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The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,” meaning the (first) ten days of Dhul Hijjah. [ Sunan Ibn Majah #1727 ]

But, where do I even begin? Not to worry, here is a list of ways you can make the most of this Dhul Hijjah even if you’re not at Hajj.

The Prophet (r) is reported to have said: “My Ummah has been given five blessings, during Ramadhan. These blessings were never given to any of the Prophets before me. These are:


First:        Allah directs attention on those who commence the fast on the first night. Allah will never punish him, on whom he directs his attention.
Second:     That breath that proceeds from the mouth, in the evening, of those who fast, will exceed the perfume of musk.
Third:          On each day and each night of Ramadhan, Angels will supplicate on behalf of those who fast, to forgive their sins.
Fourth:        Allah will command Paradise: be prepared to beautify the heavens to welcome my servants. The time has arrived for them to be liberated from the Evil machinations of the world, and be welcome in my house to enjoy its blessings.
Fifth:         When the last day of Ramadhan is reached, Allah forgives all their sins. A companion who has present on the occasion asked: “Is it the night of Lailathul Qadr?” “No. when labourers have accomplished their tasks, would not their wages be paid?” was the reply – (Al-Baihaqi).
 

In Dunya everyone wants to achieve bigger and better and if we don’t have similar blessings as others we tend to compare ourselves and thus leading to ingratitude. Appreciating the small things will eventually lead you to the big.

Why is that we fail to understand that everyone is blessed in their own way in their own time. If you are deprived of wealth be grateful to Allah for your health, if you are deprived of health be thankful to those who are by your side through thick and thin.

By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

It’s a beautiful sunny day, Moosa and Fatima, two bubbly and vibrant 5 year old twins, try to draw their parent’s attention to the lovely sandcastles they had been constructing for hours in the garden. Dad is too busy viewing television and replying to emails on his Blackberry mobile while mum has for the last few hours been chatting with her friends and updating her Facebook page. Mum and dad, hardly take notice of their kid’s achievement. Both parents are usually so involved in their work and social environments that they “hardly” get time for their kids. Apart from the first four weeks  spent with mum after birth both Moosa and Fatima have ever since infancy been inhabitants of a day care centre. In the evenings  mum picks them up on her way back home from office. Dad returns usually late in the evening and both parents barely have time to interact with their kids before its time to sleep and wake-up again. A strange phenomenon of children with both parents but are “modern day orphans”.  Due to many parents deep engrossment in the material and social environment, they are unable to spend basic and vital time with their children, thus neglecting them and reducing them to the level of “modern day orphans”. Parents are there, but in reality they are not “there”.

I want to share an important subject that has affected all of us in one way or another, and has negatively affected the productivity of the Muslim Ummah as a whole and individually. Something I have realized about time thieves (such as watching TV which is more harmful to the Iman than we think, notice or justify to ourselves) is that it changes us, whether slowly or quickly but surely. If you are reading Qur’an or listening to a beautiful lecture and your Iman feels high, great and pure, then shaytan tells you “hey watch a show for only a half an hour”. Thinking that there is no harm in it, you go to watch it. But it doesn’t end there. You cannot switch your Iman on and off like a light switch. You cannot do something wasteful and then expect afterwards that you will go right back to feeling the light in your heart that you did just before that 30 minute show. I am talking about shows that have been so widely spread and have become so normal in today’s society that they aren’t considered “bad”, just normal. You too may not consider it “bad” but I intend to explain why it has such a harmful effect on our productivity and Islam.

You, as an involved parent, encourage your children to fast during the blessed month of Ramadan every year. But there is another exceptional month of the year in which the first 10 days are more blessed than any of the days of Ramadan – the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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” [Bukhari].

I have a distinct memory of my husband and I holding hands as we drive to Tarawih prayers. He is wearing a crisp white thobe and, as we drive along the freeway, a cool breeze drifts in through the windows. He recites Qur’an along the way, a soft recitation just audible above the humming sounds of cars and trucks outside. Such a moment is so simple, yet I can still remember the feeling in my hands, and it makes me smile every time.

Wherever you look change is occuring, our Ummah is at a critical turning point. Do you ever think how you can impact this change? There is no need to feel helpless, because you can help the tides turn by first seeking excellence within yourself. From the invasions of Muslim lands and the massacre of innocent lives, to our immediate communities, where we are witnessing our loved ones drift further from the purity of Islam; the ummah is crying for change. The uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and now Syria have seized the attention of the Ummah worldwide, throwing them into a state of delusional hope; as if by the action of others, the whole Ummah would somehow instantly change their state.

The month of Allah Muharram is a great and blessed month. It is the first month of the Hijri year and is one of the sacred months concerning which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein”

[Soorat at-Tawbah 9:36]

ALLAAH said that his Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said, And He feeds me and quenches my thirst and when I fall sick then He (Allaah) cures me. [Soorah Shu'araa:80] Some scholars of Tafseer explain that there is a relation between what we eat and drink and falling sick since most people fall ill because of their diet. This could be a reason why Allaah mentioned that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) recognized that Allaah is the One who provides sustenance for us but that sickness is due to our own self and this is why sickness is mentioned after food and drink in this verse.

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