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The Greatness of the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah
Assalamu 'Alaikum waRahmatullahi waBarakatuh
All Praise Belongs to Allah (swt), and May the Salah and Salam of Allah (swt) be upon our beloved Messenger ??? ???? ???? ????
Alhamdulillah, the blessed days of the Hijri month of Dhul Hijjah are upon us (18th November 2009 was 1st Dhul Hijjah).
Below is a transcription of a lecture on how to benefit from the blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah by Umm Abdur-Rahmn. May Allh reward her.
????????? ??????
By the ten nights. [TMQ Al-Fajr 89:2]
The ten nights which Allh [subhna wa tal] is swearing by here, are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. [1] Allh [subhna wa tal] swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit.
Ibn Abbs [radi Allhu anhu] narrated that Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allh, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice. He was asked: Not even jihd for the sake of Allh? He said: Not even jihd for the sake of Allh, 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. [2]
So, my sisters take note of the following:
Have the intention to spread this important information.
It is a great chance to collect uncountable hasant . It is a great chance to renew your relation with Allh [subhna wa tal]. Prepare now so you can start from the first night/day of the month [i.e. as soon as Dhul-Hijjah is announced]. You dont want to miss a moment of the best days in the sight of Allh [subhna wa tal].
Since the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] referred to the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah as: no days better than these days in the sight of Allh. [3], the scholars have said that these are better than Ramadan. [4] Therefore, be very vigilant and dont waste these precious moments. Ask Allh to help you to benefit from this period of His special Grace.
Ask yourself these questions [non-rhetorical]:
Did you intend to benefit from these days?
What have you done to prepare for these 10 days?
Did you prepare a program?
What is your plan of action?
Here is a brief guide to help you to prepare for the best days of the year:
Read the Qurn:
Plan to complete the reading of the Qurn within this period.
If you read three juz a day, it can be accomplished. It is not difficult. Ask Allh to make it easy for you. We know reciting one letter is equal to ten hasant . If you read three juz everyday, it translates to thousands of millions of hasant.
SubhnaAllh! And this calculation is just based on the 1=10 ratio. These are special days of His Grace. Therefore, dont even think about how much Allh can/will increase & add it for you. You cannot fathom it. He is Kareem. He knows that you have ikhls ; He will not count it as 1=10. He could raise it to 1=700 or even more. And this is what you can earn every day of these special days. Keep in mind that reciting the Qurn is a good deed and Allh specially loves the good deeds done in these days: And if He [subhna wa tal] loves the good deeds, He will love the doer of those good deeds. [5] If Allh loves someone, He will not punish them. Remember this concept so that the deeds you do come from your heart [dont be like a machine]. Honour the rights of the Qurn when reciting it.
Increase in Nawfil Prayers:
Increase your supererogatory prayers.
Ask yourself these questions and make sure that your heart gives you sincere answers:
Do you have an aim?
Do you really want to be closer to Allh?
Do you live with this craving?
Do you really love Allh and seek His closeness?
If, you want this, then know that Allh teaches you the means to gaining His qurb .
Allh says:
Fall prostrate and draw near to Allh! [TMQ Al-Alaq 96:19]
This is the way! Prostrate in sujd to Him [subhna wa tal] and you will be closer to Him. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: The closest that a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du then. [6] He [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] is commanding us to make a lot of du while in sujd. Are we obeying his order? Yes? We need to do more. For he [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said to: make lots of du. Remember, the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] loved us and he knew that we have a lot of needs from Allh. This is why he taught us the way to get those needs fulfilled. Therefore, if you have needs, then you cannot leave sujd. Any sajdah without khush & without du is a big khasra . Let us not be losers from now on bi-idhnillh.
When the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] instructed us to do a lot of sujd, it means to perform a lot of salh . With each sajdah for Allh, He will raise you a level with it. And cancel a sin with it. So, the more you increase in your sujd, the closer you are to being a winner.
