From the History of Ashura to the Scale of Our Daily Deeds ( Abdullah Cheng)
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we navigate through these days of Muharram and especially the Day of Ashura which we had just experienced yesterday, we are reminded of the historical events that happened during these days, from the story of Musa (AS) getting saved from the tyranny of Firaun, to the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah, to the martyrdom of his grandson Al-Hussain (RA).
Even though it may seem that these are complete separate events, it is perhaps from the wisdom of Allah that there is a common theme between them and great lessons for us to learn and ponder. Particularly, they were all striving and fighting in the cause of Allah against tyranny, oppression, and injustice. Musa (AS) was warning against Firaun and leading the Bani Israil to be saved from him; the Prophet ﷺ had to find ways and strategies for Islam to grow in safety without the oppression from the Quraysh; the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ Hussain witnessed corruption and tyranny in his society and wanted to restore the justice.
In all of these events, it was a matter of life and death, that they had to risk their lives in order to achieve their goals, to bring back the balance of rights that people deserved. It seemed as if the oppression was never going to end, the enemies were so powerful and they were so weak themselves, but regardless of their numbers and strengths, they knew that Allah is with them on their sides:
قَالَ كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ
My Lord is with me — He will guide me. [26:62]
لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
Don’t be sad, Allah is with us [9:40]
Even when the result seemed like a tragic end, just like the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ Hussain, the oppression and injustice didn’t continue forever, and his actions definitely had heavy impacts, even until today.
Similarly when we look at the world today where oppression and injustice is going on, do not ever think that it is never going to end and that the oppressors are not going to be held accountable, because Allah said in the Qur’an:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَـٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍۢ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ
Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when ˹their˺ eyes will stare in horror [14:42]
That’s for the oppressors. As for us, we should never think that what we do with our hands and tongues do not have any effect on anyone. Some of us Muslims unfortunately are complaining, that we raised our voices for Palestine for so many years, but it didn’t work, the oppression is still going on and the situation is still the same. How is it still the same? Did Allah promise you that you will earn victory in just a few years? Did He reveal to you that the victory will happen in your generation? Allah is not going to ask: did you stop the oppression. But rather: what have you done to stop the oppression.
Even if your actions and words don’t stop the oppression, they should motivate and leave a positive impact to other people. And even if your actions and words don’t leave a positive impact to other people, they should at least have an impact on yourself, that you will not commit the same kind of injustice and oppression to others.
Now you might ask, I am just a normal Muslim, I’m not even a politician or a city mayor or a president. How is it possible for me to commit injustice?
The harsh reality, is that injustice doesn’t require a large number of people. Injustice can be committed even if you are alone.
Many people think that being just means to do good to people, and being unjust means to bring harm to people. But that is not true; injustice is to essentially put something in a place that it doesn’t belong in. Injustice is to take away the right of the owner to someone who doesn’t deserve it. To take the money of somebody else. To destroy the reputation and honor of someone innocent. To take the life of another human being.
Justice is to put the things back into their right place and order. And that is why Allah is Al-Adl, the Most Just, as He will put everything back in their absolute right order on the Day of Judgement.
That’s why in the Qur’an, Allah describes those who commit major sins as people who wrong themselves, who commit injustice against themselves:
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ
Those who commit an evil deed or wronging themselves... [3:135]
Why are they described in a way that they are wronging and committing injustice against themselves? Because the soul of a person is meant to honor Allah, it’s meant to obey and submit to Allah, it’s meant to worship Allah, but instead, it chooses to do something it wasn’t created for, to disobey His Master, to move far away Him, to forget his own purpose. If that is how a person can do injustice to themselves, then imagine when your actions involve someone else, to someone you have certain rights over them? Let us look into our own families: are we committing injustice to our spouses, to our children, to our Masjid community, to the poor and needy? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities and giving them the rights that they deserve? The time, the money, the love and care, the knowledge, the respect?
Are we spending enough time with our parents, our spouses and our children? Do we treat them with the respect they deserve?
Are we keeping the knowledge about Allah only to ourselves, or are we sharing them with others?
Are we keeping the money only to ourselves, or are we sharing them with those who are actually in need?
Only when we realize how much injustice we are committing to ourselves and to the people around us, then we can truly understand the injustice that the people around the world are suffering from.
May Allah grant us the strength to stand for justice in every circles of our lives, may Allah make us among those who help the oppressed and those who fight against the oppressors, and may Allah purify our hearts from the injustice of selfishness and pride.
