Reap the benefits of Dhul Hijjah

[Warrior of Light]

Assallamu aliakum everyone,

 

Tomorrow is the start of the month of Dhul Hijjah, the month in which Hajj takes place and the first 10 Days of this month are very special.

 

Abu Hurairah relates that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "There are no days more loved to Allaah for you to worship Him therein than the ten days of Dhul Hijja. Fasting any day during it is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power. [i.e., Lailatul Qadr]." [This is related by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi]

 

Next Thursday: 26th November will be the 9th of the month, the day of Arafat. It is strongly advised to fast on this day as it will clear your sins of the past year and the following year.

 

Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Fasting on the day of 'Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of 'Ashurah is an expiation for the year preceding it." [This is related by the group, except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]

 

What sort of extra good deeds can you do?

 

1. Fasting these 10 days

2. Giving more charity during these 10 days

3. Say the "Eid" Takbeers loudly wherever you go. (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha illa Allah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Walillaahil hamd.)

4. Try to pray more prayers in the Masjid

5. Increase ties of kinship (visit family, say kind words to them, etc.)

6. Perform more voluntary prayers at home

7. Read more Quran, contemplating the meanings

8. Do more Dhikr

9. Ask for forgiveness more frequently

 

Keep everyone in your duas.

From Dua power.

[Warrior of Light]

Another article on the same topic.

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters

 

As saalam alaikum. It is highly recommended for Muslims to fast the first ten days of Thul al Hajji. 'Eid al-Adha may fall on 27th Friday or Saturday 28th of November. It implies that one should start fasting on Wednesday, 18th or Thursday 19th, November 2009. You should prepare your self to fast these ten days. I have not hard official announcement.

 

Of all the days of this world, the most excellent are the Blessed Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah has preferred the Ten Days Dhul-Hijjah over All the other Days of the year.

 

"By the dawn, By the ten nights And by the even and the odd" surah al-Fajr 89:1-2

 

The virtue of these ten days is confirmed in the Qu'ran that Allah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is suggestive of its importance and great benefit. Allah says: "By the dawn; by the Ten nights…" Surah Fajr 89:1-2 in the opening above verse of Qu'ran.

 

Ibn 'Abbas says about the Ayah, "Remember Allah during the well known days," that it refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

 

Dhul-Hijjah (the Month of Hajj) is the 12th month of the Islamic lunar year. According to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the first ten days of this month are a special time for devotion . In particular, the 9th day of the month marks the Day of Arafat, and the 10th day of the month marks the Eid al-Adha.

 

There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the hellfire than on the day of Arafah; on this day sins are forgiven, Allah becomes closer to his slaves, His Angels boast of the people standing on the plain of Arafah, as they stand, humbly, sacrificing, remembering Allah and seeking His forgiveness. This is the day of the Great Pilgrimage; a day of praise for Allah, a day of remembrance and repentance.

 

So fast this day of Arafah and make for yourselves a portion of Qu'ran to read or remembrance to make and seek His forgiveness, in the hope that He will accept it from you and shower you in His mercy, in both this life and the next. And who from us is not in need of this great bounty?

 

It was during the Ten Days of Dhul-Hijja that Allah accepted the repentance of Adam, when He relented toward him and restored him to His grace at Arafa.

 

It was during those Ten Days that Abraham the Bosom Friend-Ibrahim al-Khalil (peace be upon him) obtained the bosom friendship bestowed upon him by Allah, having sacrificed his wealth for the sake of the guests, himself for the sake of the fires, his son for the sake of the Criterion-Furqan, and his heart for the sake of the All-Merciful.

 

It was during those Ten Days that Abraham Ibrahim (peace be upon him) constructed the noble Ka'ba.

 

It was during those Ten Days that Allah honoured Moses peace be upon him) with intimate conversation.

 

It was during those Ten Days that forgiveness descended upon David-Dawud (peace be upon him).

 

It is recommended that we make takbir i.e. to say Allah Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), tahlil, la ilah illa Allah (there is no deity except Allah) and tahmid to praise Allah by saying al-hamdullilah hamdan kathiran.

 

Therefore, we find in the hadith of ibn Umar, “Make tahlil, takbir and tahmid much on these days.” Al-Imam al-Bukhari said that Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah would go into the market in the first ten days [of Dhul Hijjah] and make takbir and the people would follow them.

When someone asked: "Is there nothing to match them, not event in fighting for the cause of Allah he replied: There is nothing to match them, not even in fighting for the cause of Allah, unless it be a man who rubs his face in the dust.

 

Of all the days, there are none in which Allah (Exalted is He) more dearly loves to have worshipful service performed for His sake, other than the Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah.

 

If someone devotes the Ten Days to fasting, Allah will record a whole year of fasting in his credit column, for each and every one of those days.

 

For each and every day you devote to fasting , you will be credited with the freeing of a hundred slaves , with a hundred she-camels for you to guide in caravan, and with a hundred mares for you to ride in fighting for the cause of Allah.

 

Then, when it comes to the Day of Tarwiyya -8 th of Dhul-Hijjah , you will be credited with the freeing of a thousand slaves , with a thousand she-camels for you to guide in caravan, and with a thousand mares for you to ride in fighting for the cause of Allah.

 

Then, when it comes to the Day of ‘Arafa - 9 th of Dhul-Hijjah , you will be credited with the freeing of two thousand slaves , with two thousand she-camels for you to guide in caravan, and with two thousand mares for you to ride in fighting for the cause of Allah. Fasting on this day will forgive for the sins of two years, that is, You will also be credited with keeping the fast in the year before this one, and in the year to come after it .'

 

10th of Dhul-Hijjah is known by most as 'Eid al-Adha . It is incumbent for the Muslim to make every effort to perform the `Eid Prayer wherever it is performed, and to be present for the Khutbah and benefit from it. He must know the wisdom behind the legislation of this `Eid. It is a day of thankfulness and performing deeds of righteousness. So, he must not make it a day of wildness, pride and vanity. He should not make it a season of disobedience and increase in the forbidden things like, uncontrolled amusement, intoxicants and the like - those things which could cause the cancellation of the good deeds done in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

 

‘Of all the days on which righteous work is performed, nothing is dearer to Allah than a man who does righteous work during these days'. meaning Ten Days Dhul-Hijjah.

 

No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these Days , the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The Companions submitted: ‘O' Messenger of Allah, not even fighting (carrying on Jihad) in the cause of Allah? He (S.A.W) answered: yes not even Jihad in the cause of Allah except in the case of a person who goes on Jihad along with his life and his property and does not come back with either (i.e he is martyred in the Jihad) Tradition.

 

Allah has preferred the Ten Days Dhul-Hijjah over All the other Days of the year.

 

The scholars of Islam, in discussing the virtue and excellence of the these Days say it is because they combine the essential acts of worships in Islam including prayer, fasting, supererogatory acts, charity and pilgrimage, as these are not present in any other days.

 

For this reason they said that the first Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah are the best days of the year, in the same way that the Last ten Nights of Ramadhan are the best Ten Nights of the year. With no exceptions, not even the last Ten Days of Ramadhan. But the Last Ten Nights of Ramadhan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr ("the Night of Power"), which is better than a thousand months. The key word here is Day not Night being mentioned to clear any confusion.!

 

Also, Fasting any of the 1st Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah is equivalent to fasting one year and to offer salatul tahajjud (late-night prayer) during one of its nights is like performing the late night prayer on the night of power-Laylatul Qadr.

[Cawaale]

Jazakallah WOL for reminding us the kheyr!. May Allah make us those who make the most of these days!