Aashura Gifts

Aashura / Muharram Gifts

Question: Kindly comment on giving gifts on the day of Aashura in the name of Aashura. Also, Muslim businesses take out Muharram or Aashura specials and suggest to buyers such items as ‘the perfect Aashura gift’, and ‘Muharram gifts sorted out’, etc. Must we exchange gifts on Aashura?

Answer: Unfortunately, Muslims have turned almost every Islamic day, date and occasion into a feast. Under the pretext of an Islamic banner – be it a Walimah, Qurbani, Eid, Aashura, etc. – we are feeding our Nafs with entertainment, gifts, feasts, etc.

While the Hadith Shareef encourages one to spend a little more on the day of Aashura on one’s family, nowhere do we find the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu anhum), their students, the Imaams of the four Mazhabs, the Akaabireen, etc. taking this to mean exchanging of gifts. They didn’t go to shops to buy Aashura presents, then wrap them up in fancy paper, then tie the gifts up with ribbons and then hand them over to their family members on the eve of Aashura.

Our Ulama have said that on Aashura one may buy or make an extra food item which we normally don’t consume often and feed it to our family.

Muslim businesses should refrain from Aashura-specials. There is no basis for such specials. Ulama have termed the giving of gifts for Aashura to be Bid’ah – an innovation in Deen!

By following in the footsteps of our Akaabireen and the Ulama-e-Haq, we will have a proper understanding of the Deen and the Shari’ah. Stick to the teachings and preaching of our Akaabireen and the Ulama-e-Haq in ALL matters.