Examples for increasing nawfil salh :
a] Salt Dhuha: Also known as al-Awwbeen, may be offered as 2, 4, 6 or 8 rakt, prayed after the sun has risen and before the time for Dhuhr approaches. [7] Al-Awwb means one who is obedient, or one who turns to obedience. Bi-idhnillh, we want to show Allh that we are of those who are obedient.
b] 4 rakt before and 4 after Dhuhr: Whoever regularly performs four rakt before Dhuhr and four after it, Allh will forbid him to the Fire. [8]
c] 4 rakt before Asr The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: May Allh have mercy on those who pray four rakt before Asr prayer. [9] Bi-idhnillh, you stand to gain the mercy of Allh because of the du of Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam]. Do you want the mercy of Allh to reach you? Dont leave these 4 rakt.
d] Tahhiyatul masjid: Greet the masjid with two rakt: If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two rakt before sitting. [10]
e] Salt at-Tawbah: It could be any bad deed, any sin, you hear something bad , you see something bad, you feel your heart constricted because of something you have done and you didnt mean it, etc, you can erase it immediately with your prayer of repentance. Make a good wudh and offer two sincere rakt of repentance. Ask Allh to forgive you. If its from your heart, then know that Allh will cancel your sin.
f] Qiym al-Layl: With this prayer, we hope that Allh will illuminate our graves; will bestow nr on our faces; will cancel our bad deeds, bi-idhnillh. Pray at least 2 rakt. If you are able to follow the Sunnah, then pray all 11 rakt .
Remember that in these special days and nights, Allh is sending His special mercy. Do you think that this special mercy will reach everybody? Do you think that it will reach the one who is in front of the TV watching a movie? Or listening to music? Or do you think it will reach the one who is making sujd, ruk, tilwah, making istighfr, etc.?
We have to show Allh that we want this special mercy. We need to make ourselves eligible for it.
Allh [subhna wa tal] swears by the night [Srah Fajr]. Therefore, take care of the nights. Dont be among the losers. Write this in bold and make it your motivational factor for the special days: We wont be among the losers! Remember: Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, comes down to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says: Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?. [11] And, now that it is winter, we get really long nights. So its a good chance to maximise our hasant. Dont forget while you are praying qiym that Allh [subhna wa tal] Loves this deed. Therefore, He [subhna wa tal] loves the doer of this deed also.
If we were lazy before, we will be active and good from now on bi-idhnillh. We will not be among the losers. If these days and nights are a king who is distributing gifts of gold while announcing: Come take these gold nuggets, wAllhi, you will find people standing in long queues and hordes to collect them. SubhnaAllh, Allh is spreading mercy during these days. He [subhna wa tal] is accepting supplications. He [subhna wa tal] is offering unimaginably wonderful blessings that we dont even know of. So will we not work to get in those lines to gather Allhs gifts?
Makes lots of Dhikr:
Do a lot of dhikr, especially in these days.
There are no days greater in the sight of Allh [12]
So what did the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] tell us to do in these days? That, we need to make the dhikr of tahll, tahmd & takbr. [13] As soon as the announcement of Dhul-Hijjah is made, start your dhikr:
Allhu Akbr, Allhu Akbr, l ilha ill-Allh, Wallhu Akbr. Walilhilhamd.
Many people mistakenly believe that you chant this only on the day of d. But, it is meant to be recited from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. Bukhr related that Ibn Umar & Abu Hurayrah said that they used to go out in the streets making loud takbr. They did not think that this was riy . They were busy with declaring the [signs of Allh. This practice has now become a forgotten Sunnah. Why do people feel shy to follow this Sunnah? These are the days of takbr, tahll & tahmd with raised voices.
Therefore revive this Sunnah by doing audible tasbh during all of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
For women, when you are in your homes, raise your voices. You will remind your children, husbands, brothers, etc. Make it like a habit so that you will find yourself doing dhikr automatically. While walking, reclining, working, eating, just keep doing dhikr.
Send a lot of blessings and salm upon the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] consistently. Just one hadth should be enough for the believer who loves Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam]. It is enough honour that when you send your salm to Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam], Allh returns his soul to him in order to answer you: There is no one who sends salm upon me but Allh will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salm. [14] Therefore, send your dard & salm from your heart. Feel that special honour in doing that deed.
Istighfr:
All kinds of dhikr will make your relation with Allh stronger and stronger. How many Muslims are there today? 1.5 billion? In one minute it is possible to gain 1.5 billion hasant. Allhu Akbr! How generous is Allh [subhna wa tal]. No one will give you like Allh [subhna wa tal] gives. So how can you gain 1.5 million hasant? By making istighfr for all Muslims. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] is reported to have said that when a person seeks forgiveness for all believers, Allh will write for him a hasant for every one of those believers. [15] Just say Astaghfirullh for yourself and for all the believers, from your heart. Allh [subhna wa tal] is forgiving & generous.
