By His wisdom, Allah Taala gave preference to some places and times over others. For Muslims, Friday is the best day of the week, Ramadan is the best month of the year, Laylat al-Qadr is the best night in Ramadan, the day of Arafah is the best day of the year. Likewise the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah are the blessed days for Muslims. Allah Taala says in the Quran what means: {By the daybreak, by the ten nights, by the even and the odd, by the passing night – is this oath strong enough for a rational person?} (Al-Fajr 89:1-5) Early Muslim scholars differed on what is meant by the ten nights. But most of them agreed that the ten nights refer to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. In another verse Allah Taala says: {… to attain benefits and mention Allah Taalas name, on specified days.} (Al-Hajj 22:28) Most of the Quran commentators view that the specific days are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. What a great virtue attached to those days which pass unnoticed by many people nowadays. On the merits of the first ten days, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days. The people asked, Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah? He said: Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, 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-Bukhari) In what follows are suggested ideas on how to make the best use of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah: Repent to Allah Make a sincere repentance to Allah Taala and promise Him that you will not do bad deeds again. This may be your last chance. You are not sure if you will live till next year. Pray at the Mosque Try to perform the five daily prayers in the mosque. If you have time after Fajr prayer, try to sit in the mosque, read a juz (part) of the Quran, make duaa, or recite some Adhkar (remembrance of Allah). Then offer two rakahs before you go home. If you do so, you are reviving a tradition that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to do, a tradition which these days has been neglected by many Muslims. Observe Fasting in the First Nine Days Abu Sa`id al-Khudri said: I heard the Prophet saying, Indeed, anyone who fasts for one day for Allahs Pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years. (Muslim) Do not observe fasting on the tenth day because it is an `Eid day and it is prohibited to fast that day. Good deeds are rewarded abundantly in these first ten days; and as fasting is a good deed, it is recommended to fast these nine days. Do not Miss Fasting the Day of Arafah On the day of Arafah, non-pilgrims are highly recommended to maintain fasting. It is reported that the Prophet was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah, whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. (Muslim) He also said: There is no day in which Allah frees a greater number of His slaves from the Hellfire than the Day of Arafah. (Muslim) Make a Lot of Supplications (duaa) on the Day of Arafah The Prophet said: The best supplication is that of the Day of `Arafah, and the best thing that I and other Prophets before me said, is: La ilaha illa allahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shaiin qadeer (There is no Allah Taala but Allah alone. He has no partners. To Him belong the sovereignty and all praise. He has power over all things.) (Al-Tirmidhi) Try to Do Something New this Year If you used to recite a part of the Quran last year, try to finish reading the whole Quran this year. Try to pick some verses everyday and check the books of Tafsir (exegesis of the Quran) to reflect on their meaning in order to derive lessons from them in your daily life. Maintain your Family Relations Visit your relatives even for a few minutes. If they live far away, give them a call. Do not forget your parents. Be kind to them, visit them, and attend to their needs. ASSALAMU ALAIKUM
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 08:24:36 +0000
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