Islamic Months & Virtuous Occasions

Q: Why is 10th of Muharram called Ashura? I heard that 10 things happened on this day that's why its called Ashura. If this is true then what are the 10 things?

Q: Some people believe that Muharram is a time for mourning over the assassination of Hazrat Husain (radhiyallahu anhu), and some people believe that Muharram is a time for celebrating and spending lavishly on their family. Are there Ahadeeth supporting any of these beliefs? What really should be done for Aashura?

Q: In the Hadith theres is mention to the nearest meaning a person who spends on one's family on the 10th Muharram he will get blessings in sustenance for the whole year. My question is 10th Muharram is on Thursday, is it okay to spend on the family on Wednesday evening to get the virtue and blessings of spending on ones family, because 10th Muharram starts after maghrib on Wednesday till maghrib on Thursday?

Q: In Kenya, 65% of the Muslims follow Saudi for sightng the moon and 45% of the Muslims follow the Qadhi. What should be done? Because celebrating Eid also depends on Ijma. So who should we follow? The Qadhi or Ijma?

Q: Regarding the recent adjustment of the Islamic calender, I came across an interesting obversation from the internet regarding hilaal. What is this Shariah standpoint regarding this view? It's perhaps a silly question to ask because if Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasllam) said so what is the need for clarification? But again I am a layman and need guidance from our elders. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Fast when the hilaal is sighted, and stop fasting when it is sighted. If due to overcast conditions, the moon is not sighted, then it will be a 30-day month.” What is the problem with this instruction of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)? What is so difficult that makes it impossible to observe this command? Why do people display an aversion for the Sunnah? Nothing but deficiency of Imaan and deficiency in love for Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are the causes for treating the Sunnah and the Shariah with disdain. That's the obsevation  I read which made sense to me but I await the response of the muftis on this.

Q: Ruling regarding "Shab-e-Barath" , is it not "Biddah"?

Q: The following info has been taken from AL-GHUNYA LI TALIBEEN by Abdul Kadir Jeelani(r.a). There is a special salaat to be performed in the month of rajab, this salaat can be performed after maghrib or ishaa, this salatul haajat makes up a total of 30 rakaats, it is read in 3 stages: first 10 rakats are read between the 1st and 10th of rajab. The second 10 between 11th and 20th of rajab, and the last 10 between 21st and 30th of rajab. The niyyah is am reading 2 rakaat salatul haajah O Allah for the sake our master Mohammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam with the birth of whom you have illuminated the entire world and the for the sake of your auspicious month rajab grant me relieve from the troubles of this world and the hereafter. Its read in 2 rakaats each in both rakaat you should read allhamdu, 3x suratul kaafirun and 3x suratul ikhlaas, its better if its read on a friday or monday night. So i have read 20 rakaats in the first 20 days but now I have gotten my periods and by the time I'll be paak it will be Shaaban so is it ok if I read the remaining 10 rakaats in the month of Shaaban although in the niyyah it says shaaban?...Because I don't feel like leaving it incomplete.

Q: I heard from an Arab Shaykh that although there are some Ahaadith regarding the virtues of the night of shab-e-baraa'at (15th Sha'baan), none of the Ahaadith are authentic. Accordingly, we don't need to attach special reverence and significance to this day or night. Is this true? If not, please provide the authentic Ahaadith.

Q:  I humbly ask you please help me to find sukoon in the following matter what bothers me all the time nowadays. It is about our Islamic calendar. The Muslims in South Africa have Eid day on another day through observing the moon and we Turkish people follow the Turkish calender from "Diyanet" Musjid (this is a very big Turkish organisation in Istanbul and one of their Musjid in my town). I asked an Aalim what should I do on Eid day and whom should I follow. He replied that I should follow the Musjid announcement. I explained to him that they follow a calendar that is written a year before and that they do not observe the moon before Eid day. They determine somehow when is Eid day a year before. Next year we start Ramadhaan on 20.07.2012, Eid day is on 19.08.2012, Eid Adha on 25.10.2012, Ashura 24.11.2012. This is the Musjid announcement. I want to clear the issue if it is okay to follow their announcement for Eid days, Ashura and so on. Here in  Germany it is dark and most of the time cloudy and I can not go outside and observe moon. The place where it can be seen is little bit far from here.