On the Day of Judgement, when you will see your book, you will find the record of your sins in it & you will feel regret. But, SubhnaAllh, you will find between these sins, Astaghfirullh, Astaghfirullh, Astaghfirullh. Bi-idhnillh, Allh, the Karm will cancel those sins that have istighfr beside them, around them, after them.
Luqmn taught his sons to make istighfr. He said: Oh my sons, istighfirullha qidun, istighfirullh qimum, istghfirullha rqibun [make istighfr when you are standing, sitting, reclining]. For the mercy of Allh is descending.
Indeed, rahamt are falling down like rain. So try to be under those rahamt. Look at it this way there are seasons of mercy during which Allh sends down abundant mercy [like during Ramadn, like the days of Dhul-Hijjah, etc.]. Allh is always generous because that is one of His [subhna wa tal] Attributes, but He says that He gives more during certain periods. Allh is Rahm always, but He says He has more mercy during a certain period. These days are like those special-rate promotions or sale season. Therefore, dont leave or ignore this sale. Go and ask for more. Keep saying astaghfirullh, astaghfirullh, astaghfirullh, keep insisting on it till Allh forgives you. Start from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah.
????? ????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ???????????????
nor will He punish them while they seek (Allhs) forgiveness. [TMQ Al-Anfl 8:33]
We are informed that there is no punishment from Allh [subhna wa tal a] on the yastaghfirn . Allh relieves all problems with istighfr. Those who are persistent in istighfr in their lives, disasters and calamities will be repelled from them. Mercy is like a cloud on the head of the mustaghfirn . How do we know this?
??????? ??????????????? ??????? ??????????? ???????????
Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allh, that you may receive mercy? [TMQ An-Naml 27:46]
Allh is telling us to make istighfr to gain His mercy. Let your istighfr ascend to Him and His mercy will descend upon you.
Fasting:
Fast as much as you can during these blessed days. If you can fast all of these days, then do so. Even in any regular day, Allh has promised a great reward for the one who fasts: Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allh, Allh will keep his face seventy years distance away from the Fire because of it. [16] So what about these special days for which it is said: There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allh, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allh loves the good deeds in these days. Allh loves siym. Put these two beloved things together. You are the doer of the things Allh loves. He [subhna wa tal] will Love you, bi-idhnillh.
Any ibdah, be it salh, dhikr, Qurn, that is done during some periods of time and with them, are also periods of non action. Can you do any of them from Fajr till Maghrib continuously? Which ibdah will you be able to do non-stop? Siym! From Fajr till Maghrib during the best days, you will be able to be in a continuous state of worship. So please my sisters [& brothers], grab this chance eagerly. Also dont forget you have if Allh wills, at least one du guaranteed with each siym at the time of breaking the fast. So that is nine opportune moments during this period.
Regarding fasting on the day of Arfah, the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: Fasting the day of Arafh, I hope, will expiate the sins of the year before it and the year to come [17] So how does this happen? Does this mean that we can fast on that day and for the rest of the year we can do whatever we want of bad deeds? No! It implies that Allh [subhna wa tal] will help us to abstain from sins. And, if you commit a sin by mistake, He [subhna wa tal] will cancel it due to His promise.
Charity:
Spending for the sake of Allh!
Only Allh knows how many trials & calamities have been pushed away from us, our family and loved ones as a result of our sadaqh. Allh knows how many times relief and ease has come to us due to the sadaqh we gave. Therefore, give in the way of Allh, as much as you can. Dont leave any raised hands return empty. Show Allh that you love Him by spending from that which you love. Show Allh [subhna wa tal] that all these things mean nothing besides gaining His ridha .
Dont look and remind yourself of what you have already spent in the past. If Allh wills, He [subhna wa tal] has accepted and written it for you. Now, think of how you can outdo that sadaqh during these days. Spend from what you love and Allh will love you.
