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VERSES OF QUR’AN REGARDING THE REWARDS OF ACTIONS:

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says in the Qur’an:

“Eat and drink with happiness because of what you used to.”
[Al-Qur’an 52:19]

“And it will be cried out to them: This is the Paradise you have inherited for what you used to do!”
[Al-Qur’an 7:43]

“Thus Allah rewards the pious, those whose lives the Angels take while they are in a pious state saying: Peave be upon you, enter you Paradise because of that which you used to do.”
[Al-Qur’an 16:32]

Allah, glorious be His praise, said:
“Verily, those who swear allegiance to thee swear allegiance really to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands. So whoever breaks his oath, breaks it only to his own hurt, and to him who fulfills what he has pledged to Allah, He will grant a great reward.”
[Al-Qur’an 48:10]

And He said:

“Whoever obeys the Apostle has obeyed Allah.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:82]

So Allah instructed men that their homage to the Apostle is homage to Him, and their obedience to him is obedience to Him.
And He said:

After belief and worship, a great stress has been laid in the teachings of the holy Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) on showing kindness to fellowmen, particularly, the weak and the needy. We have been exhorted, in various ways, to be kind and considerate to each other in monetary transactions, such as, buying and selling, lending and borrowing. The debtors, for instance, are told to do their best to pay off the debts as quickly as possible while the creditors are required to be lenient those who owe them a debt they should be lenient in the realisation of their dues.

The first of the ranks of the journey of servitude (‘ubudiyah) is awakening, which is alarming and stirring up of the heart from the sleep of heedlessness. By Allah, how priceless is that revitalizing alarm! How valuable and indispensable for the journey!

A man was on his death bed, Someone asked him to give some wise counsel before he departed, the world he Said.

The Islamic festival of Eid Al-Adha, or “Festival of Sacrifice” follows close on the heels of the first Eid festival of the year, Eid Al-Fitr.

PRESCRIBED TIME FOR SACRIFICE

The animal can be sacrificed after the Eid prayer and the Khutbah (not when the Khutbah or the prayer starts) until before the sunset of the last day of Tashrîq, which is 13th Dhul-Hijjah.

The Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:

“Whoever sacrifices before the prayer, let him repeat it.”

(Sahîh Muslim vol: 3, p. 1084, no: 4818)

It is related from Ali (radiyaAllahu ‘anhu):

“The days of Nahr (sacrifice) are the day of al-Adha and the three days following it.”

“Turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice to Him alone.” (Sûrah al-Kauthar (108):2)

Udhiyah (sacrifice) is among the great rituals of Islâm, which signify the Oneness of Allâh, His Blessings, and Bounties. It reminds us the exemplary obedience of our father, Ibrahîm (alaihi as-salâm), to His Lord and his great sacrifices to Him. Udhiyah encompasses much goodness and blessings and thus acquires a great deal of importance in the lives of Muslims.

An auspicious day called Arafah Day which falls on 9th of the month of Dul Hajja. The Day of Arafah is the culminating event of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. This is the day when about 2.5 million pilgrims from all over the world converge in the plains of Mount Arafat to mark the climax of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Arafah is a day of Forgiveness from sins, freedom from the hell-fire for the people who are present in the plains of Arafat.

PREFACE

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe. May peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, the last of the Prophets and Messengers, and upon his family and esteemed Companions.

Hajj is one of the best forms of worship and is one of the most sublime deeds because it is one of the pillars of Islam that Allah sent Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with. A servant’s religion is incomplete without it. A form of worship is only acceptable when the following is true:

THE ‘UMRAH

If a pilgrim wishes to be ritually pure for ‘Umrah, he should shed his clothing and bathe as he would after sexual defilement, if convenient. He should perfume his head and beard with the best oil he can find. There is no harm in what remains of it afterIhram.

It grieves to see how people these days, especially among the younger generation, are almost wholly preoccupied with negativity: through baseless arguments, gossip, and useless talk. Their time and energies are constantly being wasted on fruitless distractions that squander their potential, foster enmity, and make them unmindful of Allah’s remembrance.

Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullaah) said:

By Him whose House the loving pilgrims visit, Responding with ihram at the appointed limit, Uncovering their heads in total humility Before One to Whom faces bow in servility.
They exclaim in the valleys, “We have responded to You – All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!”

8. Increase in Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

We should glorify Allah night and day, especially in these first ten days of the blessed month of Dhul Hijja.

Remembering Allah much through acts of Dhikr brings much peace and tranquillity to the heart.

It also gives us a sense of Taqwa (fearful awareness of Allah), a consciousness that makes us realise that Allah Almighty is ever near and that we should always strive to please Him.

“…Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)

Remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue. (29:46).

7. PRAYING NAWAFIL (VOLUNTARY) PRAYERS

What better way of drawing closer to Allah during I’tikaf than by praying the voluntary prayers:

Allah says in Hadith Qudsi:

….And My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary deeds) until I love him, [Bukhari]

WANT THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHET (SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) IN JANNAH?

3. AVOIDING DISTRACTIONS

There will be many things getting in our way & distracting us from our worship. But we must take all necessary precautions & measures in order to avoid any possible distractions.

The first thing we must do is to avoid major distractions like TV for a month or at least as much as possible. Putting away games consoles. If we meet with friends then we must try not to get into useless & idle discussions. Not going to places like the mall or high street’s unless it is absolutely necessary.

Rasulullah (Sallahu Alaihi Wassalam) said: “On no days is the worship of Allah desired more than in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The fast of each of these days is equal to the fast of a whole year, and the ibaadat (worship) of each of these nights is equal to the ibaadat of laylatul qadr.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah)

Most Muslims very well know the blessings of the nights of Ramadan, especially the last ten nights. However, not everyone knows that the first ten days of the last month of the Islamic month, Dhul Hijjah, are equally packed with blessings.

Allah has provided Muslims numerous opportunities throughout the year to renew their faith and to encourage them towards acts of goodness by specifying such special days. So, we have another such opportunity that we shouldn’t let pass by just like any other period in time.

Allah says in the Quran in Surah Al-Fajr:

Warning against Sinfulness and Falling into Error:

A servant does not earn Hajj Mabrur except by leaving sins.

A Servant’s Awareness of the True Reality of Hajj and Wisdoms for which the Hajj Rituals has been Legislated

While thousands of Muslims are killed all over the world, and while tens of thousands are imprisoned and tortured for calling to the path of Allah and for enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, most Muslims remain remarkably silent and have no worry except for the material things of life. Their hearts have been filled with the love of this life and the forgetfulness of the Hereafter.