Akheri Chahar Shombo is an Arabic and Persian phrase. The first word, akheri, is found in both Arabic and Persian and means "last". According to the writer, the Persian word chahar means the month of Safar and the Persian shombo means Wednesday, so Akheri Chahar Shombo means the last Wednesday of Safar. The Muslim ummah knows and celebrates the day as a day of joy. But why?

The worship and celebration practised among Muslims on the last Wednesday of Safar commemorate the day the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) temporarily recovered after a long illness. Muslims in Bangladesh and many other countries observe it with due religious solemnity, at both state and individual level.

In Persian-influenced regions and across the Indian subcontinent, Akheri Chahar Shombo has for centuries been part of Islamic and Muslim culture. The Sufis of the region and the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate observed it under royal patronage.

Because the day is not observed uniformly around the world, many today question its celebration and significance. They say there is no hadith evidence for observing it, and no specific record that the companions later celebrated it as a day of joy or gave alms on it every year. Many therefore believe there is no justification for marking it with fanfare, since it was not observed in the time of the companions or after.

Yet while Muslims everywhere do not observe it with solemnity, many in the subcontinent worship or give charity on the day. Many therefore feel that, whatever the occasion, if someone offers voluntary (nafl) prayers or gives to the poor in Allah's name on Akheri Chahar Shombo, it can only bring great good to the individual and society and there is nothing wrong in it, because charity and worship purify people and increase wealth.

The truth is that many do not know what the last Wednesday of Safar signifies. The seerah books give some indications.

In his Seerat Rasulullah, the historian Ibn Ishaq writes that at the end of Safar or the start of Rabiul Awal the Prophet fell into the illness that ended his life. During that time he went one midnight to the Baqiul Gharqad (Jannatul Baqi) graveyard and prayed for the dead. Returning home late at night, he fell ill, and he understood that this illness was the beginning of his final journey.

This is also clear from his conversation with his freed slave Hiba, who had gone to the graveyard with him that night. Hiba said the Prophet told him: "I have been asked to choose one of two things: the keys to the treasures of all the wealth of this world and a long life, or Paradise, the meeting with my Lord and Paradise at once." Hiba said, "I told him, choose the first." He replied, "I have chosen the second." That is, he chose to bid farewell to the world and meet Allah through death, and in this context he fell ill. He was not unaware that this illness would end his life.

Medicine was brought from Abyssinia but his condition did not change. He would be well for a while and then lose consciousness again. His family and companions gave up hope that he would live.

Amid that despair, one morning he regained consciousness and began to behave almost normally. He bathed with water from seven wells and ate lunch with Fatima and his two grandsons, Hasan and Husain. His family and companions were overjoyed; in gratitude they offered nafl prayers and gave charity to the poor according to their means.

It is narrated that in their joy Abu Bakr gave 5,000 dirhams, Umar 7,000 dirhams and Ali 3,000 dirhams, while Abdur Rahman bin Awf gave 100 camels.

A narration of Aisha also records that on the last Wednesday of Safar the Prophet suddenly recovered, although by the time afternoon turned to evening he had fallen ill again. Some Muslims in different regions recall this event every year, and because he recovered on the last Wednesday of Safar, Persian Muslims named the day Akheri Chahar Shombo.

There are two accounts of the illness he suffered before Akheri Chahar Shombo:

• According to Ibn Ishaq, on returning from the Baqiul Gharqad graveyard he was struck by a severe pain in the head.
• According to Ibn Hisham, in his final days he suffered a severe headache.

Because of this severe pain in the head he felt an unbearable headache, so serious that he was unconscious for most of his final days; when he recovered a little, he would lose consciousness again.

It is not obligatory to observe Akheri Chahar Shombo, but there is no reason to go to extremes over it either. Every Arabic month has its own guidance for Sunnah worship, and there is weekly guidance too, carrying great merit and reward: worship on Friday every week, fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and the Prophet's regular practice of voluntary fasts on the 13th, 14th and 15th of every Arabic month, known as the fasts of Ayyam-e-Beez.

So it is best not to argue for or against any particular event or occasion in Safar. Much reward lies in devoting oneself to good deeds and worship by following the hadith.

May Allah make the Muslim ummah attentive to good deeds and keep them away from wrongdoing. Ameen.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.