Don't Miss The Ten Blessed Days of Dhul Hajjah
Don't Miss The Ten 10 Blessed Days of Dhul Hajjah
By His wisdom, Allah Ta’la gave preference to some places and times over
others. For Muslims, Friday is the best day of the week, Ramadan is the best
month of the year, "Laylat al-Qadr" is the best night in
Ramadan, the day of "Arafah" is the best day of the year. Likewise
the first ten days of the month of "Dhul-Hijjah" are the blessed days
for Muslims.
Allah Ta’la says in the Quran what means: {By the
daybreak, by the ten nights, by the even and the odd, by the
passing night – is this oath strong enough for a rational person?} (Al-Fajr
89:1-5)
Early Muslim scholars differed on what is
meant by the "ten nights". But most of them agreed that the ten
nights refer to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
In another verse Allah Ta’la says: {… to attain benefits and mention
Allah Ta’la 's name, on specified days.} (Al-Haj 22:28)
Most of the Quran commentators view that
the specific days are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
What a great virtue attached to those days
which pass unnoticed by many people nowadays.
On the merits of the first ten days, Prophet(Pbup)
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported
to have said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more
beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not
even Jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said: "Not even Jihad 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." (Al-Bukhari)
In what follows are suggested ideas on how
to make the best use of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah:
Repent to Allah
Make a sincere repentance to Allah Ta’la and promise Him that you will not do bad deeds
again. This may be your last chance. You are not sure if you will live till
next year.
Pray at the Mosque
Try to perform the five daily prayers in the
mosque. If you have time after Fajr prayer, try to sit in the mosque, read a juz'
(part) of the Quran, make duaa, or recite some Adhkar
(remembrance of Allah). Then offer two rakahs before you go home. If you
do so, you are reviving a tradition that Prophet(Pbup) Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to do, a
tradition which these days has been neglected by many Muslims.
Observe Fasting in the First Nine Days
Abu Sa`id al-Khudri said: I heard the Prophet(Pbup)
saying, "Indeed, anyone who fasts
for one day for Allah's Pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell)
fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years." (Muslim)
Do not observe fasting on the tenth day
because it is an `Eid day and it is prohibited to fast that day.
Good deeds are rewarded abundantly in
these first ten days; and as fasting is a good deed, it is recommended to fast
these nine days.
Do not Miss Fasting the Day of Arafah
On the day of Arafah, non-pilgrims
are highly recommended to maintain fasting. It is reported that the Prophet(Pbup)
was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah,
whereupon he said: "It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the
coming year." (Muslim)
He also said: "There is no day in
which Allah frees a greater number of His slaves from the Hellfire than the Day
of Arafah." (Muslim)
Make a Lot of Supplications (duaa)
on the Day of Arafah
The Prophet(Pbup) said: "The best supplication is that of
the Day of `Arafah, and the best thing that I and other Prophet(Pbup) s before
me said, is: La ilaha illa allahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa
lahu al-hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shai'in qadeer (There is no Allah Ta’la but Allah alone. He has no partners. To Him
belong the sovereignty and all praise. He has power over all things.)
(Al-Tirmidhi)
Try to Do Something New this Year
If you used to recite a part of the Quran
last year, try to finish reading the whole Quran this year. Try to pick some
verses everyday and check the books of Tafsir (exegesis of the Quran) to
reflect on their meaning in order to derive lessons from them in your daily
life.
Maintain your Family Relations
Visit your relatives even for a few
minutes. If they live far away, give them a call. Do not forget your parents.
Be kind to them, visit them, and attend to their needs. Some new Muslims think
that after their conversion, they should cut off their family members. Allah Ta’la
orders Muslims to be kind to their
parents even if they are non-Muslims. This occasion might be a good opportunity
to talk about Islam to your non-Muslim parents.
Give to Charity
Make it a daily habit to help the needy.
Look for humanitarian organizations in your neighborhood and help them in any
way you can.
Don't Miss Offering at Least Two Rakahs
of "TaHajud" at Night
Offer many extra prayers, as much as you
can. Allah Ta’la promised a great reward
for offering extra acts of worship. The Prophet(Pbup) said: "Allah said, 'I will declare war
against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most
beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined
upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil
(praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I
become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with
which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he
walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection
(refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My refuge) and I do not hesitate
to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates
death, and I hate to disappoint him." (Al-Bukhari)
Reciting the Takbir
It is an act of Sunnah to say "Takbir"
(Allah is the Greatest) in the first ten days.
The "Takbir" should be
pronounced as much as possible in the mosque, at home, in the streets, etc. It
is reported that: "Ibn `Umar and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with
them) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of
Dhul-Hijjah, reciting Takbir, and the people would recite Takbir
when they heard them." (Al-Bukhari)
There are many forms of Takbir, but
the most common one is: Allahu akbaru, Allahu akbaru, Allahu akbaru, la
illaha illa Allah, Allahu akbaru, Allahu akbar, wa lillahi al-Hamd.
In another version of the Hadith mentioned
above on the merits of the ten days, there is this addition: "… so
increase saying Tahlil (saying la-illah illa Allah), Takbir
(saying Allahu akbar), and Tahmid (saying Al-hamdullilah)"
(Ahmad) Therefore, these kinds of "dhikr" should be recited
day and night.
The Best Good Deed in These Days is to
Offer Haj
Go to Haj, if you are physically and
financially able to perform it. If not, try to offer a sacrifice
(qurbani) if you have the means. By doing this you are commemorating the
story of sacrifice of both Prophet(Pbup) Ibrahim and his son Ismail (peace be upon
them). The poor and the needy have a share in the sacrifice and feeding them is
one of best deeds that can be done on the day of `Eid.
I pray to Allah to accept our good deeds
in these days of Dhul-Hijjah and throughout the year. When our good deeds are
accepted by Allah Ta’la , we will be admitted to Paradise, by His Mercy.
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