The First 10 Days Of Zhul-Hijjah

Alhamdulillah the new moon was sighted today from South Africa. Hence the Month of Dhul Hijjah has commenced today (28th November after maghrib). The 1st day and fast of Dhul Hijjah will be on Saturday 29th November 2008. Insha Allah Eidul Adha will therefore be on Monday the 8th of December 2008.

An important announcement I would like to make and I personally feel that it is a very important announcement to make simply because of the great virtue and benefit these 10 days and nights contain...

It has been narrated in a famous hadeeth that The Prophet Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said, “One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the “Lailatul-Qadr”. (Tirmidhi)

And the virtues don't end there...

It has also been narrated in a hadeeth to the nearest effect, "No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hell fire 70 years further away from his face" (Bukhari and Muslim)

It is also narrated from Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallanhu) thatRasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: " No days are as weighty with Allah and so liked by Him for good deeds than the first ten days of Zul-Hijjah ". Therefore in these days increasingly recite: "La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, Al-Hamdu-lillah, Sub-hanallah." (Tabraani).

Ibn Abbaas(radhiyallahu anhu) that Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "There is no day wherein any good action is more beloved to Allah Ta'ala than these ten days (the first ten days of Zul Hijjah)". The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) enquired: " Not even striving in the path of Allah ?" "Not even Striving in the path of Allah," replied Rasulullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) , " with the exception of that person who left with his life and wealth (in the path of Allah) and did not return with any of it (i.e. he is martyred)". (Bukhari,Tabraani).

Regarding the 9th of Dhul Hijjah (Day Of Arafat)
Abu Qataadah(radhiyallahu anhu) reported that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: " I have hope in Allah Ta'ala that the fast of Arafaat will be an atonement for the sins of the past and the forthcoming year." (Tirmizi)

A prominant scholar of this day and age, Hadhrat Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) said,
‘The first ten days of Zulhijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar.
Every Muslim should avail of this wonderful opportunity by performing during this period as much Iba’dah (acts of worship) to Allah as he or she can.’

I STRONGLY advise everyone to atleast read 2 rakaat's of tahajjud in each night. And for those brotheres or sisters or feel that they can't wake up in the last third of the night then please do try and pray your tahajjud salaah straight after your esha salaah as tahajjud can also be prayed at that time too. The virtues of these days is immense and the reward that can be gained from just an extra bit of dhikr and ibadat will inshallah help a person in the long run.

May Allah give me and you the tawfeeq and ability to increase our worship in Allah in these next 10 days. Ameen.

P.S: And please do remember me in your duas :D

Be Happy and Not Grumpy

Many people now point out to the fact that people of knowledge are too boring and grumpy. Others may say that knowledge can change a person and that those who have it become very formal with people. In recent times, I too have felt this feeling of rejection from various people and it creates the sense of resentment and patronisation.

Islam does not say that you need to frown to prove you have knowledge, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was the most intelligent from amongst the people and he was the one who smiled the most too. Abdullah ibn Harith radiallahu anhu reports,

"I did not see anyone who smiled more than Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam."

Hazrat Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyyah mentions in his Khasa'il Nabawi,

"This is the pinnacle of humbleness and good character. Hazrat Jarir radiallahu anhu says that whenever Sayyidina Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam saw me, he met me with a cheerful smile. There now remains no contradiction with the first hadith (in that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was always in sorrow [see previous chapter]). Many times it so happens that a person is sad and worried, but to keep others happy, or for some other reason one has the opportunity to meet them cheerfully. Those who have in their hearts a mark of love, experience this many times. "

Nowadays, everybody wants to be grumpy in an act of piety so much so that they push people away from them. It becomes hard to approach them in future and a feeling of annoyance becomes ascribed to that person. Let us all be happy and smile at one another, it is mentioned in the ahadith as an act of charity and one which is virtuous. It is a Sunnah which many people do not take heed too, a person must be seen in regular deep contemplation to show that he is pious and that he is in the state of muraqabah and ihsaan!