Preserve the Ties of Kinship:
Preserve the ties of kinship for: No one who severs the ties of kinship will enter Paradise. [18] If it is difficult for you to call or meet every relative, then send them a message. But write with your heart and with the right intention. There is a man who connects with all of his near and far relatives. It is almost like a mission for him for the sake of Allh. He [subhna wa tal] loves this ibdah. Even those who are far away, he calls and connects them to the rest of the family and brings them all together. And subhnaAllaah, Allh has given him a lot of wealth and with such ease and has made his life easy, and as a result of his deeds. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] promised this reward for the one who connects and maintains kinship: Whoever would like his rizq to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinshi p. [19]
These were just a few of the wonderful things we can do during the forthcoming best days of Dhul-Hijjah. Therefore, if we want Allhs help with these deeds and our schedule for them, we need to do a lot of tawbah. The Salaf as-Slih used to say that they would feel prevented from qiym al-layl due to their sins. They knew that when they want to do ibdah and they are unable to do it, it is due sins. So, what do we need to do? A lot of istighfr with tawbah, real Tawbah! Ask Allh for help.
Make the du:
O Allh, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner. [20]
Footnotes:
[1] Ibn Abbs, Ibn az-Zubayr, Mujhid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Kathr said: This is the correct opinion. [Tafsr ibn Kathr, 8/413]
[2] Al-Bukhr, 2/457
[3] Ahmad, 7/224 Ahmad Shkir stated that it is sahh
[4] The verses [Al-Fajr 89:1-2] and various hadth indicate that these 10 days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadn. But the last ten nights of Ramadn are better, because they include Layl al-Qadr [the Night of Power], which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. [See: Tafsr ibn Kathr, 5/412]
[5] Shaykh Muhammad bin Slih al-Uthaymn
[6] Muslim, 482
[7] Muslim, 1238
[8] At-Tirmidh, 428 classed as sahh by al-Albn in Sahh al-Nas
[9] At-Tirmidh, 395 classed as hasan by al-Albn in Sahh al-Jmi 3493
[10] Al-Bukhr & Muslim
[11] Al-Bukhr, 1094 and Muslim, 758
[12] Ahmad, 7/224
[13] Tahll [L ilha ill-Allh], Tahmd [Alhamdulillh] and Takbr ["Allhu Akbr"]. See: Ahmad, 7/224
[14] Ab Dwd, 2041 classed as hasan by al-Albn
[15] Classed as hasan by al Albn
[16] Muslim, 2/808
[17] Muslim, 1976
[18] Sahh Muslim
[19] Al-Bukhr, 5986 and Muslim, 2557
[20] Sahh Ab Dwd, 1/284
Source
Assalamu 'Alaikum waRahmatullahi waBarakatuh
All Praise Belongs to Allah (swt), and May the Salah and Salam of Allah (swt) be upon our beloved Messenger ??? ???? ???? ????
Alhamdulillah, the blessed days of the Hijri month of Dhul Hijjah are upon us (18th November 2009 was 1st Dhul Hijjah).
Below is a transcription of a lecture on how to benefit from the blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah by Umm Abdur-Rahmn. May Allh reward her.
????????? ??????
By the ten nights. [TMQ Al-Fajr 89:2]
The ten nights which Allh [subhna wa tal] is swearing by here, are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah. [1] Allh [subhna wa tal] swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit.
Ibn Abbs [radi Allhu anhu] narrated that Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allh, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice. He was asked: Not even jihd for the sake of Allh? He said: Not even jihd for the sake of Allh, 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. [2]
So, my sisters take note of the following:
Have the intention to spread this important information.
It is a great chance to collect uncountable hasant . It is a great chance to renew your relation with Allh [subhna wa tal]. Prepare now so you can start from the first night/day of the month [i.e. as soon as Dhul-Hijjah is announced]. You dont want to miss a moment of the best days in the sight of Allh [subhna wa tal].
Since the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] referred to the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah as: no days better than these days in the sight of Allh. [3], the scholars have said that these are better than Ramadan. [4] Therefore, be very vigilant and dont waste these precious moments. Ask Allh to help you to benefit from this period of His special Grace.
Ask yourself these questions [non-rhetorical]:
Did you intend to benefit from these days?
What have you done to prepare for these 10 days?
Did you prepare a program?
What is your plan of action?
Here is a brief guide to help you to prepare for the best days of the year:
Read the Qurn:
Plan to complete the reading of the Qurn within this period.
If you read three juz a day, it can be accomplished. It is not difficult. Ask Allh to make it easy for you. We know reciting one letter is equal to ten hasant . If you read three juz everyday, it translates to thousands of millions of hasant.
