Ashura shows how Allah grants victory
“Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sometimes does not remove the hardship; sometimes He carries you through it.”
Ashura is a living reminder that Allah grants victory to believers, whether through miraculous rescue or martyrdom, so Muslims should respond with gratitude, confident dua, and unity rather than despair or division.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Fasting Ashura in Muharram: a day of mercy and expiation for the previous year's sins.
- Ashura's layered history: Musa's deliverance, Nuh's ark, and the martyrdom of al-Husayn at Karbala.
- The Sahaba lived Ashura as their own reality: from Meccan persecution to Badr's victory and Uhud's test.
- The believer's response to impossible odds: make dua from every direction, ask with full confidence, and ignore the naysayers.
- Apply Ashura today: do not despair over Gaza or any oppression; Allah's aid comes from where we do not expect.
- Guard Ashura from grief rituals, innovation, and division; keep it a day of worship, gratitude, and unity.
In the khateeb's words
“But just as Ramadan is connected to the Quran and Arafah is connected to the original covenants that we took with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Ashura also carries a very historical significance.”
“so to the companions Ashura was not a distant memory it was not once upon a time there was a big bad man named Fir'aun and a good man named Musa”
“Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sometimes does not remove the hardship sometimes He carries you through it in the very middle of it to build you to strengthen you”
For the dinner table
Ashura is a day the Prophet encouraged us to fast, hoping it would expiate the minor sins of the previous year. The khateeb reminded us that it commemorates Allah’s saving Musa from Fir'aun, but its lesson is not stuck in the past: believers can face impossible-looking situations with trust in Allah. Through Musa, Nuh, Ibrahim, and al-Husayn, we learn that Allah may open a way, make hardship bearable, or grant victory through shahadah. We should make du'a with confidence, keep doing what is right, and not let doubters or despair define us. Ashura should be a day of worship, gratitude, and unity, not grudges or division, and this hope should include people suffering today, including our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
- What is one hard situation where you could ask Allah for help and still take a good next step?
- Which story, Musa, Nuh, Ibrahim, or al-Husayn, helps you understand trust in Allah best, and why?
- What could our family do on Ashura to show gratitude and unity?
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