Friday Talks
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Benefit and grace of the first ten days of the month of Thil-Hijjah.
Written by: Sk. Younis Ali.
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.
In the name of Allah most Gracious most Merciful
Thanks be to Allah the Lord of the worlds.
When being busy become the norm, and material takes over; and when the helpful friend becomes a rare occurrence, and when the soul becomes distracted with life itself, it is then the Muslim ought to examine himself, search within it, and live lessons and events from the past. Watch for each event that will connect him with his god. So, he/she can escape from Him to Him. Hoping to become closer to God and become accepted by God. The true Muslim ought to take extra care of him self seeking its salvation. The Muslim ought to watch out for seasons and times of obedience to see what he could do in such days, or rather than what those days could do to him. The Muslim ought to invest for him self and prepare for that day when eyes and hearts get mesmerized. A day when only those who were wise; will enjoy an ever lasting mercy from Allah.
The grace of the first ten days of the month of Thil-Hejjah is summarised in the following points:
a) They are the ten days at the end of which Allah talked to prophet Moses; Marking the end of the first stage of the prophet’s mission. The stage of saving the sons of Israel from Faro and starting the second stage of inheriting the land and live by Allah’s religion. But, they were not ready for this great mission. Moses remained thirty days, followed by ten nights getting ready to carry the load of the promised message.
As if the intended target for this is that each Muslim ought to return this message to earth. Every Muslim should train their souls to what is coming. And it is as if the weakening of the souls that happened to the sons of Israel is the danger that ought to be avoided for those who seek salvation.
b) The ten are also the same days that Allah completed his religion to Muhammad (PPBU). Allah says: {Today I completed to you your religion. And today I finalized upon you my mercy; and I have accepted for you Islam as a religion…}. That is the greatest of all mercies happened on the day of Arafah of those blessed days. Allah said completed; meaning it needs no addition to it, and Allah said “finalized” meaning it is missing nothing, and Allah says: “I accepted ” meaning that HE will never be unhappy with.
c) The ten days are the terminating days of the Hajj worship. In those days occurs the ritual of Hajj which causes sins to be forgiven. Sins are cleared to such an extent that a person returns to become like the day he/she was born.
Allah made Hajj compulsory once in a life time. But, Allah made it possible for some and not possible for others. But, Allah made this season of the ten days a common season for those who go to Hajj and those who do not. This who is unable to go to Hajj is able to do good deed at home and be rewarded better than those who fight in the line of Allah, and that is better than Hajj.
d) Those are the ten days that Allah used to make oaths or pledges with in the Koran. Allah says: {I make an oath with the dawn, the ten nights, the shaff and the watr}. Scholars say the ten nights refer to the first ten in the month of Thil-Hajjah, the Shaff refers to the day of eid, and the watr refers to the day of Arafah.
e) These ten days are the days the messenger (PPBU) said about them: {there is no need can be done better than what is done in those days. They asked: not even fighting for Allah (jihad), He answered: not even jihad, except for when a man puts his life and his money on the line and nothing returns or nothing survives.} This indicates that reward for good deeds in those days is multiplied many folds. A good deed done on those ten days is the equivalent to doing jihad in other days.
What is recommended that a Muslim should do during those ten days:
1) Elevate your self: through Prayers
It is recommended to go early for the compulsory prayers; and do a plenty of the voluntary prayers (nafilah). The messenger said: {prostrate for Allah a plenty. For each time you bring your face down on earth for Allah, He elevates you up towards Him a grade, and takes a sin off you}
2) Get further away from Hell fire: through Fast
The messenger (PPBU) said: {if a slave fasts for Allah then Allah will increase the distance separating him/her from hell-fire by seventy years}. The messenger (PPBU) used to actively seek and fast those ten days.
3) Wipe two years off clean:
The messenger (PPBU) said: {fasting the day of Arafah cleanses the sins of two years; the previous year and the next year. And fasting the day of Ashouraa (the 10th day of the month of Al-Muhurram) cleanses the sins of the previous year.}
4) Make your tong damp.
A man complained to the messenger that he was overwhelmed with all the rules and regulations in Islam. So he asked for one thing to hang on to. The messenger (PPBU) said: {Keep your tong damp with the speaking of Allah (or uttering of Allah’s names and praises)}
5) Pull your heart together for Allah rather than being a materialistic heart always going after money, gold or worldly material. The messenger (PPBU) said: {This who sticks to asking forgiveness Allah will make for them an escape from every problem, and a relief from every grief and gloom, and Allah will give them from where they least expect}
6) Get eye washes: Let your eyes get washed with tears in fear of Allah. In shame from the sins one commits and, in hope in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, and in recognition of the power of the Almighty. And in thanks to Him for the guidance He bestowed upon us to Islam.
Let these days be a new dawn into your life. Do jihad within your self and your soul. Remind your soul with the great meanings; and force your soul with the types of the good deed. Keep watching your self, and bring your soul to an account, and be tough with your soul in the way of Allah.
The messenger was known to work really hard when the first ten nights of the month of Thil-Hejjah approach. And He said: {do not switch the oil lamps (or lights) off in those ten nights} meaning stay up the nights with Allah.
Thanks be to Allah.
Notes:
- The inhabitants of the city of Almadina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
is a verse of the Koran. Aya (or Ayah):
mountain that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day. Arafa (or Arafa or Arafat): is a
talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help. Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise. reported that the messenger said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list. Hadeeth: is something
Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra: the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Iman: belief
Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word.
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor". peninsula (known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Madinah: A city in the Arabian
Mekka: is the holiest Mosque for Muslims. Some say it was first built by Adam, and some say Ibraham. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed by a believer. Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
PPBU: Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. Qadr (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during in the ten nights of the month of Ramadan.. Sunna: is the way the Messenger PPBU lived, did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes
Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Kaaba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers.
Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is :
faheemfb@gmail.com