I have seen some people who have been sinners for many years and the second Allah Ta'ala gives them His Guidance, they feel they can patronise others with less knowledge and not sit jovially with them. Let us all revive this Sunnah of being happy with one another and let us smile at one other, it does not mean that you cannot fear Allah in your heart. One final pearl to finish off on - Hazrat Maulana Saleem Dhorat damat barakatahum said,

"In Islam, good character and manners are not only to show good things overtly. Though smiling at someone is a good deed, it is only meritorious when done with sincerity; if this is done while one has hatred for that person in his heart then it is not good manners but nothing but hypocrisy.

Good character is that one intends or works towards cleansing the heart from all bad traits and thereafter demonstrates good character by certain acts like smiling”."

May Allah Ta'ala adorn our faces with smiles and maintain our happiness. Ameen.

The Father, The Son and The Donkey

Once there was a father and his son walking through a town and with them they had a donkey. So on seeing this, the townsfold exclaimed: "Look at these foolish people! They have a donkey yet they do not ride it."

So the son mounted the donkey whilst the father walked by his side.

Upon passing another town the townsmen said; "How disrespectful is the son, he mounts whilst his father strolls along."

So the son dismounted to make way for the father.

Those standing on the street corners of the next town said; "What an oppressor the father is, he mounts whilst his son walks!"

Hearing this, the father and son both sat astride the beast and do you know what the inhabitants of the next village said? They said, "Do these people have no consideration for the donkey? They are burdening him with the weight of two!" So the father and the son had only one last option, which was to carry the donkey! The villagers of the next village jeered at them and said, "How foolish! They have a conveyance yet they become its conveyance!"

In the end, the father and the son became soo frustrated that they threw the donkey into a well! (Note: This site does not encourage throwing donkeys into wells)

(Taken from the book: The World of Teens Book 1, Written by Moulana Muhammad Yahya ibn Faruq)

The moral of this story is that don't always think about what your friends or collegues will say, especially the brothers who start to make a change in their lives. We notice nowadays that times have changed, friends no longer call towards the good and forbid the evil but instead people laugh and mock at the good their mate do and encourage evil. This also provides an obstacle for the people who do wish to make a change in their lives because in the back of their mind they will always have these thoughts that such and such doesn't like me wearing a juba because it doesn't fit in with the rest of the group, so instead lemme just wear a topi instead and settle for the minimum. The thing is, is that some people will never be happy with what you do and sometimes the best thing to do is to leave them to themselves.
One last point to note is that my dear brothers and sisters whenever we carry out any actions or good deeds, like wearing a juba or topi to college and for sisters whenever any of you start wearing the jilbab and headscarf, don't worry about what the people will say or think about you, but instead focus on actually doing the deed properly with sincerity and for gaining the pleasure of Allah. Like my beloved Shaykh mentioned in his talk, "If people call you a millionaire, will that make you a millionaire? If not, then similarly, if people call you silly or stupid for doing some good deeds that doesn't make you silly or stupid? no it doesn't, but instead these remarks should be thought of as just "hollow" and should not be taken heed of."

May Allah give us steadfastness in practising the deen of Islam and in following the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Ameen.

Poetry: My Friend & Me

My best friend is always there for me,
He makes dua'a and Istigfaar just for me.
He yells out 'Salaam' when he sees me,
And will always smile as he embraces me.

My best friend always has time for me,
He will always ring and check up on me.
If I haven't spoken to him he will email me,
And if he hasnt seen me he will surely contact me.

My best friend always spends freely on me,
He does not think twice when feeding me.
When we are together he will look after me,
And when it's Eid he will buy gifts for me.

My best friend always prays in Jamaat with me,
He hasn't got time to bun a zoot with me.
He will always have good influence on me,
He will never say anything bad about me.

My best friend is most dear to me,
I stay around him because it is good for me.
I make more dua'a for him than he does of me,
I care for him because hes a part of me...

"A man will follow the religion of his friend, so becareful whom you make friends with." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)