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).
We should recite the following 3 Dhikr excessively during the first 10 days and nights of Dhul Hijjah:
1. “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahil-Hamd.”
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, There is none worthy of worship except Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Allah belongs all praises)- [(Saheeh) Irwaa al-Ghaleel (650), Daraqutne, Ibn Shaibah]
2. “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahil-Hamd; Allahu Akbar wa-ajal, Allahu akbaru ala mahadana.”
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Allah belongs all praises. Allah is the Greatest to that which He has guided us to) – [(saheeh) – Bayhaqee (3/315)]
3. “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar kabeera.”
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest) – [(saheeh) – Bayhaqee (3/316)]
The following are 10 Dhikr, supported by Hadith that we can also recite throughout the days & nights During the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah and until our last breath:
1. Subhaanallah
2. Alhamdulillah
3. Allahu Akbar
4. Laa ilaaha illallah
The first 4 should be recited abundantly during the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah – (Takbeer al-Mutlaq)
5. LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH-HIL ALIYYIL ADHEEM
6. Asthaghfirullah-halladhee Laa ilaaha illa-huwal Hayyul Qayyuumu Wa athoobu Ilay
7. Or short version: Asthaghfirullah
8. SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI SUB-HAAN’ALLAH-IL ADHEEM
Or short version: SUB-HAAN’ALLAAHi WA BI-HAM’DIHI
9. Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm
10. Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr
Or the shortened version:
Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer
We should also recite much of Durood e Ibrahim which is the Durood that is recited towards the end of Salaah.
Or the shortest Durood is: Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallim
9. Dua and Repentance
We should busy ourselves in making sincere Dua and repentance during these blessed 10 days of Dhul Hijjah. How unfortunate is the one who does not make use of these blessed 10 days and nights in order to supplicate to his lord to gain his mercy and forgiveness.
We find many reassurances throughout the Quran for those who make Dua:
Allah the Exalted, has said: “And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer” (Quran 40:60), “Call upon your Lord Humbly and in secret” (Quran 7:55), “When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me” (Quran 2:186),
Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
“Is not He (best) who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering.” (Quran 27:62)
“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.” [2:186]
The place of Duaa is so high to Allah, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had said: “Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most High than Du`a.” [Sahih al-Jami` no.5268].
He also said: “The most excellent worship is Du`a.” [Sahih Al-Jami` no. 1133];
What a beautiful thing it is to create a relationship with Allah through Dua and asking his help and invoking in him for whatever we want in this life and the next! Especially in these days we should increase the amount of Dua’s we do especially in the latter part of the nights when they are most listened to.
Aisha (Ra) said: “No believer makes Dua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated.”
In fact, it is even wrong to never make Dua, “Whosoever does not supplicate to Allah, He will be angry with Him.” [Saheeh Jaami`as-Sagheer #2414]
Not to rush Dua:
Many of us rush our Dua’s & quite often our hearts are not present whilst we are making Dua to Allah. That is why we lose out on much of the benefits & blessings of Dua. Therefore we should not let our minds wonder whilst in Dua & we should concentrate more, making sure our hearts are present whilst asking of Allah. Whilst we are in Dua we should imagine Almighty Allah in front of us & so we should humble ourselves in front of him in a state of meekness & humility.
It may also help if we made a list of what we want to ask Allah during our Dua’s. We can then refer to this list as a reminder so that we can cover everything we need to ask him, which may help in making our Dua’s longer & more sincere. This is because we will not always remember everything we want to ask Allah unless we note it down & refer back to it when we need to.
The times when Dua’s are most accepted:
1. The third portion of the night shortly before Sehri ends. 2. Whilst fasting. 3. Between Asr & Maghrib. 4. Just before fast opens. 5. On Jumma before & after khutba. 6. Between Adhan & Iqamah. 7. After Qur’an recitation. 8. When it rains
Repent for the past and present sins:
Therefore should sincerely repent for our past and present sins with remorse and the intention never to repeat such acts again. We should ask of Almighty Allah to help us prevent ourselves from ever repeating such acts and we should strive to perfect our characters and better ourselves in everyway possible.