SubhnaAllh! And this calculation is just based on the 1=10 ratio. These are special days of His Grace. Therefore, dont even think about how much Allh can/will increase & add it for you. You cannot fathom it. He is Kareem. He knows that you have ikhls ; He will not count it as 1=10. He could raise it to 1=700 or even more. And this is what you can earn every day of these special days. Keep in mind that reciting the Qurn is a good deed and Allh specially loves the good deeds done in these days: And if He [subhna wa tal] loves the good deeds, He will love the doer of those good deeds. [5] If Allh loves someone, He will not punish them. Remember this concept so that the deeds you do come from your heart [dont be like a machine]. Honour the rights of the Qurn when reciting it.
Increase in Nawfil Prayers:
Increase your supererogatory prayers.
Ask yourself these questions and make sure that your heart gives you sincere answers:
Do you have an aim?
Do you really want to be closer to Allh?
Do you live with this craving?
Do you really love Allh and seek His closeness?
If, you want this, then know that Allh teaches you the means to gaining His qurb .
Allh says:
Fall prostrate and draw near to Allh! [TMQ Al-Alaq 96:19]
This is the way! Prostrate in sujd to Him [subhna wa tal] and you will be closer to Him. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: The closest that a person is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so say a great deal of du then. [6] He [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] is commanding us to make a lot of du while in sujd. Are we obeying his order? Yes? We need to do more. For he [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said to: make lots of du. Remember, the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] loved us and he knew that we have a lot of needs from Allh. This is why he taught us the way to get those needs fulfilled. Therefore, if you have needs, then you cannot leave sujd. Any sajdah without khush & without du is a big khasra . Let us not be losers from now on bi-idhnillh.
When the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] instructed us to do a lot of sujd, it means to perform a lot of salh . With each sajdah for Allh, He will raise you a level with it. And cancel a sin with it. So, the more you increase in your sujd, the closer you are to being a winner.
Examples for increasing nawfil salh :
a] Salt Dhuha: Also known as al-Awwbeen, may be offered as 2, 4, 6 or 8 rakt, prayed after the sun has risen and before the time for Dhuhr approaches. [7] Al-Awwb means one who is obedient, or one who turns to obedience. Bi-idhnillh, we want to show Allh that we are of those who are obedient.
b] 4 rakt before and 4 after Dhuhr: Whoever regularly performs four rakt before Dhuhr and four after it, Allh will forbid him to the Fire. [8]
c] 4 rakt before Asr The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: May Allh have mercy on those who pray four rakt before Asr prayer. [9] Bi-idhnillh, you stand to gain the mercy of Allh because of the du of Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam]. Do you want the mercy of Allh to reach you? Dont leave these 4 rakt.
d] Tahhiyatul masjid: Greet the masjid with two rakt: If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two rakt before sitting. [10]
e] Salt at-Tawbah: It could be any bad deed, any sin, you hear something bad , you see something bad, you feel your heart constricted because of something you have done and you didnt mean it, etc, you can erase it immediately with your prayer of repentance. Make a good wudh and offer two sincere rakt of repentance. Ask Allh to forgive you. If its from your heart, then know that Allh will cancel your sin.
f] Qiym al-Layl: With this prayer, we hope that Allh will illuminate our graves; will bestow nr on our faces; will cancel our bad deeds, bi-idhnillh. Pray at least 2 rakt. If you are able to follow the Sunnah, then pray all 11 rakt .
Remember that in these special days and nights, Allh is sending His special mercy. Do you think that this special mercy will reach everybody? Do you think that it will reach the one who is in front of the TV watching a movie? Or listening to music? Or do you think it will reach the one who is making sujd, ruk, tilwah, making istighfr, etc.?
We have to show Allh that we want this special mercy. We need to make ourselves eligible for it.
Allh [subhna wa tal] swears by the night [Srah Fajr]. Therefore, take care of the nights. Dont be among the losers. Write this in bold and make it your motivational factor for the special days: We wont be among the losers! Remember: Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, comes down to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says: Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?. [11] And, now that it is winter, we get really long nights. So its a good chance to maximise our hasant. Dont forget while you are praying qiym that Allh [subhna wa tal] Loves this deed. Therefore, He [subhna wa tal] loves the doer of this deed also.
If we were lazy before, we will be active and good from now on bi-idhnillh. We will not be among the losers. If these days and nights are a king who is distributing gifts of gold while announcing: Come take these gold nuggets, wAllhi, you will find people standing in long queues and hordes to collect them. SubhnaAllh, Allh is spreading mercy during these days. He [subhna wa tal] is accepting supplications. He [subhna wa tal] is offering unimaginably wonderful blessings that we dont even know of. So will we not work to get in those lines to gather Allhs gifts?
