By Abdullahi Jamaa
Can you remember the ten best days of your life?
Your list will probably start with the amazing feeling of happiness about your colourful graduation day; what about your wedding day or your lifetime honeymoon trip? All these remain an important calendar in your life.
While some moments in your life are more profound than others, every single beautiful occasion you experience is worthy of a tribute. But of course, there is nothing special in life as long as death awaits you.
And remember, these are few grains of happiness planted in ephemeral earth. With so many other bad moments they wither and fade away. Most of the time, you will alternate between happiness and melancholy.
Do you know the ten best days in the world?
Days that are so grand in the sight of Allah, because they bear boundless blessings from the celestial tablets, with breezing whiffs of mercy and abundant peace from the Master of life.
Forget about your list in a moment.
Here comes the sacred month of Dhul-Hijah with its first ten days as the best days on earth. Every day is worth a full year of deeds. They are superior days to never be forsaken-a special gift from Allah.
From day one, the month ushers in an awesome prospect, full of spiritual rewards. This is a time when the sacred vaults of heaven are opened for you to deposit your special deeds and the only capital you need is a sincere intention.
Dhul-Hijah is unmatched when it comes to the rest of the months. It signifies the importance of the sacred pillar of Hajj where millions of pilgrims from all parts of the world throng, discarding their ordinary dress to wear the simple yet ordinary Ihram.
Ibn ‘Abbas (RA) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “There are no days during which righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (the first ten days of Dhul-Hijah).” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?” He (PBUH) replied, “Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it.” (Bukhari)
Those who are not lucky to attend the activities in Makkah, join Dhul-Hijah’s spiritual harmony from the comfort of their own homes, but with voluntary worship to signify and honour these important moments in the calendar of Islam.
The month that prides with such days of monumental and spiritual significance becomes a transcendent fort for a believer and for those who love to revel in the abundance of worship, it is just the right spell.
You should take advantage of these moments in performing more good deeds. Raise your rank in front of Allah and join the rest of the loyal worshippers.
Good deeds are like orchards of luscious pomes, so hard to harrow yet so precious to harvest. They become sweet after so much sweat and squirm. When they are not compulsory, good deeds are rich with spiritual treasures.
“It is even more fulfilling to demand from you, for the sake of Allah, not to stay behind in the race when you are able to win the race” said Imam Ibn Jawzi in his book ‘captured thoughts’
“How many are those who died without achieving their purpose in life. But he kept you alive”
The race for Dhul-Hijah is on for the honourable believer, the one who abandons his wants and desires for the sake of doing what Allah loves.
This is a precious season for you to resort to solitude and bring along your sense of intellect and understanding. It is your turn to make a win before your time ends.
Here is a secret for you on how to join the race for Dhul-Hijah.
Fasting and praying
This Corona year, Dhul-Hijah is expected to usher in its marvelous blessings from the sunset on 20th July or from sunset on 21st July (Please confirm with your local Imam). You just have a few more hours to prepare for this amazing occasion of worship.
Shake off your torpor and turn your full attention to it. What more would you do in a year full of anxiety and fear, other than seizing this golden chance to put your life in the line of religious duty?
Fasting the first nine days is the most rewarding deed to do. For many honourable believers, it is a mini-Ramadan for them, while for others they fast only the ninth day. Indeed, there is a big difference between the two.
Like metals, people have different ranks. In the sacred table of faith just like in the periodic table, the scale of your good deed dictates your spiritual strength or weakness. In front of Allah (the Most high) and with sincere intention, good voluntary deeds will indeed raise your rank.
You have surety from Qur’anic edicts. You also have noble guidance with full insights and wisdom that gleans from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Unless you have some satanic doubts, good deeds will lead you to personal virtue for those who genuinely seek it.
If you have sound health and ample time why would you fast for a single day? This is the time to showcase your loyalty to Allah (the Most High). It is a heavenly calling for you and it is time to prove your obedience.
In a narration, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “There are no days more beloved to Allah that He be worshipped in them than the ten days of Dhul-Hijah, fasting every day of them is the equivalent of fasting a year, and standing every night of them (in prayer) is the equivalent of standing on the Night of Qadr.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)
Praying at night and fasting during the day are great leaps of good deeds. More than two months after Ramadan, you probably did not conduct a single night of prayer.
Now you have got another chance to revive this strong tradition plus a spiritual bonus to resuscitate your faith and step up to the task of worshipping.
Just as the last ten nights of Ramadan were valuable to you, the first ten days of Dhul-hijah are full of extra-ordinary recompense. You need to exert extra-ordinary pressure engaging in not just praying and fasting but also occupying yourself with diversified good deeds.
Thikr, sadaqah, and sincere repentance are other outstanding acts of worship to maximize on. Fine-tune your daily schedule, organize yourself and renew your intention ahead of these great days in a Muslim’s life.
Ibn Qayyim said: “O you who are patient! Bear a little more, just a little more remains”
And remember the promise of Allah. He rewards good deeds by keeping evil and distress away, and this leads to a pleasant life forever.
“……………..Then whoever follows My guidance shall neither go astray nor fall into distress and misery (Qur’an 20: 123)
Editor’s Note: This Article was first published in 2020.
