DHUL HIJJAH
Day 1 out of the virtuous 10 Days
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The first ten days and nights of Zil Haj are especially auspicious, spiritually significant and blessed.
This is one of ten short clips, reminding us to reap maximum benefit on each of these ten days. In these short clips, we will share with you, the significance of each of these days and explain specific forms of worship in these days, to gain nearness to our Lord and to acquire His pleasure, which is the foremost objective of our lives.
We really hope you will join us to view these short clips in order to gain inspiration and acquire maximum spiritual gains.
The Quran records a statement of Allah:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ
We have only created man and the jinn to worship me.
However, due to the nature of our lives, we at times become pre-occupied with other demands of life and forget our core objective of existence in this world.
Thus, Allah provides certain days of extra virtue to enable us to compensate and guide us back to what really matters, which is pleasing Him.
The ten days of Zil Haj hold significant virtue over other days of the year.
Allah takes an oath of these ten days in Surah Fajr, to indicate their virtues and importance.
وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ والشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ َاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
By the dawn, by the ten nights, by the even and the odd…
According to Imam Qurtubi, ‘by the dawn is meant the morning of Eidul Adha, by the ten nights is meant the ten nights of Zil Haj and by the odd and the even is meant the day of Arafah and the day of Eid. There is a narration of Jabir (RA), referenced by Imam Qurtubi, which specifically alludes to this too.
In the Arabic language an oath is generally taken to affirm, consolidate and emphasise the statement which is to follow the statement.
According to some experts of the Quran exegesis, the statement Allah is emphasising through the oaths at the beginning of ‘The Dawn’ chapter, is
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ
Your Lord is most certainly Ever-in-Wait.
Allah is providing opportunities for us in order to turn towards Him, to worship Him and to grasp the moment. He is, then certainly Ever-in-Wait to either reward or reprimand. May Allah grant us the ability to maximise these virtuous moments.
In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah referenced by Imam Tirmidhi, The Prophet states,
The most beloved of days to worship Allah, are the ten days of Zil Haj. A fast of each day from these ten days, is equal (in reward and virtue) to the fasts of a year and standing in qiyam (meaning tahajud) in these ten days is equal to standing in qiyam in the Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr).
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord?
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The Ten days of Zil Haj as elucidated yesterday, are immensely blessed and spiritually valuable. Such moments of value should not be wasted or squandered. Such days should be filled with deeds that will ensure the pleasure of Allah. Evil actions should be avoided and servitude of the Lord should be our intent and aspiration.
Commence the second day of Zil Haj with repentance of sins, seeking forgiveness from negligence in worship, begging for pardon for the disobedience of the Lord, and pleading the Lord to overlook our ungratefulness of His favours. Cleanse our souls through repentance so the blessings of the virtuous days can benefit our souls with maximum effect.
Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) narrates a Hadith, referenced by Imam Muslim, The Prophet, states, “O people, turn towards Allah in repentance. I certainly turn towards Allah in repentance a hundred times in a day.”
The Prophet, who is free from blemish, who is free from sin, if he repents a 100 times a day
The Prophet, who is free from blemish, who is free from sin, if he repents a 100 times a day, then who are we in comparison to him. According to commentators of the Ahadith, the Prophet’s evident repentance was a form of reminder to his nation of the importance of to the Lord in repentance.
Abdullah Ibn Umar narrates in another Hadith, referenced by Imam Abu Dawood that we (meaning the companions) counted the prophet saying
ربِّ اغْفِرْ لي، وتُبْ عليَّ؛ إنَّك أنت التوَّابُ الرَّحيم
O my Lord, forgive me, accept my repentance. You are certainly the One forever accepting of repentance, the All-Merciful.
Learn this dua and recite it as many times as possible during these blessed ten days.
In addition to this, also recite with abundance the Takbir Tashreeq.
الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity except Allah. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. All praises belong to Allah.
One of the practices of the pious we have neglected in these blessed days, is the Takbir Tashreeq. It is Mustahab (preferable) to recite Takbir Tashreeq throughout these ten days. Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah used to go out into the marketplace reciting Takbir in these days so people would join with them.
However, it is wajib (imperative) for, both men and women, to recite Takbir Tashreeq after every faradh salah, from the Fajr salah on the 9th of Zil Haj till the 13th Zil Haj Asr Salah – A total of 23 times. The men will recite audibly and the women silently.
Who are the fortunate ones whose repentance will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed days?
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
In addition to ensuring, we establish our daily Salah on time, we need to spend as much time as possible to recite the Quran. Try and complete the Quran during the ten days.
The etiquettes of reciting the Quran are: 1.Use the Miswak 2.Perform ablution – even if one is to recite by memory 3.Sit in a quiet place with the utmost respect for the Quran 4.Recite the Quran with humility with the consciousness that the Lord is listening to your recitation 5.Do not talk in between the recitation
Abu Saeed narrates that the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) said, “The Lord says, One who the Quran occupies from (other forms) of dhikr, and from supplicating to Me, I will grant them better than what is given to those who supplicate. The virtue of the Word of Allah (Quran) over all other words, is like the virtue of Allah over His creation.” (Tirmidhi)
Set a time in the day and night in which a set portion is recited. Do not squander the blessed days and nights which are with us. Make the most of it.
Umar Ibn Khattab narrates that the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) said, “Allah certainly elevates (in rank) people by this Book (Quran) and He demotes another (people)
Those who believe in the messages of the Quran and practices upon its guidance, Allah will elevate their rank in this world and in the hereafter.
