The Excellence of Fasting during the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

 "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?" He (PBUH) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it."

[Al-Bukhari]

Commentary:

 This Hadith brings out the following two points:

1. Righteous deeds done during the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah are far better and more rewarding than righteous deeds done on other days of the year, because they are Hajj days in the sacred season of pilgrimage. Because of their excellence and importance, Allah (SWT) swore by them, thus: "By the Dawn; by the ten Nights..." (89:1, 2)

2. Jihad has immense importance in Islam.

Similarly in other hadith Abu Qatadah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of 'Arafah. He said, "It is expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year." [Muslim]

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah called Yaum-'Arafah, the pilgrims are engaged in the remembrance of Allah and supplications as this is the most important worship of hajj. For this reason, fast is not desirable for them, but for other people, fast has a special merit. The importance and merit of this fasting can be judged from the fact that it expiates sins (minor) for two consecutive years: the previous year and the current year. 

Dua on seeing New Moon

Talhah bin Ubaidullah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: At the sight of the new moon (of the lunar month), the Prophet (PBUH) used to supplicate:

Allahumma ahillahu 'alaina bil-amni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, Rabbi wa Rabbuk-Allah, Hilalu rushdin wa khairin

Translation:

(O Allah let this moon appear on us with security and Iman; with safety and Islam. (O moon!) Your Rubb and mine is Allah. May this moon be bringing guidance and good)."

[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary:

After sighting the moon, one should recite the prayer which was recited by the Prophet (PBUH). The prayer cited in the text of this Hadith is one of them.

The Beauty of Surah Al-Faatihah

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said in his book As-Salaat wa Hukm Taarikihaa:

 And when he (the servant reciting Surat Al-Faatihah in prayer) says: All praise is due to Allah the Rabb of all the Worlds, he pauses for a short while waiting for the response of his Lord: ‘My servant has praised Me.’ Then when he says: The Most Gracious the Most Merciful he waits for the response: ‘My servant has extolled Me’ and when he says: Master of the Day of Judgment, he waits for the response: ‘My servant has glorified Me.’

It is the delight of his heart, the pleasure of his eye and the joy of his soul that his Lord says about him: ‘My servant’ three times. By Allah! If the fumes of desire and the darkness of the soul were not upon the hearts, they would have flown out of happiness and joy that their Lord, Maker and Deity says: “My servant has praised Me, My servant has extolled Me and My servant has glorified Me.”

·         Selected from: Imaan Builder 2: Employing Al-Faatihah As the Basis for the Development and Maintenance of Imaan, SalafiPublications

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When any one of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of his neck. He recites this incantation at every knot: 'You have a long night, so sleep.' If he awakes and remembers Allah, one knot is loosened. If he performs Wudu', the (second) knot is loosened; and if he performs prayer, (all) knots are loosened. He begins his morning in a happy and refreshed mood; otherwise, he gets up in bad spirits and sluggish state."

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And in some parts of the night (also) perform the Salat (prayer) with it (i.e., recite the Qur'an in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer - Nawafil) for you (O Muhammad (PBUH)). It may be that your Rubb will raise you to Maqam Mahmud (a station of praise and glory, i.e., the honour of intercession on the Day of Resurrection)." (17:79)

"Their sides forsake their beds..." (32:16)

"They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Rubb (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]." (51:17)

We supplicate day and night for our dua’s to come true. How about if we know about a certain moment in which we make dua and it comes true? Yes there is a moment and it occurs on the day of Friday. A hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah indicates about it:

"There is a time on Friday at which a Muslim, while he (or she) is performing Salat and is supplicating, will be granted whatever he (or she) is supplicating for." And he (PBUH) pointed with his hand to indicate that this period of time is very short. [Al-Bukari and Muslim]

The above hadith mentions about a specific moment (that occurs on Friday) in which every prayer that a person makes is granted with the condition that what one is asking for is good and lawful. It is a very short lived moment i.e. it’s equal to the distance between index and middle finger. The specific time when it occurs has also not been revealed. For this reason one should remember Allah frequently and pray to Him on Jumu'ah so that one attains that moment when prayers are answered. Prayers can also be answered outside Salat if one happens to be supplicating at the specified moment.

Surah waqaih

“Whoever recites Surah Waqiah every night will never be afflicted with starvation.”
[Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
Today lets talk about the benefits of reciting surah waqiah. According to one of the hadith ‘Surah al Waqiah is the Surah of Wealth, so recite it and teach it to your children’[Ibn Asakir]
What a blessing to muslim ummah. Reciting everyday makes you wealthy. According to one of the narration taken from ibn khathir Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him was suffering from great illness and that was his final moments, mean while Amirul Mu’min Uthman Ghani Radhi Allahu anhu paid him a visit. There conversation went like:
Uthman radhi Allahu anhu: what is your illness?
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him: My sins are all the root cause of my pain {illness}.
Uthman radhi Allahu anhu: what is your desire {final desire}?
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him: I seek the mercy and blessings of my Lord, Allah azza wa jal.
Uthman radhi Allahu anhu: may I call a doctor for you?
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him: the doctors have made me ill.
Uthman radhi Allahu anhu: may I send some gift from the Baitul Maal, the government stock?
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him: thank you, no need.
Uthman radhi Allahu anhu: but please let me do that for you. These might help your daughters after you {your death}.
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, May Allah be pleased with him: Do you think that after my death my daughters going to face poverty and hunger? I don’t think so, because I've strictly instructed my daughters to recite Sura Waqiah every night. I've heard, Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam saying: one who will recite sura Waqiah every night, will never be needy/poor.

The Prophet(SAW) said, ‘Whoever recites surah al Waqiah at night would never encounter poverty’ [Ibn Sunni 620}  
As we can see that there are many benefits of reciting aurah waqiah.we should recite it daily and better learn the surah and make our children to memorize it also so that we can prepare for a day we have been asked.