancient
Syriac as Qardu] is situated near the frontiers of modern Turkey, modern Iraq
and modern Syria.
C. The assassination of the
Prophet's grand-son
H.usayn at Karbalā’.
When Mu‘āwiyah, the governor of Syria refused to pay homage to ‘Alī
as a caliph, his son Yazīd who succeeded him as a caliph, ordered his governor
in Medinah to force ‘Alī's son H.usayn to pay
homage to him. H.usayn as well
as ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr persistently refused, and took refuge at Makkah, as
Yazīd was impious and drank alcohol. Some months later emissaries of pro-Ali’s
party in Kufah persuaded H.usayn to lead
a revolt against Yazīd in Damascus. Husayn sent his cousin to Kufah for
preparation of the revolt, but the governor of Kūfah, ‘Abdullah ibn Ziyād discovered
the plot, and got rid of H.usayn's
cousin. Then ‘Abdullah set detachments of cavalry to watch H.usayn's movement and to persuade him
to desist from the attempt of revolting, but H.usayn
refused. ‘Abdullah's forces stopped the advance of H.usayn's
fighters at Karbalā’.
After a final summon to surrender, ‘Abdullah’s forces attacked the small group
of Ali’s fighters and slew them. Eventually, H.usayn who
watched the battle from a distance was also killed. It was said that he was
prostrating in prayer when he was assassinated. This happened on 10th
Muh.arram 61/10 October 680 at Karbalā’ at the bank of Euphrates River.
His head was put on the spear and paraded through towns on the way to Damascus and presented to
Yazīd. This was a horrible and detested incident happened to the grand-son of
the Prophet whom the Prophet loved very much, he and his elder brother H.asan. Some h.adīths
mentioning their noble position are
as follows:
a.
Abū Sa‘īd narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “H.asan and H.usayn
will be the chief ones among the youth who go to Paradise.”
(Tirmidhī, h.adīth no.
1624).
b.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him)
said, “H.asan and H.usayn are my offspring in the world.”
(Tirmidhī, h.adīth no.
1625).
c.
Usāmah ibn Zayd narrated, “I went to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
one night about something I required and he came out with something (I did not
know what) under his cloak. When I had finished telling him my business, I
asked him what he had under his cloak, and when he opened it I saw H.asan and H.usayn
on his hips. He then said, ‘These are my sons and my daughter’s sons. O
Allah, I love them, so I beseech Thee to love them and those who love them.’”
(Tirmidhī, h.adīth no.
1626).
d.
Ibn Abī Num narrated, “A person asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar whether a
Muslim could kill flies. I heard him saying (in reply). ‘The people of Iraq
are asking about the killing of flies while they themselves murdered the son of
the daughter of Allah’s Apostle. The Prophet said, “They (i.e. H.asan and H.usayn)
are my two sweet basil in this world.”’” (Bukhārī, h.adīth 5.96).
e.
Ibn Abī Num narrated, “I was present when a man asked Ibn ‘Umar about
the blood of mosquitoes. Ibn ‘Umar said, ‘From where are you?’ The man replied,
‘From Iraq.’ Ibn ‘Umar said, ‘Look at that! He is asking me about the blood of
mosquitoes while they (the Iraqis) have killed the (grand) son of the Prophet.
I have heard the Prophet saying, “They (H.asan and H.usayn) are my two sweet-smelling
flowers in this world.”’” (Bukhārī, h.adīth 8.23).
When the delegation from Medinah at Yazīd’s court
learned that he was surrounded by alcohol drinkers, impious people and kept
dogs, in 63/682-3 the people of Medinah revolted against him. They gathered
together in the mosque of Medinah, threw down their turbans, mantels and
sandals indicating their deposing him. They drove the pro-Umawī residents and
supporters out the city. Yazīd sent an army led by his faithful friend Muslim
ibn ‘Uqbah and conquered Medinah. They marched to Makkah, led by another
general (Muslim had died on the way), besieged the city, threw catapults at the
Holy Mosque, and the Ka‘bah caught fire.
News arrived that Yazīd died in 63/683 and the
besiegers did not know any longer for whom they were fighting. Moreover, they
doubted whether the adolescent son of Yazīd would be recognized as caliph.
Their general wanted to proclaim ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr caliph, on condition
that he should go to Syria,
but he refused. Yazīd’s son, Mu‘āwiyah II was proclaimed caliph, although not
unanimously. However, he died shortly afterwards followed with chaos.
These are the three stories of incidents said to have
taken place on the day of ‘Āshūrā’ (10th of Muharram).
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