It’s that time of the year again, one of the most blessed for Muslims worldwide as Muslims across the globe have gathered in Makkah and prepare to head to Mina.
The great blessings of spiritual and moral regeneration, which Hajj imparts to individuals and the muslim ummah are immense. While, we are thoroughly grateful to see the world normalizing post-pandemic, sadly, many of us will be unable to perform Hajj this year due to the increasing inflation and financial struggles that we all face.
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Hajj preparations often tend to be exclusive to those making the pilgrimage. Much of the planning to bring the Hajj spirit alive into our homes, similar to how we do in Ramadan, remains absent.
According to the Prophet (PBUH):
“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days…” (Bukhari 2:457).
How can we remedy this disconnect to light up our homes and hearts? How can we too, gain reward and blessings during this blessed period?
Small acts done out of love and praise for Allah can reap tremendous rewards in themselves, thus one should increase all types of good deeds in this blessed month of Dul-Hijjah. Here are some ways to gain the innumerable blessings and rewards of performing Hajj, while sitting in the comfort of your homes:
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Dhikr
Let’s begin with a simple yet effective action – increasing your dhikr. Recite Takbeer as much as you can.
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Fasting For The First 9 Days of Dhul-Hijjah
It is Sunnah to fast on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, because fasting is one of the best of deeds. In a hadith Qudsi, Allah says, ‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it’. [Bukhari]
Recite Qur’an
Reciting the Qur’an is one of the best acts of worship we can perform to draw closer to Allah and seek his pleasure. The Prophet (saw) said,‘ Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter’. [Tirmidhi]
Pray Tahajjud
t’s been two months since the last ten nights of Ramadan, and many of us are missing the ‘spiritual high’ of seeking out Laylat al-Qadr through our nightly worship. But did you know that praying at night for the first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah is equivalent to praying on Laylat al-Qadr?
Repent
Hajj is the ultimate act of worship we can perform as Muslims to seek forgiveness from Allah and expiate our sins. That is why Dhul-Hijjah is the perfect gift from Allah, allowing us to repent and seek forgiveness for our sins even if we are not on pilgrimage.
