⏰ Reading Time: 4–5 minutes
Epigraph
"That
was a nation that has passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is
what you earn. And you will not be asked about what they used to do."
— Qur’an 2:141
The
Pharaoh said: “Then what is the situation of the previous nations?” Moses
replied: “Their knowledge is secure with my Lord in a register. My Lord
neither errs nor forgets,”
— Qur'an 20:52
God ordained the months twelve in number from the
day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred.
- Qur’an (9:36)
Muharram:
A Sacred Reminder, Not a Sectarian Divide
The four
sacred months — Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab — known in the
Qur’an as Ashhurul Hurum, were divinely designated as times of peace and
sanctity.
God ordained the months twelve in number from the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred. - Qur’an (9:36)
In pre-Islamic Arabia, these months ensured safe passage for pilgrims journeying for Hajj Akbar (during Dhul Hijjah) and Hajj Asghar (Umrah) (especially during Rajab). Fighting was strictly prohibited so that worship and travel could proceed without fear.
The
message behind these sacred months is powerful: a collective pause for
spiritual reflection, peace, and unity.
And yet,
every year, as Muharram returns — a month sacred for all Muslims — we find some
in our community invoking past disputes, revisiting centuries-old divisions
between Shi’a and Sunni, and sometimes doing so in a spirit of hostility rather
than reverence.
This is
not what the Qur’an teaches us.
Let the
Past Rest: Qur’anic Wisdom on Accountability
The Qur’an
speaks plainly; the Almighty shall not ask them of the deeds of their
forefathers; on the contrary, He will ask them of their own deeds only.
"That
was a nation that has passed away. Theirs is what they earned, and yours is
what you earn. And you will not be asked about what they used to do."
— Qur’an 2:141
And to
further remind us that nothing escapes divine justice, and that human judgment
is often flawed, this dialogue occurs when Prophet Musa (Moses) is questioned
by Pharaoh about the condition of past generations.
The
Pharaoh said: “Then what is the situation of the previous nations?” Moses
replied: “Their knowledge is secure with my Lord in a register. My Lord
neither errs nor forgets,”
— Qur'an 20:52
In other
words, we are not accountable for the decisions, errors, or differences of the
generations before us — even if they were companions, family, or leaders. Why,
then, do we allow sectarian debates about historical figures to rupture the
peace of our present?
The Qur’an
calls on us to focus on our own actions, character, and unity, not to dishonor
those who came before, especially not those close to the Prophet ﷺ.
A
Divine Gift: The Bond of Believers
In another
powerful passage, Allah reminds us that it was He who unified the hearts of
believers at a time of conflict and through the believers (companions of the
Prophet) supported the Prophet. And that it is Allah who brought their hearts
together.
“Even
if they were to deceive you, Allah is sufficient for you. He is the One who
supported you with His help and with the believers. And He brought their hearts
together. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought
their hearts together, but Allah brought them together.”
— Qur’an 8:62-63
Why then
do Shi’a and Sunni today belittle the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, when Allah
Himself says in the Qur’an that He supported the Prophet not only through His
divine help but also through the believers? These believers — the Prophet’s companions—were
instrumental in Islam’s earliest victories and in building the moral
foundations of the ummah. They deserve our utmost respect. This is what the
Qur’an itself confirms: their hearts were joined by Allah, and they stood
united behind the Prophet.
To slander
or degrade them is to oppose a testimony declared by God in His Book.
Time
for a Pledge: Honor the Sacred, Embrace the Qur'an
Let us
make Muharram not just a time of remembrance, but of realignment — with the
Qur’an, with each other, and with the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
Let us
remember:
- The companions differed, but
they remained united in faith.
- Differences of opinion are not
a cause for division but a sign of intellectual vitality.
- The Qur’an is the ultimate
authority — clear as the shining sun — and it never endorses hatred or
slander in the name of history.
Live
and Let Live: A Message for Our Times
Whether
Shi’a or Sunni, we are bound by a sacred covenant: to uphold the Qur’an as the
highest standard of moral and spiritual conduct. Let us honor the sanctity of
Muharram by avoiding divisive speech, by rejecting historical blame, and by
promoting a “live and let live” spirit rooted in faith, patience, and
compassion.
If
Ashhurul Hurum (the sacred months) gave safe passage to caravans in an age of
tribal violence, then surely this sacred time can offer safe passage to our
hearts in an age of ideological strife.
A Final
Reflection: Realigning Our Compass
God has
not placed us on this earth merely to inherit beliefs, but to investigate them.
The Qur’an repeatedly calls us to ponder, to reflect, to use our reason, to
question what we’ve received from our forefathers, our society, and even our
clergy.
“Indeed,
We created man from a mixed sperm-drop so We may test him; and We made him
hearing and seeing. Indeed, We guided him to the path, whether he be grateful
or ungrateful.”
— Qur’an 76:2–3
We are
born into cultures, into traditions, into narratives — but Allah expects us to
rise above passive inheritance. He invites us to realign our moral compass, not
according to sectarian loyalties or historical debates, but in submission to
the Qur’an, His shining guidance for all time.
In this
sacred month of Muharram, let us not just remember history — let us rise from
it. Let us examine what we have assumed, inherited, and followed blindly, and adopt
this Qur’an’s recommended and desired approach:
“they who listen intently to what is said; then follow
what is better of it. It is these who are blessed with guidance from
God, and it is these who are endowed with intellect.”
-
Qur’an
(39:18)
Let reflection,
not reaction, shape our faith. Let understanding, not imitation, define
our moral path. And above all, let the Qur’an, not the noise of the
world, be the voice that leads us forward.
— Aamir
Iqbal Yazdani
Neither Shi’a Nor Sunni | Muslim
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