Ashura calls Muslims to fast and stand for truth
“Your sins, my sins, our sins, for a whole entire past year, will be taken care of just for fasting Ashura.”
Muharram and Ashura are a divinely-merciful opportunity for Muslims to draw near to Allah through fasting, to remember His saving power across history, and to stand firmly for truth while rejecting injustice today.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- The excellence of voluntary fasting in Muharram, especially on Ashura
- The prophetic and pre-Islamic history of fasting Ashura, from Nuh and Musa to the Jews of Madinah
- Ashura as a day of Allah: expiation of sins and exposure to divine mercy
- The call to consistent good deeds rather than one-day spirituality
- Remembering Karbala: condemning the killing of Al-Husayn while maintaining Ahl al-Sunnah clarity
- Applying the lesson of standing for truth to current oppression, especially in Gaza
- Concluding supplications and a brief appeal for mosque support
In the khateeb's words
“The Prophet said that your sins, my sins, our sins, for a whole entire past year, will be taken care of just for fasting Ashura.”
“Allah has given us an opportunity to expose ourselves to His Rahmah. And the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said in the hadith narrated by Anas”
“We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala the way He saved Musa from Fir'aun to save our brother and sisters in Ghazza.”
For the dinner table
Today the khateeb taught us about the sacred month of Muharram and the special day of Ashura. He reminded us that the Prophet Muhammad said the best voluntary fast after Ramadan is fasting in Muharram, especially on Ashura, and that this fast can wipe away the sins of the past year. He also explained that Ashura is a day Allah saved Prophet Musa and his people from Pharaoh, so we thank Allah and remember His mercy. The khateeb spoke about the tragedy of Karbala and how killing Imam Husayn was a great crime and injustice. Finally, he asked us to stand for truth, pray for those suffering in Gaza, and start the new Hijri year with good deeds.
- What's one good deed we can do more often this month?
- Why do you think remembering history helps us be better Muslims today?
- How can we help people who are being treated unfairly?
More on the Islamic calendar
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