Allah The Almighty has distinguished some of His creatures with privileges and virtues and that, in fact, is out of the perfect wisdom of Allah The Almighty and a sign of His Lordship and Oneness and the attributes of His perfection. In this regard, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses.} [Quran 28: 68] Allah The Almighty has assigned great seasons and blessed days so that they may be fully exploited by sincere worshippers and a chance for the competitors to compete.
Ibn Rajab said, "Each of these blessed seasons involves certain acts of worshipping Allah The Almighty which draw the slave closer to Him; and in each of these blessed seasons Allah The Almighty bestows His blessings and Favors on whom He wills and that, in fact, is out of His mercy and generosity to him. The fortunate person is he who makes the best use of these special months, days, and hours, and brings himself closer to His Lord by fulfilling these specific acts of worship. He is most likely to be touched by the blessings of Allah The Almighty so that he will be saved from Hellfire and its scorching flames."
Let Allah The Almighty see unswerving devotion from you to doing righteousness as you welcome the ten blessed days by which Allah The Almighty has sworn. He, the Almighty, Says (what means): {By the dawn. And [by] ten nights.} [Quran 89: 1-2] Allah The Great does not make an oath except by something that is great.
About these ten days, Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, , said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days." They (the Companions) said, "Not even fighting in the Cause of Allah?'' He replied: "Not even fighting in the Cause of Allah; except for a man who goes out (for Jihaad) with his self and his wealth, and does not return with any of that."[Al-Bukhari]
The Companions of the Prophet, , were surprised because they regarded fighting in the Cause of Allah The Almighty very highly, which was why they asked in astonishment, "Not even fighting in the Cause of Allah?” They knew well the great virtue of fighting in the Cause of Allah The Almighty. Why would they not, when they had heard their beloved Prophet, , saying: "Whoever fights in the Cause of Allah as long as the time between two milkings of a she-camel will be assured of Paradise."How short the time, but how great the reward!
How can they not be surprised while they heard the Prophet, , saying:"Verily! Setting out in the early morning or in the evening in order to fight in the Cause of Allah is better than the world and what it contains.”
Furthermore, when a man came to the Messenger of Allah, , and said, "Direct me to a deed that equals fighting in the Cause of Allah." He, , replied: "I do not find such a deed."Then he added: "Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without stopping and fast without breaking your fast?"The man said, "But who can do that?"
This will make us pay much attention and prepare ourselves well for we are welcoming great goodness and opportunity. The loser will be the one who will not
earn any reward from this great season.
This is indeed a great chance to work for the hereafter. It is a great chance to turn over a new leaf with Allah The Almighty. It is a chance to gain countless rewards that can do away with previous sins. It is a chance to gain rewards that equal the rewards of the one who spent all his money, his life and his soul in fighting in the cause of Allah The Almighty. It is a chance to renew the charge of faith in your heart.
Then let each of us ask himself: What have I prepared for these days, and what will I do in them?
There is no doubt that the first thing with which we welcome these blessed days is to turn to Allah The Almighty with repentance, in response to His Command in the Noble Quran (what means): {And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.} [Quran 24: 31]
It is highly desirable for every rational Muslim who believes in Allah The Almighty and the Last Day to hasten to repent from all sins and evil deeds by which one wrongs himself and others. This is even more desirable in such blessed days and during the Sacred Months about which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them.}[Quran 9: 36]
Qatadah said about the statement of Allah The Almighty (which means):{so do not wrong yourselves during them.}, “Injustice during the Sacred Months is more sinful and graver than injustice in other months. Verily, injustice is always grave, but Allah makes things graver than others as He wills.”
These great seasons that Allah The Almighty bestowed upon us by extending our life so we can witness them are surely worthy of our great effort to make the most and best out of them. This can only be attained if we deal wisely with them and draw up an intelligent plan that befits their importance and greatness. We need a comprehensive plan to exploit these blessed ten days of Thul-Hijjah fully.
Let us make a successful plan and a pioneering project to attain rewards and make the ten days of Thul-Hijjah of this year different from any other. Someone may object and say, "What project do you mean? Is this a matter of trade?"
Yes, it is a matter of trade; it is the greatest trade. It is a trade with Allah The Almighty. Have you not heard the verse in which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {You who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the Cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment. And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.}[Quran 61: 10-13]
There is a group that (their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided) and there is another group that (expect a profit that will never perish that He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them of His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative.)
