by Asma bint Shameem
Alhamdulillaah......those blessed days are almost here one more time!
The glorious days when rewards are multiplied many times, and sins are forgiven much more...
the days in which Allaah gives us yet another chance to worship Him, to ask for forgiveness and correct our faults and make up for our shortcomings....
the blessed days that the Sahaabah 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 Ramadhaan are the best ten nights out of the whole year, the Ulama tell us that out of all the days of the year, these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best and the most beloved to Allaah as they combine acts of worship in a way unlike any other times.
🍃The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
"There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days."
The people asked, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?"
He said, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, 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-Bukhaari)
Subhaan Allaah wal-Hamdulillaah!
What a blessing!
🍃 Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
“The voluntary prayers/acts [performed] in the ten days of Dhul Hijjah are better than the voluntary prayers/acts [performed] in the [last] ten days of Ramadhaan.
Similarly, the obligatory prayers/acts [performed] in the ten days of Dhul Hijjah are multiplied more than they are multiplied in the days other than them.”
(Fath al-Baari sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari l9)
🔺 Why are these days so special?
These are the days by which Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala took an oath;
they are the days in which the last aayah in the Qur’aan was revealed; they culminate in the remembrance of Prophet Ibraheem’s sacrifice.
🍃Ibn Hajar said:
“The apparent reason as to why the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah stand out in their virtue is the fact that they combine in them the performance of the most essential acts of worship, which are Salaah, fasting, charity, and Hajj (pilgrimage), and we do not find this trait present in any other set of days.” (Al-Fath)
So just like we worked hard in the last ten nights of Ramadhaan, and gave it all we got, we should be doing the same for the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
🍃 “When Sa’id ibn Jubayr radhi Allaahu anhu reached the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, he would exert himself in worship so greatly that he would nearly OVERWHELM himself.” (Sunan al-Daarimī 1774)
The question is.....what do “I” do on these magnificent days and how can I make the most of this perfect, golden opportunity to earn rewards and Jannah?
1. Go for HAJJ
Obviously, Hajj is one of the best deeds that one can do in their entire LIFETIME.
Imagine the rewards of such an amazing good deed during the ten BEST, most BLESSED days!
However for those of us who were not invited to His House this year, there are still many, many good deeds that one can do and earn the Pleasure of Allaah.
Some of these are:
2. Fast all NINE days and especially fast the Day of 'Arafah
If you can fast the first “NINE” days of Dhul Hijjah — ALL nine of them — that would be an amazing act of nafl ibaadah that brings tremendous rewards.
And if you can’t fast all nine days, at least do as many as you can.
In fact this is a perfect chance to make up any Ramadhaan fasts you have left to make up.
And be sure to fast the ninth.
🍃The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) used to fast on the ninth day of Dhu'l-Hijjah and he said:
"Fasting the Day of 'Arafah (ninth 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)
❌IMPORTANT NOTE❌
Fasting the ninth is recommended for those who’re NOT going for Hajj.
Remember, it is disliked for the Haaji to fast on the NINTH (Day of Arafah).
🍃Also the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
"Anyone who fasts for one day for Allaah's pleasure, Allaah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years."
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Just imagine.....if you fast these nine days (fasting on Eid is haraam), how far your distance will be from Hellfire In shaa’ Allaah!
3. Do a LOT of Dhikr and Takbeer
🍃The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:
"There are no days on which good deeds are greater or more beloved to Allaah than on these ten days, so recite much Tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar) and Tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillaah)." (Ahmad 7/224; Saheeh by Ahmad Shaakir
🍃Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah radhi Allaahu anhumaa used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them.
(al-Bukhaari)
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 Allaah.
REVIVE the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten and earn great rewards for doing so.
🍃The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) 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- hasan)
Obviously, men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.
4.Stand in Night Prayers:
Remember the virtues of spending the night in prayer, and its sweetness in Ramadhaan?!
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
🍃Allaah says:
"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?"
(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)
Why should we miss this golden opportunity?
So, seize the chance NOW and invite yourself to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive you and guide you and set things aright. He will surely listen.
5. Make Sincere Repentance.
One of the best and most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away because we don't know when we will die.
Also keep in mind that one evil deed leads to another.
But what does 'repentance' exactly mean?
It means that you come back to Allaah and give up all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes.... that you REGRET whatever you did in the past, giving it up immediately and be determined never ever, to return to it, and resolve to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing whatever Allaah loves.
🍃Allaah says:
"But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [al-Qasas 28:67]
6. Come back to the Qur'aan
It is time now to dust off your copy of the Qur'aan and return to its refuge.
Surely, you remember the sweetness of its recitation in Ramadhaan?
Well, let’s bring the Qur’aan back into our lives.
Make it a daily habit, using these 10 days the beginning of a strong and beautiful relationship with it.
Read it with the meanings, 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.
And just reading Surah al-Faatihah,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 reward will be far greater, Insha Allaah.
7. Generally increase in doing ALL good deeds
We should strive in doing good deeds any way because good deeds are beloved to Allaah and will bring us closer to Him.
Imagine the rewards of good deeds in the BEST ten days of the year!
So pray extra Nawaafil, read Qur'aan, do LOTS of dhikr, send Salaams on the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam), make dua, give charity, honor your parents, uphold ties of kinship, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, help someone out...
whatever good you can think of, DO it.
🍃Allaah says:
"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."[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]
8. Get the reward of Hajj and Umrah wherever you are
🍃The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
"Whoever prays Fajr Prayer in congregation, and then sits and remembers Allaah until the sun rises, then (after a while) prays two rak'ahs, he will gain a reward equal to that of making perfect Hajj and Umrah." [He repeated the word "perfect" thrice.] (At-Tirmidhi 586; hasan by al-Albaani)
Isn't that easy, Alhamdulillaah?
9. Offer Udhiyah (qurbaani) and distribute the meat
It’s highly recommended for those who can afford it to offer a sacrifice on Eid al-Adhaa.
🍃Ibn Umar radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“The Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) lived in Madeenah for 10 years and every year he slaughtered an animal (at this time)."
(Ahmad-Saheeh by al-Albaani)
Remember that one sacrifice is ENOUGH for one whole family. However if someone wants to do more, they may do that.
And also remember that the Haaji does not offer “Udhiyah”; rather the sacrificial animal that he slaughters in Makkah is called a “Hadiy”.
10. Attend Eid prayers
Eid prayer is a beautiful form of worship.
So DO try and attend the Eid prayer.
But we shouldn't be doing things that are unIslaamic (especially) during these times, such as listening to music, women going out for prayer without proper Hijaab, mixing of men and women, etc.
❌ IMPORTANT NOTE❌
Eid prayer is ONLY for those who are NOT going for Hajj.
There’s NO EID PRAYER for the Haaji.
11. Thank Allaah
One of the biggest forms of worshipping Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala is to thank Him, deeply, sincerely and continuously.
After all, isn’t it HE Who gave you every single thing that is “in you”, and “on you” and “around you”?
Why, we 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 Islaam that He gave you, the health 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.
12. Do all sorts of good deeds that you can think of; like giving sadaqah, feeding the poor, upholding ties of kinship, learn the Deen, memorize a Surah, teach something beneficial, the sky’s the limit.
Alhamdulillah, there is SO much to be gained in these upcoming days.
So make the most of this perfect opportunity offered by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days.
Hasten to do good deeds.
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)." [al-Hijr 15:99]
And Allaah knows best.
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