In the days of exams or presenting projects of work we do our best for achieving the marks of success and excellence. Hence, why would not we work in these days to achieve the highest marks of excellence in the exam of Hereafter? Indeed, working in these days is better than working in the other days of the year. Allah Almighty says: {That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days (i.e. 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah), over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice) (at the time of their slaughtering by saying: Bismillah, WAllahu-Akbar, Allahumma Minka wa Ilaik). Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time.} [Surat Al-Hajj 22:28]
{لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ} الحج: 28
Transliteration: Liyashhadoo manafiAAa lahum wayathkuroo isma Allahi fee ayyamin maAAloomatin AAala ma razaqahum min baheemati alanAAami fakuloo minha waatAAimoo albaisa alfaqeera
Ibn ‘Abbas said: “They are the ten days of Dhul-Hijja” (Fath Al-Bary 2/457).
Moreover, the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul-Hijja).” Then some companions of the Prophet said, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even Jihad, except that of a man leaves for the sake of Allah (Jihad) with his self and his money and does not return with any of those things” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«ما العمل في أيام العشر أفضل من العمل في هذه، قالوا: ولا الجهاد ؟ قال: ولا الجهاد ، إلا رجل خرج يخاطر بنفسه وماله ، فلم يرجع بشيء»رواه البخاري
In this worldly life, when we love a person, we do our best to please him and we do what makes us near to him. In fact, loving Allah Almighty must be the greatest love in every Muslim’s heart. Why not? Actually, Allah Almighty is the One Who bestows upon us all the boons that we have. Therefore, we should seek nearness with Him by doing whatever He likes and abstain from whatever He does not like to gain His love
The acts which are desirable to be done in these days:
Fasting:
It is recommended for the Muslim to fast all these days or some of them, if he can, because fasting is one of the best deeds. Allah said in the Qudsi Hadeeth: “Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward for it” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«كل عمل بني آدم له إلا الصيام فإنه لي وأنا أجزي به» رواه البخاري
Moreover, the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) used to observe fasting in these days, because fasting for a day for the sake of Allah makes the Muslim farther from the Hellfire to the extent of seventy years' distance. The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said to us: “Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day for the sake of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from Hellfire seventy years' distance” [Agreed upon]
«من صام يوماً في سبيل الله بعد الله وجهه عن النار سبعين خريفاً» متفق عليه
Takbir:
It is Sunnah to observe Takbir, Tahmid, Tahlil and Tasbih in these ten days. It is enough to know that Allah Glory to Him and Exaltation, accompanies whoever mentions Him. Takbir could be done by saying “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha Illa Allah, Wa Allahu Akbar Wa Lillah Al-Hamd”, and there are many other forms of saying Takbir, all are mentioned in the Sunnah.
Doing much of the good deeds in general:
This is because the good deeds are desirable to Allah Almighty. The good deeds are like observing prayer, reciting the Qur’an, remembering Allah, invoking Allah, giving charity, being dutiful to the parents, uniting the ties of kinship and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and all other forms of doing good and observing obedience. Actually, all these things make you ideal Muslim and increase your faith and your loving to Allah Almighty; thereupon, Allah will love you more making you stand firm in the path of the truth and give you sense of happiness in the heart every person who does not love Allah misses it. Allah Almighty says: {But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’ân nor acts on its teachings.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection} [Surat Taha 20:124]
{وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكاً وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى} طه: 124
Transliteration: Waman aAArada AAan thikree fainna lahu maAAeeshatan dankan wanahshuruhu yawma alqiyamati aAAman
Providing sacrifice:
The good deeds in these ten days includes seeking nearness with Allah Almighty by sacrificing animals and donating third of them to the poor and needy people as a kind of relieving to their pains and granting them happiness. Actually, the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said that charity extinguishes the anger of the Lord. Sacrificing the animals should be done on the Day of Sacrifice (10th of Dhul-Hijja) and on the days of Tashriq (11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijja). It is the Sunnah of our father, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when Allah ransomed his son with a great sacrifice. And it has been narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “The Prophet sacrificed with his own hands two horned rams which were white with black markings reciting the name of Allah and glorifying Him (saying Allahu Akbar). He placed his foot on their sides (while sacrificing)” [Agreed Upon]
«ضحى النبى بكبشين أملحين أقرنين ذبحهما بيده وسمى وكبر ووضع رجله على صفاحهما»متفق عليه
The one who intends to sacrifice should not get his hair cut or nails trimmed. Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He who has a sacrificial animal with him whom (he intends) to offer as sacrifice, and the month of Dhul-Hijja approaches, he should not take from his hair or trim his nails until he has sacrificed the animal” [Reported by Muslim]
«من كان له ذبح يذبحه ، فإذا أهل هلال ذى الحجة فلا يأخذن من شعره ولامن أظفاره شيئا حتى يضحي» رواه مسلم
Repentance to Allah:
Among the things that must be done in these ten days is repentance to Allah Almighty and abstaining from committing sins. Repentance has three phases:
- First: to abstain from committing the sin.
- Second: to regret.
- Third: to intend not to return to committing this sin again.
