بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillah......the blessed days are here one more time !
The glorious days when rewards are multiplied many times, and sins
are forgiven much more...
the days in which Allah gives us yet another change to worship Him,
to ask for forgiveness and correct our faults and make up for our
shortcomings...
the blessed days that the Sahabah waited for and prayed for...
the beautiful days in which they strived long and hard in worship,
until they could do no more....
What are these magnificent days?
These blessed days are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
Just like the last ten nights of Ramadhan are the best ten nights
out of the whole year,
the Ulama tell us that out of the 365 days of the year, these first
ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best days of the year and the most
beloved to Allah Ta'ala as they combine acts of worship in a way
unlike any other times. The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم testified to that,
Heصلى الله عليه وسلم said : '' There are no days in which righteous
deeds are more beloved to Allah Ta'ala than these ten days.'' The
people asked, ''Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allah?'' Heصلى الله عليه وسلم
said : '' Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a
man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the
cause, and came back with nothing.'' (Bukhari)
Subahaan Allah wal- Hamdulillah!
What a blessing!
The question is ... what do I do on these magnificent days and how I
can I make the most of this perfect, golden opportunity to earn rewards
and Jannah ?
Obviously Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten
days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year,
there are still many, good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of
Allah. Some of these are :
1) Fast all nine days and especially fast
the Day of "Arafah
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said : ''Anyone who fasts for one day for
Allah Ta'ala's pleasure, Allah Ta'ala will keep his face away from the
(Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.''
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Just imagine... if you fast these nine days (fasting on the day of Eid is
haraam), how far your distance will be from hell!
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah
and heصلى الله عليه وسلم said : ''Fasting the Day of Arafah (9th Dhul-Hijjah)
is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for
(all the sins of) the coming year.'' (Muslim)
2) Do Lots of Dhikr and Takbeer
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: '' There are no days on which good deeds
are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days, so recite much
Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill Allah), Takbeer (saying Allahu akbar)and Tahmeed
(saying al hamdu Lilllah).'' (Ahmad-Saheeh)
Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrahرضى الله عنهما used to go out in the marketplace
during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would
recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhari)
Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah that has mostly been forgotten, especially during
the first few days. So say it in the Masjid, in your home, on the street and every
place where it is permitted to remember Allah. Revive the Sunnah that have been
virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: ''Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that
is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people
who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.''
(Tirmidhi- a hasan hadith)
Obviously, men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite
them quietly.
3) Stand in Night Prayers
Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in
Ramadhan?! Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights
as well?
Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us,
His servants:
Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there
anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking
My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhari and Muslim)
Why do we miss this golden opportunity? So, seize the chance Now and expose
yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide
you and set things aright. He will surely listen.
4) Make Sincere Repentance
One of the best and most important things to do during these ten days is to repent
sincerely to Allah and give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because
we do not know when we will die, and also because one evil deeds leads to another.
5) Come back to the Qur'aan
It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur'aan and return to its refuge. Make
it a daily habit, using these 10days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship
with it. Read it with meaning, understand it, and then implement it and change your
lives for the better, as much as you can. Remember that reading one letter of the
Qur'aan earns you 10 rewards. In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah, which doesn't
take more than two minutes will give you more than one thousand rewards! This is
on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the rewards will
be far greater, InshaAllah.
6) Generally increase in doing All good deeds
We should strive in doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are
beloved by Allah and will bring us closer to Him. So if we are not able to go to
Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves during these blessed days by
worshiping Allah, praying extra prayers, reading Qur'aan, remembering Allah,
sending Salaams on the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم making dua, giving charity,
honoring our parents, upholding ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.
''So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it :
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.''
(Surah Al-Zalzalah 99: 7-8)
7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are
You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad because you are
deprived of the great reward of Hajj. But you can achieve a similar reward in
whatever place you may be.
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: ''Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation,
and then sits and remembers Allah until the sunrises, then (after a while) prays
two rakahs, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah''
(He repeated the word ''perfect'' thrice) (Tirimizi)
Isn't that easy, Alhamdulillah?
8) Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat
Ibn Umar said: The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم lived inMadinah for 10 years and
every year he slaughtered an animal.'' (Ahmad)
9) Attend Eid Prayers
But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we shouldn't be doing
things that are unIslamic (especially) during these times, such as listening to music,
women going out for prayer without proper Hijaab, mixing of men and women, etc.
10) Thank Allah
One of the biggest forms of worshiping Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is to thank Him,
deeply, sincerely and continuously. After all, it is He who gave every single thing that
is in you, on you or around you. In fact, you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the
Mercy of your Creator. So thank Him for ALL that He gave you, the Islam that He
gave you, the very life He gave you. And thank Him for the chance that He gives you
in these ten days, to ask for forgiveness and guidance.
Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. So make the most of
this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten
to do good deeds and appreciate this blessing and make the most of it, striving hard in
worship.
''And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death).''
(Surah al-Hijr 15:99)
Sacrifice
The act of sacrificing the animal in Allah Ta'ala's name is in submission to His will
and if ever required, we shall readily sacrifice even our own life in the way of Allah.
Sacrifice, as practiced by Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم is an essential religious
rite in memory of the sacrifice performed by Prophet Ibrahimعليه السلام. Allah Ta'ala
put Ibrahimعليه السلام to a most difficult trial, the details of which are described in the
Qur'aan. ''O my lord! Grant me (Ibrahim) a righteous (son)!'' So We gave him the
good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. ''Then when the son reached the
age to work with him, he said: ''O my son! I see in a vision that I offer you in
sacrifice: Now say what is your view! ''(The son) said: ''O My father! Do as you
are commanded: You will find me if Allah so wills, one praciting patience and
faithfulness!'' So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he
had made him prostrate on his face (for sacrifice), We called out to him:
''O Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision!'' Thus indeed do we reward
those who do right. ''For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed him with
a momentous sacrifice: and We left (this blessing) for him among generations
(to come) in later times: (37 :100-109).
This is the origin of the Islamic precept of sacrifice in fulfillment of Allah's command.
The aim of sacrifice, like all other fundamentals of Islam, is to absorb piety and self
righteousness. It also promotes the spirit of sacrifice for a right cause. To explain its
purpose, Allah says in the Qur'aan. ''It is not their meat, nor their blood, that
reaches Allah, It is their piety that reaches Allah.'' (22:37)
Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلمsaid : ''On the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, there is no
better act in the view of Allah than shedding the blood (of slaughtered animals). And
verily sacrifice earns the approbation of Allah even before the drop of blood (of the
slaughtered animal) falls on the ground. Hence you should offer it in good spirit. For
every hair of the sacrificial animal, there is a blessing.''
Click here
How to perform Eid Prayers
Click here
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillah......the blessed days are here one more time !
The glorious days when rewards are multiplied many times, and sins
are forgiven much more...
the days in which Allah gives us yet another change to worship Him,
to ask for forgiveness and correct our faults and make up for our
shortcomings...
the blessed days that the Sahabah waited for and prayed for...
the beautiful days in which they strived long and hard in worship,
until they could do no more....
What are these magnificent days?
These blessed days are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
Just like the last ten nights of Ramadhan are the best ten nights
out of the whole year,
the Ulama tell us that out of the 365 days of the year, these first
ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best days of the year and the most
beloved to Allah Ta'ala as they combine acts of worship in a way
unlike any other times. The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم testified to that,
Heصلى الله عليه وسلم said : '' There are no days in which righteous
deeds are more beloved to Allah Ta'ala than these ten days.'' The
people asked, ''Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allah?'' Heصلى الله عليه وسلم
said : '' Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a
man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the
cause, and came back with nothing.'' (Bukhari)
Subahaan Allah wal- Hamdulillah!
What a blessing!
The question is ... what do I do on these magnificent days and how I
can I make the most of this perfect, golden opportunity to earn rewards
and Jannah ?
Obviously Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do during these ten
days. However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year,
there are still many, good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of
Allah. Some of these are :
1) Fast all nine days and especially fast
the Day of "Arafah
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said : ''Anyone who fasts for one day for
Allah Ta'ala's pleasure, Allah Ta'ala will keep his face away from the
(Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.''
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Just imagine... if you fast these nine days (fasting on the day of Eid is
haraam), how far your distance will be from hell!
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم used to fast on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah
and heصلى الله عليه وسلم said : ''Fasting the Day of Arafah (9th Dhul-Hijjah)
is an expiation for (all the sins of) the previous year and an expiation for
(all the sins of) the coming year.'' (Muslim)
2) Do Lots of Dhikr and Takbeer
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: '' There are no days on which good deeds
are greater or more beloved to Allah than on these ten days, so recite much
Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill Allah), Takbeer (saying Allahu akbar)and Tahmeed
(saying al hamdu Lilllah).'' (Ahmad-Saheeh)
Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrahرضى الله عنهما used to go out in the marketplace
during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would
recite Takbeer when they heard them. (Bukhari)
Takbeer at this time is a Sunnah that has mostly been forgotten, especially during
the first few days. So say it in the Masjid, in your home, on the street and every
place where it is permitted to remember Allah. Revive the Sunnah that have been
virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: ''Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that
is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people
who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.''
(Tirmidhi- a hasan hadith)
Obviously, men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite
them quietly.
3) Stand in Night Prayers
Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in
Ramadhan?! Why not revive this beautiful act of worship during these nights
as well?
