Saad Tasleem – Do THIS in Dhul-Hijjah

So you're not making Hajj this year. It's

okay. There's no reason to be sad because

you know what? This is a special time

for us, a blessed time, even if we're

not making Haj. The prophet

said that there are no days in which

good deeds are more beloved to Allah than

these 10 days, referring to the first 10

days of Dhul Hijjah. So here are 5

things that you can do even if you're

not making Hajj. Number 1, fasting. The prophet

used to fast the first 9 days of

Dhruhija,

so likewise, we should be doing the same

as well. But most importantly, fasting on the

day of Arafah. The person told us that

fasting on the day of Arafah removes the

sins of 2 years, the previous year and

the year to come. Number 2, dhikr or

the remembrance of Allah. Amongst that, which the

prophet instructed us to say is, subhanAllah,

alhamdulillah, and allahu akbar. So we should be

trying to repeat this dhikr, this remembrance as

much as we can. Also, what is known

as the takbir, and that is to say,

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha

illallah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wallillahi lham. We

actually know that the companions, ibn Umar and

Abu Hurayrah used to go out in the

first 10 days of Dhul Aja. They used

to go to the marketplace and recite the

Takbir out loud in order to encourage other

people to recite it as well. So not

only should we be reciting this Takbir, but

we should be encouraging others, especially our family,

to recite this, to say it out loud.

Number 3, du'a or supplication. The person that

have said the best du'a is the du'a

of Arafah. Now many of our scholars have

said that this doesn't just apply to people

who are making Hajj, but also those who

are not making Hajj. So on the day

of Arafah, we should be making a special

effort to make as much dua, as much

supplication

as possible. Number 4, sacrifice

or

or as some people call it, kurbani. Now,

subhanAllah, this is one of those sunnahs that

is almost being abandoned when it is actually

a confirmed

way to worship Allah.

And the first time actually told us that

the one who's doing the sacrifice, that they

should stop cutting their hair and stop removing

anything from their skin, which includes cutting the

nails from the beginning of Dhul Hijjah until

the sacrifice is made. One of the wisdoms

here is that the person who is doing

the sacrifice,

that they resemble the person who is in

the state of iham

while they're making Hajj. So as a person

has the intention to make the sacrifice, they're

able to feel the spirituality that those who

are feeling as they're making Hajj. Number 5,

controlling our speech or being aware of our

tongue. Amongst the command that Allah gives those

who are making Hajj is,

that there's no dispute or argumentation

during Hajj. So just as those who are

making Hajj make a special effort to control

their tongue, to watch what they're saying, to

only say that which is good, Likewise, we

should be doing the same. Part of being

aware that this is a special time, that

this is a blessed time, that this is

a sacred time is that we are careful

about what we say, that it is pleasing

to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and that it

is good. And once again, this is a

way for us to feel how those who

are making hajj are feeling. And by the

way, this includes our interaction online as well.

So there you go. Those are 5 things

that you can do even if you're not

making Hajj. And Allah knows best. Until next

time.

Insha'Allah. As salaamu alaykum Warhamdulahi

wubarakatuh.