Indeed, repentance in these times is a great thing, because Allah Almighty provides these times to make the repentant people repent and go to the way of Allah Almighty. How great is He! Does not He deserve to be worshipped and loved? He Almighty says: {But as for him who repented (from polytheism and sins), believed (in the Oneness of Allâh, and in His Messenger Muhammad prayers and peace of Allah be upon him), and did righteous deeds (in the life of this world), then he will be among those who are successful} [Surat Al-Qasas 28:67]
{فَأَمَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَعَسَى أَن يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ} القصص: 67
Transliteration: Faamma man taba waamana waAAamila salihan faAAasa an yakoona mina almufliheena
And He Almighty says: {Say: "O ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh: verily, Allâh forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful} [Surat Az-Zuma 39: 53]
{قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعاً إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ} الزمر:53
Transliteration: Qul ya AAibadiya allatheena asrafoo AAala anfusihim la taqnatoo min rahmati Allahi inna Allaha yaghfiru alththunooba jameeAAan innahu huwa alghafooru alrraheemu
We ask Allah Almighty to make us among the intelligent people who take advantage of these great opportunities.
Fasting the day of ‘Arafa:
Abu Qatada Al-Ansary (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting the day of ‘Arafa (9th of Dhul-Hijja), whereupon he said: “It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year” [Reported by Muslim]
«سئل عن صوم يوم عرفة قال يكفر السنة الماضية والباقية »رواه مسلم
The status of the righteous forefathers on the mountain of ‘Arafa:
The status of the righteous forefathers on the mountain of ‘Arafa was various; some of them were dominated by fear and hope. Mutraf Ibn Abdullah Ash-Shakhir and Bakr Al-Muzany stood on the mountain of ‘Arafa, then one of them said: “O Allah, do not forsake those who are on the mountain because of me”, and the other one said: “What an honorable stopping place and what a blessed place for its people with the exception of my being among them.”
• Al-Fudail stood on ‘Arafa while people were invoking Allah, and he wept like a woman bereaved of a child to degree made him unable to invoke; then, when the sun became near setting, he raised his head to the sky and said: “I am ashamed of facing You, even if you forgave me.”
• Al-Fudail said to Shu’aib Ibn Harb in the pilgrimage: “If you thought that there is someone worse than me and you in this place, you had thought badly.”
• One of the righteous people invoked Allah in ‘Arafa by saying: “O Allah, if You did not accept my Hajj, fatigue and exhaustion, then I invoke you not to prevent me the reward of the calamity of not accepting my deed.”
• Ibn Al-Mubarak said: “I went to Sufyan Ath-Thawry at the evening of ‘Arafa and I found him kneeling on his knees and his eyes tear, and he turned his head toward me, whereupon I said to him: “Who is the worst one among this gathering?” so, he replied: “The one who thinks that Allah does not forgive their sins.”
Did you prepare the preceding year’s statement of account?
When the year comes to its end, the owner of the company reviews its records then puts future plans to avoid repeating the losses or to increase the gains.
The same is applied to states, whether they are great or small, when a year passes, they prepare their balance sheets to correct their mistakes in the preceding year. However, why many of us let the years of life go one after another without thinking or reviewing their records. In fact, if he thought and checked his records, he would think only in what he gained and lose from the debris of the worldly life, and he does not pay attention to the real balance sheet that leads him to Hellfire or send him to Paradise.
By this way, years go by without contemplating on ones affairs. If he thought, in some night, in doing so, he would be overwhelmed by solicitude, because of the graveness of his negligence, and his chest would be narrowed and Satan would launch war against him by all his power to spoil that stop. When someone of us loses money, he turns the whole world upside down. And when he loses a dear person, many days of his life turn to be grievous. However, what if his loss part of his life cannot be compensated and there is no solace to him except good deed provides to him benefit when no money or children could provide benefit.
I feel astonishment and confusion because of some people. Some people let the hours of the first day of the New Year pass away without doing anything; moreover, they escape from holding themselves to account! Did the feelings become sluggish and there is no place for looking-out or sound for the alarm bell of the conscience to awaken in them feeling of nonfeasance makes them get up out of their inattentiveness!
The worst people are those who invest these hours in celebrating the New Year with things that do not include good deed to meet their Lord with it. They live in inattentiveness and ignorance, because the one who loses something does not make ceremonies and parties because of joy, rather he shed tears of blood instead.
At the end of every year, we get closer to Hereafter, and if you lose a year, you still have a new year, so do not lose it. How would you know, it may be the last of your years! The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will not accept the excuse of any person whose instant of death is delayed till he is sixty years of age” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«أعذر الله إلى امرئ أخر أجله حتى بلغه ستين سنة»رواه البخاري
Dear Muslim brother, Allah has presented to you a new year that contains more than fifty Fridays, in each one of them, there is an hour in which He answers invocations. And you have the month of Ramadan in which there is Lailatul-Qadr which is better than one thousand month. Also, there is ‘Ashura and the ten days of Dhul-Hijja in addition to many other days you could fill them with remembering Allah. Therefore, you should invoke Allah to grant to you life in these days to invest them the investment of the pious believers.
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