Blessed days are approaching, the days of Tahleel (saying La ilaaha illallaah: There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), Takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar: Allah is The Greatest), Tasbeeh (saying: Subhaanallaah: Glory be to Allah) and Tahmeed (saying Al-Hamdulillaah: All praise is due to Allah). They are days of submission, imploring, shedding tears out of fear of Allah The Almighty, supplication, doubled rewards, forgiveness and mercy. The first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are approaching; get ready for them. One needs to pause for the following reflections.
The first pause for reflection:
How blessed we are and how great is the mercy of Allah The Almighty for granting us such spiritual seasons! We are blessed with these graces with which Allah The Exalted raises us up in Paradise to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), doubles our rewards, and forgives our sins.
Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.} [Quran 14:34]
The believer savors the breeze of these blessed spiritual seasons with a heart that abounds in hope that Allah The Exalted would accept his good deeds. He strives to carry out his righteous deeds and acts of worship diligently and devote them sincerely and solely to Allah The Exalted, believing that he would be rewarded with Paradise.
Allah The Exalted Says (what means):
{And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.}[Quran 4:124]
{But he who does of righteous deeds while he is a believer – he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation.}[Quran 20:112]
This Divine Blessing embodies another grace, namely, renewing our covenant with Allah The Exalted. Man tends to yield to spiritual slackness, succumb to temptations, and allow the devil to rob him of his goodness and righteousness. This is where the role of these blessed seasons of repentance and spiritual rejuvenation comes into play, breathing life into the heart, urging man to repent and turn to his Lord in submission. These spiritual seasons help man to return to his Lord with a devoted heart, tearful eyes, and sincere remorse for his past sins and misdeeds.
Second pause for reflection:
These first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are a golden opportunity in our lives. They are a profitable spiritual investment. The believer should seize this great opportunity with a heart that is keen to make full use of this blessed spiritual season, and be diligent in seeking its benefits and bounties. The virtues and merits of the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are evident in the words of the Prophet when he said: “There are no days in which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than during these days." The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, asked, "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihaad?" The Prophet replied: "Not even Jihaad in the Cause of Allah, except for the man who goes out for Jihaad with his life and his wealth and returns with neither of them.” [Al-Bukhari]
The great merits of the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are due to the fact that they coincide with the time of performing various acts of worship and righteous deeds that aim at bringing those who do them closer to their Lord. Ibn Hajar said in his book Al-Fat-h, “Apparently, the great virtue of the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah is due to the fact that they encompass the fundamental acts of worship: prayer, Zakah, Fasting, and Hajj. This merit is not found in any other days of the whole year.”
The virtues of the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are also underlined in many narrations of the Prophet . Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said: “The best days of the world are the ten days (the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah)."
Dear reader, this is a reminder for you to get ready for these blessed days. You should strive to display your keenness and eagerness to perform good deeds to your Lord during these days. Bear in mind that time passes by very quickly; these blessed days will end before you even notice. The first ten days of Thul-Hijjah would soon pass by and your time on this earth will also grow less.
Dear reader, let us hasten to doing good during this blessed spiritual season. If you are blessed with witnessing the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah this year, you may not be that lucky the coming year.
Third pause for reflection:
Dear reader, let us render the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah a turning point in our lives, in the best sense of the word. Let us render this blessed spiritual season a good start and a time for a much-needed spiritual rejuvenation. Let us consider the deeds that we are planning to offer to Allah The Exalted and how we would be after these days pass by. It is vital to make these days a means of drawing closer to Allah The Exalted, closer than we were before them. The commendable effects of these blessed days should be reflected in our faces, deeds, and in our gleaming hearts. Otherwise, we will miss this great chance and fail to become better-devoted worshippers and humbler slaves.
Moreover, we should receive the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah and receive this spiritual season with the correct mindset and a positive attitude, allowing ourselves to benefit from it duly. This can be achieved by internal change; a change that positively transforms our lifestyle, doubling our good deeds and acts of worship and having a break away from our dull routine by performing more righteous deeds.
Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).}[Quran 15:99]
Fourth pause of reflection:
As the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are approaching, many of us do not know the optimal way to receive this spiritual season. The believer should set a clear and well-timed plan for every minute of these blessed days; the best days in the whole year. He should make plans and projects that would help him make full use of these days and benefit from this profitable spiritual investment. The first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are the optimal time for performing all good deeds, with no exception, and this entails prior planning and preparation. In this way, one can perform all the righteous deeds he wishes to do on these blessed days and earn the generous rewards of his Lord.