Is Commemorating the Auspiciousness of Historical Events From the Sunnah or is it Bid’ah?
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alameaen was salaatu wa salaam 'alaa 'ibaadinil lathistafaa Wa 'alaa Aalihi wa Sahbihi wa sallim
Allahu ta ‘ala has mentioned that certain days are auspicious and the Holy Last Messenger Prophet Muhammad Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim observed certain days with fasting etc. because of the auspiciousness of those days as certain historical events happening on those days.
The basis of all our actions are The Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Sayyidinaa Muhammad Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim. To understand clearly we need to understand the Sunnah. The Sunnah is divided into three categories;
1. Qawli [what was said or speech]
2. Fa’ali [what was done or actions]
3. Taqriri [what others did that was not objected to]
These three categories are also the three categories of hadith
We are reminded by Allahu ta ‘ala to remember the favors [ni’mah] bestowed us”
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided. 3:103
Allahu ta ‘ala is instructing us to recount those favors. When the holy Prophet Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim made hijra to Madinah he observed the bani Israil [jews] fasting on the tenth of Muharram. He had the sahaaba enquire why they were fasting on that particular day. He was informed that they were fasting on that day because they had been led out of captivity by Sayyidina Musa ‘alaihi salaam on the tenth of Muharram and because of the auspicious nature of that day they were fasting. This was indeed a favor from Allahu ta ‘ala. Our beloved Prophet Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa salliminformed the companions to fast on the ninth and tenth of Muharram in observance of this auspicious day. He said that we are more worth of Sayyidina Musa than the jews were. This fast became an established Sunnah of the Holy Last Messenger Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim.
Sheikh Jalaluddin As Suyuti in “Al Hawl lil Fataawa” mentions that this is one of the precedence’s for commemorating the day Allah sent the mercy to all the worlds, not just mercy to Bani Israeel. The day Allahu ta ‘ala sent Rahmatulil ‘Alameen as a mercy to all of creation is much more auspicious than the day Bani Israeel was shown mercy by being delivered and saved from the oppression of Pharaoh. Maulana Jalaluddin and the Scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence [Fiqh] mention that if there is no supposed clear evidence that a thing was not done, we look for evidence that something similar [precedence] to that action was done.
Allahu ta ‘ala says:
Remember! Moses said to his people: "Call to mind the favor of Allah to you when He delivered you from the people of Pharaoh: they set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons, and let your women-folk live: therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord."
Bani Israeel is told to remember these favors. They did so by recognizing that day as being special.
In Islam there are certain things that Allahu ta ‘ala has made superior to others. This includes days, months, people etc. In the Jumu’ah Khutbah we read;
Alhamdulillahi lathee Ja’ala yawmul jumu’ati “Sayyidil Ayyam” All Praise is for Allah who has established the day of Jumu’ah as the Chief of all the Days. We also know that the Holy Last Messenger Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim mentions that he will be Sayyidi wuldi Aadam [ The leader and chief of all the descendants of Prophet Aadam ‘alaihi salaam on the Day of Judgment. 14:6
In hadith we read:
Narrated Sayyidinaa Aws ibn Aws:
The Beloved Prophet Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim said: Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me. The people asked: O Rasul Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed He replied: Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets. (Sunan Abu Dawud)