Remember, how in the last third of every night, Allah Almighty calls out to us,
His servants:
Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there
anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking
My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? (Bukhari and Muslim)
Why do we miss this golden opportunity? So, seize the chance Now and expose
yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide
you and set things aright. He will surely listen.
4) Make Sincere Repentance
One of the best and most important things to do during these ten days is to repent
sincerely to Allah and give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because
we do not know when we will die, and also because one evil deeds leads to another.
5) Come back to the Qur'aan
It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur'aan and return to its refuge. Make
it a daily habit, using these 10days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship
with it. Read it with meaning, understand it, and then implement it and change your
lives for the better, as much as you can. Remember that reading one letter of the
Qur'aan earns you 10 rewards. In this way, reading Surat Al-Fatihah, which doesn't
take more than two minutes will give you more than one thousand rewards! This is
on ordinary days, so what about these magnificent days! Certainly the rewards will
be far greater, InshaAllah.
6) Generally increase in doing All good deeds
We should strive in doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are
beloved by Allah and will bring us closer to Him. So if we are not able to go to
Hajj this year, we should occupy ourselves during these blessed days by
worshiping Allah, praying extra prayers, reading Qur'aan, remembering Allah,
sending Salaams on the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم making dua, giving charity,
honoring our parents, upholding ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.
''So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it :
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.''
(Surah Al-Zalzalah 99: 7-8)
7) Get the reward of Hajj wherever you are
You may be unable to do Hajj this year, and you may feel sad because you are
deprived of the great reward of Hajj. But you can achieve a similar reward in
whatever place you may be.
The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم said: ''Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation,
and then sits and remembers Allah until the sunrises, then (after a while) prays
two rakahs, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah''
(He repeated the word ''perfect'' thrice) (Tirimizi)
Isn't that easy, Alhamdulillah?
8) Slaughter an animal and distribute the meat
Ibn Umar said: The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم lived inMadinah for 10 years and
every year he slaughtered an animal.'' (Ahmad)
9) Attend Eid Prayers
But remember that Eid prayer is a form of worship and we shouldn't be doing
things that are unIslamic (especially) during these times, such as listening to music,
women going out for prayer without proper Hijaab, mixing of men and women, etc.
10) Thank Allah
One of the biggest forms of worshiping Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is to thank Him,
deeply, sincerely and continuously. After all, it is He who gave every single thing that
is in you, on you or around you. In fact, you wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the
Mercy of your Creator. So thank Him for ALL that He gave you, the Islam that He
gave you, the very life He gave you. And thank Him for the chance that He gives you
in these ten days, to ask for forgiveness and guidance.
Alhamdulillah, there is much to be gained in these coming days. So make the most of
this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten
to do good deeds and appreciate this blessing and make the most of it, striving hard in
worship.
''And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (death).''
(Surah al-Hijr 15:99)
Sacrifice
The act of sacrificing the animal in Allah Ta'ala's name is in submission to His will
and if ever required, we shall readily sacrifice even our own life in the way of Allah.
Sacrifice, as practiced by Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم is an essential religious
rite in memory of the sacrifice performed by Prophet Ibrahimعليه السلام. Allah Ta'ala
put Ibrahimعليه السلام to a most difficult trial, the details of which are described in the
Qur'aan. ''O my lord! Grant me (Ibrahim) a righteous (son)!'' So We gave him the
good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. ''Then when the son reached the
age to work with him, he said: ''O my son! I see in a vision that I offer you in
sacrifice: Now say what is your view! ''(The son) said: ''O My father! Do as you
are commanded: You will find me if Allah so wills, one praciting patience and
faithfulness!'' So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and he
had made him prostrate on his face (for sacrifice), We called out to him:
''O Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision!'' Thus indeed do we reward
those who do right. ''For this was obviously a trial and We ransomed him with
a momentous sacrifice: and We left (this blessing) for him among generations
(to come) in later times: (37 :100-109).
This is the origin of the Islamic precept of sacrifice in fulfillment of Allah's command.
The aim of sacrifice, like all other fundamentals of Islam, is to absorb piety and self
righteousness. It also promotes the spirit of sacrifice for a right cause. To explain its
purpose, Allah says in the Qur'aan. ''It is not their meat, nor their blood, that
reaches Allah, It is their piety that reaches Allah.'' (22:37)
Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلمsaid : ''On the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, there is no
better act in the view of Allah than shedding the blood (of slaughtered animals). And
verily sacrifice earns the approbation of Allah even before the drop of blood (of the
slaughtered animal) falls on the ground. Hence you should offer it in good spirit. For
every hair of the sacrificial animal, there is a blessing.''
Click here
How to perform Eid Prayers
Click here
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