Consequently, there will be losers and there will be winners. As for the losers, Allah The Almighty Says (what means) about them: {Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.} [Quran 39: 15] This is, in fact, the unparalleled loss. As for the winners, Allah The Almighty Says (what means) describing one of them: {And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants.} [Quran 207: 2] This verse was revealed about Abu Yahya, Suhayb Ar-Rumi. When the polytheists (i.e. people of Quraysh) knew that he was going migrate to Madeenah to join the Messenger of Allah, , and his Companions, they said to him, "You will not join Muhammad with yourself and your money. We will not allow you to migrate except if you give us all of your money. He gave them all his money and migrated. When he reached Madeenah and the Messenger of Allah saw him, he said to him: "O Abu Yahya! The trade has been successful. O Abu Yahya! The trade has been successful."
In this regard, the Prophet, , also said: “Every person goes out in the morning and ends up selling himself, he either frees his soul or destroys it."
That is to say, all people strive: one sells his self to Allah The Almighty by obeying Him, thus freeing it from Hellfire, and the other sells it to the devil and to his evil desires by following them and therefore destroys it.
Let us review some of the projects of trading with Allah The Almighty during these blessed days, their capitals and the assured benefits of each, by the Permission of Allah The Almighty and out of His Mercy and Great Generosity.
- The first project in these ten days that we have to do: Banquet for every prayer:
The Messenger of Allah, , said:"Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning and in the afternoon (for the congregational prayer), Allah prepares for him an honorable place in Paradise with good hospitality every time he goes in the morning and afternoon."
How will the hospitality of The Most Generous be? Rather, how will the hospitality of the Most Generous be that He prepared for those who populate and visit His houses?
Dear brother, now you are probably eager to know the details of this project and that banquet. So come with me and I will give you the details of this great project: the project of the banquet:
The capital of the project
That you go out of your house after performing ablution ten minutes before Athaan and head to the mosque. On your way to the mosque, keep on reciting Tasbeeh (Subhaanallaah), Tahmeed (Alhamdulillaah), Tahleel (La ilaaha illallaah) and Takbeer (Allahu Akbar). After that repeat the words of the Athaan and then send blessings on the Prophet, , and ask Allah to grant him Al-Waseelah and Al-Fadheelah. Then perform the supererogatory prayer that precedes the obligatory one with humbleness and submissiveness. Then make Du‘aa’, for the Du‘aa’ offered between the Athaan and Iqaamah is not rejected.
Do not forget to do all these things sincerely for the sake of Allah The Almighty alone and while you are expecting the reward from Him.
Profits of this project
There is no doubt that the successful trader looks first for the profits of his project before he begins. So what are the profits of this project? The following are some of the profits and fruits of the banquet project. They are the profits that the most truthful person, the Prophet, , guarantees for you.
First, your sins will be forgiven and removed during ablution as the most truthful person, the Prophet, , said:
"He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails."
"If one completes (and perfects) ablution and then says, 'I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the One Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger," the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes."
"When the Muslim or believing slave performs Wudhoo’ and washes his face, every wrong thing that he looked at with his eyes comes out from his face with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every wrong thing that he did with his hands comes out from his hands with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet every wrong thing that he walked to with his feet comes out from his feet with the water or with the last drop of water, until he emerges cleansed of sin."
Then comes the profit of multiplied rewards, upgraded degrees and expiated evil deeds, as the Prophet, , said: "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty something times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or workplace, because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a degree in reward and crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for the forgiveness of Allah for him and they keep on saying: 'O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him, as long as he keeps on sitting at hispraying place without harming anyone or breaking his ablution."
Are there other profits for this project?
Certainly! Just listen to what your beloved Prophet, , said:
“ When you hear the call for prayer, repeat what you hear then ask Allah to send peace and blessings on me, for whoever asks Allah for that once, Allah sends ten blessings on him, then ask Allah to grant me Al-Waseelah, for it is a level in Paradise that is assigned to one of the slaves of Allah and I hope to be that slave. Whoever asks Allah to grant me Al-Waseelah, is granted my intercession.”
"Whoever hears the Mu’aththin and says: “Ashhadu alla ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa-anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu warasooluh. Radhaytu Billaahi rabban wa bi Muhammadin rasoolan wa bil-Islami deenan (I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the One Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I am content with Allah as my Lord, and with Muhammad as my messenger and with Islam as my religion) his sins will be forgiven."
This is not all, for there are profits in praying in the first row as mentioned in the Hadeeth: “Allah and His angels send down blessings upon the first row”,and the profits of waiting for the Prayer and the reward of Ar-Ribaat as mentioned in the Hadeeth: “Shall I not tell you something by means of which Allah erases sins and raises people in status?"They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said:"Doing Wudhoo’ properly at times when it is difficult to do so, taking many steps to the mosque, and waiting for prayer after prayer. Verily, this is the Ribaat, this is the Ribaat.”There are still more profits, and that is the grace of Allah The Almighty, which He bestows on whom He wills, and Allah is the Owner of mighty grace. Is this not the greatest banquet? How would you describe the one who wastes it while he is able to make the best use of it?