Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahma Allah wa Barakah everyone, welcome back to the virtues of Dhul-Hijjah.
So in another narration where the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned the benefits of these good deeds,
the Prophet (pbuh) said, 'There are no days in which good deeds are greater or more beloved
to Allah than on these 10 days, Fa 2kithuru fihinna min altahleel, wal takbeer, walta7mid.'
The Prophet (pbuh) said, "So because of that, recite more of La 2illaha illa Allah, Tahleel, and
Takbeer, which is Allahu Akbar, and Ta7meed which is Alhamdulillah.
So say more of the forms of thikr "La illa ha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, Al7amdulillah,"
and of course tasbee7 as well, Subhanallah and others.
So the Prophet (pbuh) specifically here is saying that we need to increase in our remembrance
of Allah (swt) in these ten days, and he is mentioning the phrases that we typically would recite.
Now tahleel,
La illaha Illa Allah, once gain you're really gonna affirm that more than
anything else on the day of Arafah.
But, throughout these 10 days, the Prophet (pbuh) said that "The best form of thikr,
the best form of remembrance of Allah (Swt) is La illaha Illah Allah, so keep your tongue
moist with La Illaha Illah Allah." Constant affirmations, and that's throughout the year.
Here, the Prophet (pbuh) also, as the scholars point out, is speaking to quantity, so it's
the quality of those affirmations but he's also speaking to the quantity in which you
would mention these phrases of remembrance, particularly in these days.
And there are things that we find from the practices of the companions that we can implement today.
So for example, it's narrated in Bukhari that in the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, Abdullah
ibn Omar (R), his father and Abu Hurarya (R), they used to go out in the market place, constantly
reciting Takbeer "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, La Illaha Illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
Wa Lillahi Alha7md."
Now these are phrases that you only hear on Eid day usually, but they would go out throughout
the 10 days, reciting these in the market place, and the people would join with them
and they'd start to recite Takbeer as well.
Now if you live in the west, I don't recommend you go into a mall and start shouting Allahu Akbar
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar right, but there's a point that's to be stressed here-
that if that's what used to be done in the market place, then we should remind ourselves
in our homes, you know in our families.
Like hey, it's the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, let's recite Allahu Akbar Allah Akbar Allahu Akbar,
let's increase the forms of thikr, and they would do them loudly to remind everyone
else and the people would join as well.
We do so going in and out of the masajid, after our prayers, walking into our prayers,
walking out of our prayers.
Emphasizing that, that repeated form of thikr over and over and over again, and this is
one of the sunnahs again that is really really left out, you know you find abondoned, particularly
in these 10 days.
This is also another way for us to connect in a special way with the Prophet who is honored
most after the Prophet (pbuh) within these 10 days, which is Ibrahim (AS).
Because these words of remembrance were given in the form of an advice, in the conversation
between the Prophet Ibrahim (as), Abraham, and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on the night of
Israa wal Mi3raj.
The Prophet (pbuh) said that "I met Ibraheem (AS) on the night of the ascension, on the
night of Israa wal Mi3raj, and he said to me "Oh Muhamamd!
Convey my greetings to your Ummah."
So, Ibrahim (AS) sent Salams to us.
"And then tell them that paradise has a vast plain of pure soil, and sweet water, and is
set as a plain leveled land.
The plants grow here by Subhanallah, wal 7amdulillah, wa La illaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar."
The seeds of these trees, the seeds of these plants in paradise are Subhanallah- how perfect
is Allah, Al7amdulillah- All praise is to Allah, wa La illaha illa Allah- There is no
God but Allah, wa Allahu Akbar- And Allah is Greatest.
So these forms of thikr that we say are the seeds that are meant for the soil of Al-Jannah,
for the soil of Paradise, and this came in a conversation between Ibrahim (AS) and Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).
That he said to us, Salams, that he sent peace to us, and said, "Remind them to say these
words frequently, because that's how they continue to plant their trees in Al Jannah.."
So if that's for throughout the year, then what then of these 10 days where the Prophet
(pbuh) said, "Akthiru fi Hinnah" be plentiful, make sure that you do a lot of these forms
of remembrance, constantly saying Subhanallah, 7amdulillah, La illaha illa Allah, Allahu
Akbar.
So we ask Allah (Swt) to accept our thikr, our remembrance, inside of these 10 days and
outside of these 10 days, and to allow us to keep our tongues moist with these remembrances
as well as our hearts saturated with them.
Allahuma Ameen, Jazak Allah Khayran, Wassalamu Alaykum wa Rahmah Allah Wabarakatuh.