Ibaadah - Worship & Obedience of Allah ﷻ
Allah ﷻ has mentioned in the Quran that He created us and knows the weakness inherent in human nature: “mankind has been created weak.”[1] Hence Allah ﷻ provides us opportunities during certain times throughout the year, throughout the month, throughout the week, each day and each night in which He gives chances to His servants to gain his mercy, seek His forgiveness for their sins, have their rewards multiplied and ask what they may ask so that He may respond to their requests accordingly. Blessed moments for a Muslim are best opportunities especially if they have sinned and desire to repent or if they are needy and they need to request Allah ﷻ for their needs. It may also be that they are seeking a spiritual communion with their Creator. For instance in a prophetic hadith we are informed about the blessedness of time of tahajjud (late night) prayer that happens every night: “Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: ‘Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?’”[1] The reference to such blessed moments is also mentioned in the following ayah: وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أَنۡ أَخۡرِجۡ قَوۡمَكَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ وَذَكِّرۡهُم بِأَيَّىٰمِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٖ شَكُورٖ - (Al Quran 14:05) We sent Moses and gave him miracles in order to lead his people from darkness into light and to remind them of the days of God. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for those who exercise patience and give thanks. The mufassireen like Maulana Maududi state that the Arabic term "ayyam" or "days" means memorable historical events and "ayyam Allah" or "days of Allah" are the historical events in humankind's religious history which remind us of rewards and punishments meted out to great personalities and nations. Muslims commemorate many such memorable events that hold significance in our own history and those of past nations. Such as the opportunity to have our past sins forgiven, earn Allah's mercy and rewards multiplied takes place during the 1st ten days of Dhul Hijjah[2] until the day of Arafah (9th) and Eid ul Adha (10th). Its highly recommended to fast during first ten days till the 9th of Dhul Hijjah while Eid on the 10th provides opportunity to sacrifice a cow, sheep or goat observing the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim & Ismail (alaihim us salaam). We slaughter the animal and distribute its meat to the needy and share it with family and relatives and earn rewards and blessings. Then there are blessed moments such as mid Shaban[1] (Night of 15th) which brings opportunity to gain such forgiveness for sins as much as the hair on a goat’s skin. Also fasting on the 9th and 10th of Ashura[3], when Allah ﷻ saved Prophet Musa (alaihi salaam) and Bani Israel from Pharaoh and his army, that falls in the holy Islamic month of Muharram, are blessed opportunities for us to have forgiven our past sins. The blessed opportunity we get on the night of Friday (which is actually Thursday night as in Islamic tradition a day begins after sunsets) which is an opportunity we get every week. Also the blessed moment that occurs every week right before the sun is about to set for blessed day of Friday in which our prayers and duas are accepted as per prophetic hadith. We also get blessed opportunities daily during the time of asr[4] and fajr[5] in which angels ascend and descend and take our requests and supplications before His Majesty. Then we have the most important holy month in the entire year i.e. Ramadan[6] in which the Quran was revealed and many previous books from Allah ﷻ were also revealed. In this month there are last 10 nights and the entire month itself which brings tons of opportunities in every moment of it to gain blessings and mercy, the one who remains deprived of this month is truly deprived! In Islam Allah ﷻ is not the God who likes to send us to the hell fire, He hates sending us there and therefore He continues to give us opportunities throughout our lives through these blessed moments so that we may somehow save ourselves. At the end of our lives if one still remains deprived and does not take advantage of all such blessed moments to turn towards Allah ﷻ, then it is they who are truly unfortunate. References: Hadith Qudsi - It was related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud [1] 8th Islamic holy month – The mid shaban is the night of 15th which is a holy night for worship. [2] The 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar in which the Hajj (annual pilgrimage) takes place in Makkah especially the days of 9th and 10th. These 2 days are holy for all Muslims in the world. [3] The 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. [4] The late afternoon prayer. [5] The early morning prayer before sunrise. [6] The holiest month of the Islamic calendar. This month is honored due to the Quran which was revealed in it.
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Ibaadah AuthorZaid Shaw Archives
August 2019
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