Makes lots of Dhikr:
Do a lot of dhikr, especially in these days.
There are no days greater in the sight of Allh [12]
So what did the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] tell us to do in these days? That, we need to make the dhikr of tahll, tahmd & takbr. [13] As soon as the announcement of Dhul-Hijjah is made, start your dhikr:
Allhu Akbr, Allhu Akbr, l ilha ill-Allh, Wallhu Akbr. Walilhilhamd.
Many people mistakenly believe that you chant this only on the day of d. But, it is meant to be recited from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah. Bukhr related that Ibn Umar & Abu Hurayrah said that they used to go out in the streets making loud takbr. They did not think that this was riy . They were busy with declaring the [signs of Allh. This practice has now become a forgotten Sunnah. Why do people feel shy to follow this Sunnah? These are the days of takbr, tahll & tahmd with raised voices.
Therefore revive this Sunnah by doing audible tasbh during all of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
For women, when you are in your homes, raise your voices. You will remind your children, husbands, brothers, etc. Make it like a habit so that you will find yourself doing dhikr automatically. While walking, reclining, working, eating, just keep doing dhikr.
Send a lot of blessings and salm upon the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] consistently. Just one hadth should be enough for the believer who loves Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam]. It is enough honour that when you send your salm to Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam], Allh returns his soul to him in order to answer you: There is no one who sends salm upon me but Allh will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salm. [14] Therefore, send your dard & salm from your heart. Feel that special honour in doing that deed.
Istighfr:
All kinds of dhikr will make your relation with Allh stronger and stronger. How many Muslims are there today? 1.5 billion? In one minute it is possible to gain 1.5 billion hasant. Allhu Akbr! How generous is Allh [subhna wa tal]. No one will give you like Allh [subhna wa tal] gives. So how can you gain 1.5 million hasant? By making istighfr for all Muslims. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] is reported to have said that when a person seeks forgiveness for all believers, Allh will write for him a hasant for every one of those believers. [15] Just say Astaghfirullh for yourself and for all the believers, from your heart. Allh [subhna wa tal] is forgiving & generous.
On the Day of Judgement, when you will see your book, you will find the record of your sins in it & you will feel regret. But, SubhnaAllh, you will find between these sins, Astaghfirullh, Astaghfirullh, Astaghfirullh. Bi-idhnillh, Allh, the Karm will cancel those sins that have istighfr beside them, around them, after them.
Luqmn taught his sons to make istighfr. He said: Oh my sons, istighfirullha qidun, istighfirullh qimum, istghfirullha rqibun [make istighfr when you are standing, sitting, reclining]. For the mercy of Allh is descending.
Indeed, rahamt are falling down like rain. So try to be under those rahamt. Look at it this way there are seasons of mercy during which Allh sends down abundant mercy [like during Ramadn, like the days of Dhul-Hijjah, etc.]. Allh is always generous because that is one of His [subhna wa tal] Attributes, but He says that He gives more during certain periods. Allh is Rahm always, but He says He has more mercy during a certain period. These days are like those special-rate promotions or sale season. Therefore, dont leave or ignore this sale. Go and ask for more. Keep saying astaghfirullh, astaghfirullh, astaghfirullh, keep insisting on it till Allh forgives you. Start from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah.
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nor will He punish them while they seek (Allhs) forgiveness. [TMQ Al-Anfl 8:33]
We are informed that there is no punishment from Allh [subhna wa tal a] on the yastaghfirn . Allh relieves all problems with istighfr. Those who are persistent in istighfr in their lives, disasters and calamities will be repelled from them. Mercy is like a cloud on the head of the mustaghfirn . How do we know this?
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Why seek you not the forgiveness of Allh, that you may receive mercy? [TMQ An-Naml 27:46]
Allh is telling us to make istighfr to gain His mercy. Let your istighfr ascend to Him and His mercy will descend upon you.
Fasting:
Fast as much as you can during these blessed days. If you can fast all of these days, then do so. Even in any regular day, Allh has promised a great reward for the one who fasts: Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allh, Allh will keep his face seventy years distance away from the Fire because of it. [16] So what about these special days for which it is said: There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allh, or greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allh loves the good deeds in these days. Allh loves siym. Put these two beloved things together. You are the doer of the things Allh loves. He [subhna wa tal] will Love you, bi-idhnillh.