May Allah grant us to be from among those who are elevated in rank because of the Quran; through its recitation, belief in its messages and through practice on its guidance.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
Their sides are away from their resting places, they call upon their Lord out of fear and hope… (Quran: 32:16)
And those who spend their nights in prostration and standing for their Lord. (Quran: 25:63)
As is reminded every day, we are in the midst of the most virtuous days. Why not take advantage by waking a little early before the time of Fajr and establish a few units of Tahajjud.
This is a time in which the Lord calls to the believers to ask for whatever need they may have. He accepts supplicates at such a time.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The virtues of establishing the Tahajjud salah on normal days is extremely virtuous. We cannot even begin to comprehend the virtue of such worship in these blessed ten days.
It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) has said, “Our Lord is pleased with a man who gets up from his bed and his warm duvet, away from his wife and his beloved towards establishing salah. The Lord says to the angels, “Look towards my servant who has got up from his bed and his warm duvet, away from his wife and his beloved towards establishing salah. He desires what (eternal bliss) lies near Me and he fears the what is with Me.” Meaning the Lord’s wrath and punishment). (Ibn Hibbaan by Ibn Masood)
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
Hasan Al Basri states “The servants of Allah who are with Taqwa, they do not sleep at night except a little. They establish prayer and prolong the Ruku and Sajda. Then after the Tahajjud prayer, they sit seeking forgiveness from the Lord for their shortcomings. They in this practice are emulating a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him)
The Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) states that the night prayer is the most virtuous prayer after the five obligatory prayers. Muslim by Abu Hurairah)
The one who establishes the Tahajjud prayer has an opportunity to converse with the Lord, supplicate to Him and seek the goodness of this world and the hereafter.
Lets take advantage of these virtuous moments.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
Abu Salaam, who was freed from slavery by the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) “Amazing! Wow, five actions will be really heavy in the scale – kalima, Takbir, Subhan Allah, alhamdulillah and a pious offspring who passes away and the parents bear this pain with patience. (Ahmed)
Ahadith with a similar message of the virtue of the kalima, takbir and gloriftying the Lord have been narrated by other companions of the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) too.
In the narrated Hadith the expression of happiness and joy by the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) should be enough for us to practice upon it with eagerness and zeal. Couple that with the virtue of these virtuous days and the virtue is even more.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The virtuous ten days are fast coming to an end. Ensure you have organised a Qurbani if Qurbaani is wajib upon you.
Qurbani is wajib upon all those men and women upon whom Sadaqatul Fitr is wajib. These are those who are of sound mind, mature in age, not on their travels. They should be in possession of wealth equal to the Nisaab of Zakāh beyond their basic needs at the time of the Qurbani days. The Qurbani days are the 10, 11 12 of Zil Haj. For further details, refer to your local Imam.
Zaid Ibn Arqam narrates, the companions asked the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) “What is this sacrificing of an animal”
The reason for the question was to understand its origination and its virtue.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) replied, “It is a sunnah of your forefather Ibrahim (peace upon him).
They further asked, “What is in it for us?”
The Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) replied, “for every hair of the sacrificed animal, there will be a reward recorded for you. (Abu Dawood)
The reward is immense. However, for those who are neglectful of performing a Qurbani, the adverse consequences are grave too. In a narration the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) said, “ Those who do not perform their Qurbani, they should not arrive at our place of Eid Salah.”
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
Continue with the recitation of the Quran, repentance from sins, the observance of fast and the increase in remembering the Lord till the end of these blessed days.
The 9th of Zil Haj is nearly upon us. This is the day in which the Hujjaj assemble in the plain of Arafah seeking forgiveness from the Lord and pleading to have their Haj accepted. May Allah accept their Haj.
For those of us not have been fortunate to perform Haj this year, all is not lost.
Abu Qatada narrates from the Prophet (peace and salutations upon him) “I am hopeful the observance of a fast on the Day of Arafah, it will wipe away the sins of the previous year and the forthcoming year.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
The observance of a fast on the Day of Arafah is Mustahab. It has remained the practice of our pious predecessors and the scholars of this day and age. All of should make an effort to observe this fast and acquire the virtues attached to it.
Increase good deeds on the day, ensure to give charity and remember the Lord in abundance too. Remember, deeds are more beloved to the Lord in these days.
In addition to this Takbir Tashreeq – Augmenting the Lord, which is wajib from the Fajr prayer on the 9, through to 10, 11, 12, 13 day till Asr for women and men.
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
May Allah accept the observance of fast of all those who have observed fast. May the Lord accept all the worship of the believers during these ten days. May He accept the Haj of all those fortunate Muslims who have embarked on this journey of a lifetime. May the Lord shower His mercy on us and upon the world. May He wipe away the sufferings of all those suffering.
Tomorrow is the day of Eid, please spend the night before the Eid Day in prayer. This night is known for the Lord accepting supplications and forgiving sins. Do not squander it in acts of folly that have no benefit for you in this world and in the hereafter. 1.Wake early for the Eid Day 2.Establish the Fajr prayer 3.Bath 4.Wear the best clothes you have in your possession ●
Who are the fortunate ones whose worship will be accepted by the Lord in these blessed ten days?
5. Do not eat anything before the Eid Salah
6. Walk to the Eid Salah if possible
7. Recite the Takbir Tashreeq on your way to the Eid Salah
8. Perform the Eid Salah
9. Return home from a different path to which you travelled to the Eid salah
10. On the return journey recite the Takbir Tashreeq
