From the most virtuous of days are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah (the 12th month in the lunar calendar, one of the sacred months and the month of Hajj). A group of those from the People of Knowledge say: “Verily they are the best days of the year just as the last ten nights of Ramadaan are the best nights of the year.” Some of the various types of righteous actions which are done in these first ten days are mentioned below:

REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH

The first of the righteous actions is the remembrance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى said: {…and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues - Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).} [al-Ahzaab 33:35]

It is affirmed in a number of texts the encouragement of mentioning the takbeer. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said: {…and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days (i.e. 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah) } [al-Hajj 22:28]

It has been affirmed from the Sahaabah (Companions) of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and from him صلى الله عليه وسلم , that they increased in the takbeer (saying “Allahu Akbar—Allah is the Greatest) in the first ten days of the month of Dhul Hijjah and they raised their voice with it, each one of them saying the takbeer on his own. They raised their voices until the mountains shook from their takbeer but they did not say the takbeer in unison (in Jamaa’ah). Each of them said the takbeer on his own.

VOLUNTARY ACTS OF WORSHIP

One should implement the voluntary acts of worship - whether prayer, fasting or charity. It is reported in hadeeth that the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم encouraged fasting the ten days and it is reported that he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever fasts the Day of Arafah will have his sins expiated for two years (the past year and the coming year).” [Ibn Maajah]

DO NOT CUT HAIR OR NAILS FOR THE ONE DOING THE SACRIFICE

From what is considered as righteous actions on these ten days is that the one who wants to do the Udhiyyah (sacrificial slaughter) should not cut his hair or nails during these ten days. As such it is desired that he commits himself before these ten days by cutting his hair and nails. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhul-Hijjah) he should not get his hair or nails touched (cut)”. [Muslim]

SUPPLICATE FOR THE HUJJAAJ

One should make du`aa (supplication) for the hujjaaj (pilgrims who have embarked upon the Hajj) that Allah سبحانه وتعالى keeps them safe from all evil and that He returns them to their countries. This is because the hujjaaj are the guests of Ar-Rahman so they have a right upon us that we supplicate for them for ease in their affairs and their safe return.

UDHIYYAH - SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER

One should prepare to do the Udhiyyah (sacrificial slaughtering of an animal) and arranging distribution of the meat amongst family, friends, the needy etc. This is from the pious and righteous deeds. Abu Haneefah رحمه الله was of the opinion that it was from the obligatory acts but most of others say that it is desirable. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “Who does not slaughter should not come to the salaah”. [Ibn Maajah]

ATTEND THE `EED SALAAH

From amongst the righteous actions is attending the salaatul `Eed, greeting one another, and leaving off fasting on the day of `Eed and on the days of Tashreeq (i.e. the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul Hijjah).

Based on a lectured by Shaykh Sa`d ash-Shitree (may Allah preserve him).

Assalamualaikum,

Most of us are aware that the number one major sin in Islam is shirk, but at the same time ignore the warning on the second major sin: mistreatment of parents

In the Qur’an immediately after the duty of worshipping Allah comes the duty of showing dutifulness to one’s parents: “Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents.” (Al-Isra’: 23)

It is well-known that Islam urges every Muslim to be dutiful to his parents, extending to them the kindest treatment possible. Failing to treat one’s parents kindly makes one guilty of disobedience to those parents as well as to Allah, and this may deprive one of a chance of being admitted to Paradise. So it goes without saying that disobedience to parents or mistreating them is the second major sin after shirk.

This point is further clarified by Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as follows:

“The first commandment in Islam as revealed to all prophets is to worship Allah and the second is to treat one’s parents kindly. Accordingly, the first major sin is Shirk (association of partners with Allah), and the second major sin is mistreating one’s parents.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said: “Shall I tell you of the three most heinous sins?” He repeated this question three times and then said, “They are: to associate partners with Allah, to mistreat one’s parents, and to bear false testimony.”

In another tradition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) said, “One who mistreats his parents cannot hope to enter Paradise.”