Any ibdah, be it salh, dhikr, Qurn, that is done during some periods of time and with them, are also periods of non action. Can you do any of them from Fajr till Maghrib continuously? Which ibdah will you be able to do non-stop? Siym! From Fajr till Maghrib during the best days, you will be able to be in a continuous state of worship. So please my sisters [& brothers], grab this chance eagerly. Also dont forget you have if Allh wills, at least one du guaranteed with each siym at the time of breaking the fast. So that is nine opportune moments during this period.
Regarding fasting on the day of Arfah, the Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] said: Fasting the day of Arafh, I hope, will expiate the sins of the year before it and the year to come [17] So how does this happen? Does this mean that we can fast on that day and for the rest of the year we can do whatever we want of bad deeds? No! It implies that Allh [subhna wa tal] will help us to abstain from sins. And, if you commit a sin by mistake, He [subhna wa tal] will cancel it due to His promise.
Charity:
Spending for the sake of Allh!
Only Allh knows how many trials & calamities have been pushed away from us, our family and loved ones as a result of our sadaqh. Allh knows how many times relief and ease has come to us due to the sadaqh we gave. Therefore, give in the way of Allh, as much as you can. Dont leave any raised hands return empty. Show Allh that you love Him by spending from that which you love. Show Allh [subhna wa tal] that all these things mean nothing besides gaining His ridha .
Dont look and remind yourself of what you have already spent in the past. If Allh wills, He [subhna wa tal] has accepted and written it for you. Now, think of how you can outdo that sadaqh during these days. Spend from what you love and Allh will love you.
Preserve the Ties of Kinship:
Preserve the ties of kinship for: No one who severs the ties of kinship will enter Paradise. [18] If it is difficult for you to call or meet every relative, then send them a message. But write with your heart and with the right intention. There is a man who connects with all of his near and far relatives. It is almost like a mission for him for the sake of Allh. He [subhna wa tal] loves this ibdah. Even those who are far away, he calls and connects them to the rest of the family and brings them all together. And subhnaAllaah, Allh has given him a lot of wealth and with such ease and has made his life easy, and as a result of his deeds. The Prophet [sall-Allhu alayhi wa sallam] promised this reward for the one who connects and maintains kinship: Whoever would like his rizq to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinshi p. [19]
These were just a few of the wonderful things we can do during the forthcoming best days of Dhul-Hijjah. Therefore, if we want Allhs help with these deeds and our schedule for them, we need to do a lot of tawbah. The Salaf as-Slih used to say that they would feel prevented from qiym al-layl due to their sins. They knew that when they want to do ibdah and they are unable to do it, it is due sins. So, what do we need to do? A lot of istighfr with tawbah, real Tawbah! Ask Allh for help.
Make the du:
O Allh, help me to remember You, to give You thanks, and to perform Your worship in the best manner. [20]
Footnotes:
[1] Ibn Abbs, Ibn az-Zubayr, Mujhid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn Kathr said: This is the correct opinion. [Tafsr ibn Kathr, 8/413]
[2] Al-Bukhr, 2/457
[3] Ahmad, 7/224 Ahmad Shkir stated that it is sahh
[4] The verses [Al-Fajr 89:1-2] and various hadth indicate that these 10 days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadn. But the last ten nights of Ramadn are better, because they include Layl al-Qadr [the Night of Power], which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. [See: Tafsr ibn Kathr, 5/412]
[5] Shaykh Muhammad bin Slih al-Uthaymn
[6] Muslim, 482
[7] Muslim, 1238
[8] At-Tirmidh, 428 classed as sahh by al-Albn in Sahh al-Nas
[9] At-Tirmidh, 395 classed as hasan by al-Albn in Sahh al-Jmi 3493
[10] Al-Bukhr & Muslim
[11] Al-Bukhr, 1094 and Muslim, 758
[12] Ahmad, 7/224
[13] Tahll [L ilha ill-Allh], Tahmd [Alhamdulillh] and Takbr ["Allhu Akbr"]. See: Ahmad, 7/224
[14] Ab Dwd, 2041 classed as hasan by al-Albn
[15] Classed as hasan by al Albn
[16] Muslim, 2/808
[17] Muslim, 1976
[18] Sahh Muslim
[19] Al-Bukhr, 5986 and Muslim, 2557
[20] Sahh Ab Dwd, 1/284
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