Training Children

The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) observed the fast of Aashura and also encouraged their children to observe the fast.

عَنِ الرُّبَيِّعِ بِنْتِ مُعَوِّذٍ، قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَدَاةَ عَاشُورَاءَ إِلَى قُرَى الأَنْصَارِ‏ مَنْ أَصْبَحَ مُفْطِرًا فَلْيُتِمَّ بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِهِ، وَمَنْ أَصْبَحَ صَائِمًا فَلْيَصُمْ .‏ قَالَتْ فَكُنَّا نَصُومُهُ بَعْدُ، وَنُصَوِّمُ صِبْيَانَنَا، وَنَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ اللُّعْبَةَ مِنَ الْعِهْنِ، فَإِذَا بَكَى أَحَدُهُمْ عَلَى الطَّعَامِ أَعْطَيْنَاهُ ذَاكَ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ عِنْدَ الإِفْطَارِ

Hahdrat Rubayyi` binti Mu`awwadh RA narrates: “The Prophet (ﷺ) sent a messenger to the village of the Ansar in the morning of the day of ‘Ashura’ (10th of Muharram) to announce: ‘Whoever has eaten something should not eat but complete the fast, and whoever is observing the fast should complete it.’ “She further said, “Since then we used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and if anyone of them cried for, he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast.” [Bukhari – 1960]

Imaam Nawawi (rahimahullah), the great commentator of Saheeh Muslim, comments under this hadeeth thus: “This hadeeth explains the importance of training the children upon virtuous actions and getting them accustomed to ‘ibaadaat.”

Therefore, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) would begin training their children to perform ibaadat long before they reached the age of puberty. In this way, they ensured that their children were not only accustomed to all the ibaadat but that the ibaadat were actually a second nature to them.

Nabi ﷺ himself has taught us to train our children in this manner. He ﷺ instructed us to make our children perform Salaah at the age of seven and to punish them for not performing Salaah when they reach the age of ten – emphasising the importance of giving the child the correct training early in life.

Preferable and Virtuous:

Although the fast of Aashura was initially incumbent, when the fast of Ramadhan was made Fardh later on, the obligation of the fast of Aashura no longer remained, however it is still preferable and virtuous.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ عَاشُورَاءَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ رَمَضَانُ، وَكَانَ يَوْمًا تُسْتَرُ فِيهِ الْكَعْبَةُ، فَلَمَّا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَصُومَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ، وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ

Hadhrat Aisha RA narrates: The people used to fast on Aashura (the tenth day of the month of Muharram) before the fasting of Ramadhan was made obligatory. And on that day the Ka`bah used to be covered with a cover. When Allah made the fasting of the month of Ramadhan compulsory, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Whoever wishes to fast (on the day of Aashura) may do so; and whoever wishes to leave it can do so.” [Bukhari – 1592]

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas RA reports:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَحَرَّى صِيَامَ يَوْمٍ فَضَّلَهُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ، إِلاَّ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ وَهَذَا الشَّهْرَ‏.‏ يَعْنِي شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ

I never saw the Prophet ﷺ seeking to fast on a day that he favoured more than another except this day, the day of Aashura, and this month, meaning the month of Ramadhan. [Bukhari – 2006]

Rasulullah ﷺ was asked regarding the virtue of fasting on the day of Aashura. He ﷺ replied,

“It compensates for the (minor) sins of the past year.” [Muslim]

Opposing the Jews:

The year before Rasulullah ﷺ left this world, the Sahaabah RA mentioned to him, “O Messenger of Allah, it (the day of Aashura) is a day which the Jews and Christians hold in high esteem.” Thereupon Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Next year we will fast on the 9th (as well) if Allah Ta‘ala wills.” But Nabi ﷺ passed away before the next Aashura.

Rasulullah ﷺ also said, “Observe the fast of ‘Aashura and oppose the Jews by (also) fasting a day before it or after it” (i.e. the 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th of Muharram). [Musnad Ahmad]

It is obvious that we are not observing the fast of Aashura in order to imitate the Jews. It was a sheer coincidence that the Jews were also found to be observing this fast. Nevertheless, since this unintentional resemblance was avoidable by keeping an additional fast together with the tenth, Rasulullah ﷺ instructed us to do so. Thus, emphasising an important lesson by means of this fast. This is the lesson of firmly maintaining one’s Islamic identity at all times, totally refraining from imitating the kuffaar (disbelievers) and even avoiding any resemblance with them as far as possible.

When only apparently resembling the Jews in the aspect of fasting (which is an ‘ibaadah) is so disliked by Rasulullah ﷺ, one can well imagine how much more Rasulullah ﷺ would dislike his Ummah imitating the disbelievers in their culture, dressing and other aspects of their lives.

Imitating the ways of the disbelievers which is known as “tashabbuh”, is totally forbidden in Islam as it reveals that one is identifying with the ways and culture of the enemies of Islam and opposing the blessed way of Rasulullah ﷺ. Emulating the disbelievers is so abhorred in Islam that Rasulullah ﷺ has declared,

“The one who imitates a people will be counted from amongst them.” [Sunan Abi Dawood]

Spending:

It is also encouraged to be generous on one’s family on the day of Aashura. This is a means of great barakah.

Rasulullah ﷺ said:

“Whoever spends generously on his family on the day of Aashura, Allah Ta‘ala will expand his sustenance for the rest of that year.” [Shu‘abul Imaan]

One of the narrators of this hadeeth, the great muhaddith, Sufyaan bin ‘Uyaynah (rahimahullah) said, “I have been doing this for fifty to sixty years and have always seen its benefit.”