Also, he said, “The pleasure of Allah is in the pleasure of one’s parents and the wrath of Allah is in the wrath of one’s parents.”

Now, it becomes clear that mistreatment of parents stands as the second major sin of Islam, after Shirk. Yet, a Muslim has to steer clear of all sins, major and minor, so as to gain Allah’s pleasure.

Having considered all these, how far have we all consider avoiding this major sin in our daily lives? Are we still considering treating our parents as a virtue, instead of a major obligation as a Muslim? If shirk will lead to unforgiven sin, mistreatment of parents will deny us any right of entering the heavens, no matter how good of a person we have been in every other areas.

Wallahu'alam....

While you and I are busy with our work, let us enjoy this Dikir song :)

"Jijikkah kau melihat wajahku sehingga kau memalingkan mukamu, wahai Jibril?"
"Siapakah yang sanggup melihat kekasih Allah direnggut ajal?"

This might seems unusual for me to write about, but I've been a fan of Crayon Shin-Chan for a long time. The death of its creator, Usui Yoshito-sensei is a loss for the manga world. This post is a tribute for Usui-sensei...
Ima made honto ni arigatou, sayonara omoshiro sensei...

Why I Threw the Shoe?

"I am no hero. I just acted as an Iraqi who witnessed the pain and bloodshed of too many innocents"

By Muntazer al-Zaidi



September 19, 2009 "The Guardian" -- I am free. But my country is still a prisoner of war. There has been a lot of talk about the action and about the person who took it, and about the hero and the heroic act, and the symbol and the symbolic act. But, simply, I answer: what compelled me to act is the injustice that befell my people, and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by putting it under its boot.
Over recent years, more than a million martyrs have fallen by the bullets of the occupation and Iraq is now filled with more than five million orphans, a million widows and hundreds of thousands of maimed. Many millions are homeless inside and outside the country.

We used to be a nation in which the Arab would share with the Turkman and the Kurd and the Assyrian and the Sabean and the Yazid his daily bread. And the Shia would pray with the Sunni in one line. And the Muslim would celebrate with the Christian the birthday of Christ. This despite the fact that we shared hunger under sanctions for more than a decade.

Our patience and our solidarity did not make us forget the oppression. But the invasion divided brother from brother, neighbour from neighbour. It turned our homes into funeral tents.

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation. The scandal of Abu Ghraib.

The massacre of Falluja, Najaf, Haditha, Sadr City, Basra, Diyala, Mosul, Tal Afar, and every inch of our wounded land. I travelled through my burning land and saw with my own eyes the pain of the victims, and heard with my own ears the screams of the orphans and the bereaved. And a feeling of shame haunted me like an ugly name because I was powerless.

As soon as I finished my professional duties in reporting the daily tragedies, while I washed away the remains of the debris of the ruined Iraqi houses, or the blood that stained my clothes, I would clench my teeth and make a pledge to our victims, a pledge of vengeance.

The opportunity came, and I took it.

I took it out of loyalty to every drop of innocent blood that has been shed through the occupation or because of it, every scream of a bereaved mother, every moan of an orphan, the sorrow of a rape victim, the teardrop of an orphan.

I say to those who reproach me: do you know how many broken homes that shoe which I threw had entered? How many times it had trodden over the blood of innocent victims? Maybe that shoe was the appropriate response when all values were violated.

When I threw the shoe in the face of the criminal, George Bush, I wanted to express my rejection of his lies, his occupation of my country, my rejection of his killing my people. My rejection of his plundering the wealth of my country, and destroying its infrastructure. And casting out its sons into a diaspora.

If I have wronged journalism without intention, because of the professional embarrassment I caused the establishment, I apologise. All that I meant to do was express with a living conscience the feelings of a citizen who sees his homeland desecrated every day. The professionalism mourned by some under the auspices of the occupation should not have a voice louder than the voice of patriotism. And if patriotism needs to speak out, then professionalism should be allied with it.

I didn't do this so my name would enter history or for material gains. All I wanted was to defend my country.

Coverage from IRIS Seismic Monitor