As we navigate through these days of Muharram and especially the Day of Ashura which we had just experienced yesterday, we are reminded of the historical events that happened during these days, from the story of Musa (AS) getting saved from the tyranny of Firaun, to the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah, to the martyrdom of his grandson Al-Hussain (RA).
Even though it may seem that these are complete separate events, it is perhaps from the wisdom of Allah that there is a common theme between them and great lessons for us to learn and ponder. Particularly, they were all striving and fighting in the cause of Allah against tyranny, oppression, and injustice. Musa (AS) was warning against Firaun and leading the Bani Israil to be saved from him; the Prophet ﷺ had to find ways and strategies for Islam to grow in safety without the oppression from the Quraysh; the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ Hussain witnessed corruption and tyranny in his society and wanted to restore the justice.
In all of these events, it was a matter of life and death, that they had to risk their lives in order to achieve their goals, to bring back the balance of rights that people deserved. It seemed as if the oppression was never going to end, the enemies were so powerful and they were so weak themselves, but regardless of their numbers and strengths, they knew that Allah is with them on their sides:
قَالَ كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّ مَعِىَ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ
My Lord is with me — He will guide me. [26:62]
لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا
Don’t be sad, Allah is with us [9:40]
Even when the result seemed like a tragic end, just like the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ Hussain, the oppression and injustice didn’t continue forever, and his actions definitely had heavy impacts, even until today.
Similarly when we look at the world today where oppression and injustice is going on, do not ever think that it is never going to end and that the oppressors are not going to be held accountable, because Allah said in the Qur’an:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَـٰفِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍۢ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرُ
Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when ˹their˺ eyes will stare in horror [14:42]
That’s for the oppressors. As for us, we should never think that what we do with our hands and tongues do not have any effect on anyone. Some of us Muslims unfortunately are complaining, that we raised our voices for Palestine for so many years, but it didn’t work, the oppression is still going on and the situation is still the same. How is it still the same? Did Allah promise you that you will earn victory in just a few years? Did He reveal to you that the victory will happen in your generation? Allah is not going to ask: did you stop the oppression. But rather: what have you done to stop the oppression.
Even if your actions and words don’t stop the oppression, they should motivate and leave a positive impact to other people. And even if your actions and words don’t leave a positive impact to other people, they should at least have an impact on yourself, that you will not commit the same kind of injustice and oppression to others.
Now you might ask, I am just a normal Muslim, I’m not even a politician or a city mayor or a president. How is it possible for me to commit injustice?
The harsh reality, is that injustice doesn’t require a large number of people. Injustice can be committed even if you are alone.
Many people think that being just means to do good to people, and being unjust means to bring harm to people. But that is not true; injustice is to essentially put something in a place that it doesn’t belong in. Injustice is to take away the right of the owner to someone who doesn’t deserve it. To take the money of somebody else. To destroy the reputation and honor of someone innocent. To take the life of another human being.
Justice is to put the things back into their right place and order. And that is why Allah is Al-Adl, the Most Just, as He will put everything back in their absolute right order on the Day of Judgement.
That’s why in the Qur’an, Allah describes those who commit major sins as people who wrong themselves, who commit injustice against themselves:
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ
Those who commit an evil deed or wronging themselves... [3:135]
Why are they described in a way that they are wronging and committing injustice against themselves? Because the soul of a person is meant to honor Allah, it’s meant to obey and submit to Allah, it’s meant to worship Allah, but instead, it chooses to do something it wasn’t created for, to disobey His Master, to move far away Him, to forget his own purpose. If that is how a person can do injustice to themselves, then imagine when your actions involve someone else, to someone you have certain rights over them? Let us look into our own families: are we committing injustice to our spouses, to our children, to our Masjid community, to the poor and needy? Are we fulfilling our responsibilities and giving them the rights that they deserve? The time, the money, the love and care, the knowledge, the respect?
Are we spending enough time with our parents, our spouses and our children? Do we treat them with the respect they deserve?
Are we keeping the knowledge about Allah only to ourselves, or are we sharing them with others?
Are we keeping the money only to ourselves, or are we sharing them with those who are actually in need?
Only when we realize how much injustice we are committing to ourselves and to the people around us, then we can truly understand the injustice that the people around the world are suffering from.
May Allah grant us the strength to stand for justice in every circles of our lives, may Allah make us among those who help the oppressed and those who fight against the oppressors, and may Allah purify our hearts from the injustice of selfishness and pride.