Our Opportunity in These Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah, dear people. Today is the third of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, so I would like to remind myself and you of an important point: honoring these days is a sign of sincere faith and a sign of honoring Allah the Almighty who has honored them.

Worship Between Worldly Benefit and Seeking the Hereafter

Many Muslims are concerned with acts of worship that have a direct worldly impact, meaning a clear reflection on reality. So, if you want to convince someone to pay attention to an act of worship or a ritual of Islam, you have to list the benefits that this act of worship brings to him or to society in this world.

Acts of Worship with Direct Worldly Impact

Fasting has health benefits and teaches patience. Zakat brings blessings to wealth, helps the poor, and protects society from crime caused by poverty. Avoiding fornication, intoxicants, and drugs preserves your health and mind. Honoring parents, excelling in work, and pursuing scientific research to elevate the Islamic nation, all these are acts that are often discussed in terms of their worldly impacts.

Yes, acts of worship have worldly impacts, but we do not want our acts of worship to be affected by the concept of human centrality. This dominant concept in human life at this time, where man is the center of everything, so even his acts of worship must serve him in some way.

The Concept of Human Centrality and Its Impact on Worship

May Allah be pleased with us, may Allah love us, may Allah love our deeds, may we attain Paradise, and may we be saved from the Fire. Now, it is part of Allah's wisdom and mercy that the deeds that Allah loves have a beneficial effect on our worldly life, individually and collectively. Even glorification, praise, recitation of the Quran, and night prayers, if they come from contemplation, mental presence, and determination to comply, they benefit us even in our worldly life.

The Difference in Intentions in Worship

However, there is a difference between making Allah's pleasure, attaining Paradise, and being saved from the Fire your greatest goal, so that these worldly fruits come as a result and quickly to the believer. On the other hand, these great meanings may be diminished in your perception and not be enough to motivate you to do good deeds, so your enthusiasm does not rise except when you are reminded of the worldly benefits of good deeds.

And this difference in intentions leads to a huge difference in Allah's acceptance of our deeds and His pleasure with them, a difference in good deeds, a difference in the continuity of deeds, and a difference in their blessings in this world and the Hereafter. However, we should not make the primary purpose of our good deeds to seek worldly benefit while forgetting the great meanings we mentioned, such as Allah's pleasure and seeking the Hereafter.

Religious Benefit in This World

There is another aspect, dear people. You may perform an act of obedience, give charity, pray, and stand in night prayer, seeking from Allah a religious benefit in this world. A religious benefit in this world, such as Allah increasing His love for you, saving you from heart diseases, saving you from the hardness of your heart, and strengthening you in faith. These are also great meanings that should be revived in our hearts, which are lost in the hustle and bustle of the material life that has overwhelmed many Muslims.

Allah the Almighty says: {And the example of those who spend their wealth seeking the pleasure of Allah and for the steadfastness of their souls} Among its meanings: "And for the steadfastness of their souls," meaning they spend seeking steadfastness in faith.

Honoring the Days of Dhul Hijjah

In light of this introduction, we say regarding the utilization of these ten days of Dhul Hijjah:

The Virtue of the Ten Days

It is narrated from the beloved Prophet, our Prophet peace be upon him and his family and companions, that he said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." They said: O Messenger of Allah, not even jihad in the cause of Allah? This is part of our worship of Allah and the perfection of our devotion and submission to Him, glorified be He.

Honoring the Rituals of Allah

And whoever honors the rituals of Allah, they are from the piety of the hearts. The Lord of Might has sworn by these days to honor them: {And by the dawn * And by the ten nights} They are the nights of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah. So He has sworn by the nights of these days, so we honor them for the honor of Allah, so it is not appropriate at all that they pass like any other days.

The Divine Oath by the Ten Nights

Imagine if a merchant had debts piled up on him, and the season of his trade came, and he slept through it, would he be rational? This is our season to win in it and gain closeness to the Lord of Might and Mercy and to pay off the debts of sins.

Seizing the Ten Days

The Season of Trade with Allah

So, be enthusiastic, O lovers of Allah and His Messenger, increase in acts of closeness. And each of us may be more active in some acts of closeness than others.

Examples of Acts of Closeness

Among the forms of acts of closeness are: prayers in the mosques and voluntary prayers, recitation of the Quran, fasting, and excellence in honoring parents such as giving gifts and gifts to mothers, maintaining family ties even with phone calls or even messages, visiting the poor, inviting the heedless, supporting the religion, and reconciling people.

Takbir, Tahmid, and Tahmid

Increase in takbir, tahmid, and tahmid in your homes, streets, and going and coming.

May Allah bless us and you in these days and gather us with you in the gardens of bliss. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.