We should also have FULL hope that Allah will accept our Dua’s if not in this world then in the Hereafter. If Allah does not answer it then he is delaying it to reward us more in the hereafter and has something better in store for us. Therefore we must accept his decree for he knows best in all matters.
10. Making the sacrifice (Qurbani):
Qurbani is a practice commanded by Allah: “So turn in prayer towards your Lord and sacrifice (animals).” (108.2)
Aishah (Ra) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu Alaihi Wassalam) said, “There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgement with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart” (Tirmidhi, p. 275, Vol.1).
Zayd lbne Arqam (RA) relates that the Companions (RAA) asked, “O Rasulullah! (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalaam) What is Qurbani?”He replied, “It is the sunnah of your father lbraheem (As).” They asked again, “What benefit do we get from it?” He answered, “A reward for every hair (of the sacrificed animal).” “And (what reward is there for animals with) wool, 0 Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalaam)?” they asked. “A reward”, he said, “for every fibre of the wool.”, (Ibne Majah)
When a person slaughters a Qurbani animal, he is forgiven at the fall of the first drop of blood, and verily, the animal shall be brought forward on the Day of Judgment with its blood, meat etc, and shall be increased in weight seventy times more than its own weight, and thereafter it will be placed on the scale of deeds. (Kandhul’Ummal)
It is also Sunnah in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah to say:
“Subhanallah” (Glory be to Allah), “Alhamdulillah” (All praise is due to Allah), “Allah hu Akbar” (Allah is the greatest) and “La ila ha ill Allah” (There is no worthy of worship except Allah) and say it around ones home or streets or any place where it is permitted to remember Allah!
Men should say these loudly and women should say them quietly.
Allah says: (That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)…) (Al-Hajj 22: 28)
Conclusion
Making firm resolve to make pilgrimage to Hajj:
One of the best deeds one can do during these blessed days is to perform Hajj in the Sacred House of Allah. The one whom Allah helps to offer Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals properly is included in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”
If it was not in our destiny to go this year then we should make utmost effort to ensure that we go the year after, as time is uncertain and we can die at any second. If we can afford it but we keep delaying it because “we are not ready”, then what are we waiting for to be ready? Death? Death is not going to wait around for us to be “ready, for it will strike at its appointed time and there will be no excuses on the day of judgement that we “weren’t ready”. Those who can afford to go Hajj but do not end up going during their lifetime with no valid excuses can only expect a severe punishment.
So let us make a firm resolve that we will do our utmost to ensure we make the pilgrimage to Hajj as soon as possible for it is a very difficult journey and it is best to go whilst one is young. Therefore we must not delay it if we can afford it.
In the meantime we should do our utmost to do as many good deeds as possible in these blessed 10 days and nights of Dhul Hijjah and then continue to do good deeds, doing everything to please Allah and refraining from anything which may displease or anger him, throughout the year. If we don’t grab this opportunity now to exert ourselves during these blessed 10 days then surely we will be in utter regret if not later on in life then certainly on the day of judgement, for that is when we will truly realise what we have lost out on and how much we could have achieved!
We cannot see the rewards of our good actions right now but if Allah showed us the rewards of each good action then we would crawl if we had to in order to do as much good as we could. The surely we will be in great loss on the day of judgement when we realise what we have missed out on. So let us not be of those who lost out and instead let us be of those who made the best of our time and spent it pleasing Allah and refraining from useless pursuits and that which will not be of any benefit to us on the day of judgement. We should strive to continue the good we have done in these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah throughout the year and discontinue the evil that we left before these first ten days and NEVER go back to it.
May Allah enable us to maximize these blessed 10 days and to continue maximizing each day of our lives in order to please Allah and get closer to him. May Allah make us of his pious servants. Ameen.