It is through Allah ta'ala's mercy that we have been invited here, not for any worldly purpose, rather, due to our concern for the Hereafter.
This concern has assembled us together and this fear demonstrates that our faith is alive. Despite the challenges of evil and corruption, we possess concern for our Hereafter. This is a sign of high level faith.
Occasionally, human beings can become ignorant and lazy. This is the nature of man and we shouldn’t feel disheartened and put off by it. Rather, we should keep working hard and make effort. Allah ta'ala shall save such a person from Hellfire.
It comes in Ahadith that sometimes a person commits many wrongdoing and is close to the banks of Hellfire. Due to his faith, suddenly Allah ta'ala showers His mercy upon him and grants him the ability to fulfil such an action whereby he becomes safe from Hellfire and granted Paradise.
Sometimes a person reverts to sins after performing many good deeds. After Ramadan passed, the dirt of the world accumulated within us, so it is Allah ta'ala's mercy that He has granted us these special days to purify ourselves again and enter Paradise.
Allah ta'ala has granted us a solution for us to be protected. During the year, Allah ta'ala selects special days and nights whereby if we take benefit from them, Allah ta'ala forgives all our sins. If we remain heedless, then we are extremely unfortunate.
During these days, we should make a connection with Allah ta'ala and draw nearer to Him and have our sins eliminated.
These days are most beloved to Allah ta'ala out of all other days. During these days, whoever performs good deeds which are beloved to Allah ta'ala, he will become most beloved to Allah ta'ala.
Whoever does not consider himself a sinner can never repent from his mistakes. He will present his good deeds in front of his nafs and he will be proudful. Shaytan will deceive him in to believing that he is not in need of repentance, although all his good deeds are contaminated with pride and other diseases. Shaytan tries his best to divert him from repenting.
Thus, it is Allah's mercy that He has granted us these special days. We should sincerely believe that we are sinners. If we repent, Allah ta'ala will forgive us and there is no reason to doubt this.
Sincere repentance is a very beloved deed to Allah ta'ala. There are three simple steps to repent. To have remorse, to stop the sin immediately and make a firm promise to Allah ta'ala to abandon the sin.
One should still repent even if he believes that he will eventually revert to that sin. When a person performs these three steps, Allah ta'ala announces his sincere repentance. The one who performs sincere repentance is forgiven and given a new lease of life. All his sins will be converted in to good deeds.
We should admit our mistakes and consider ourselves sinful. Thereafter, we should bring positive changes in our life and make a promise to Allah ta'ala to imitate the ways of the Prophet ﷺ and abandon our own desires. When we repent sincerely, Allah ta'ala may transform us and elevate us.
We should make our hearts soft and tender and bring fear of Allah ta'ala and belief in our heart.
Allah ta'ala has ordered us to imitate His beloved. In doing so, we also become the beloveds of Allah ta'ala. Unfortunately, we fail to imitate his ways whilst we call ourselves Muslims. Shaytan allows us to do various kinds of worship but he discourages us from imitating the Sunnah because if we were to follow the Sunnah, all our good deeds will become accepted. We must repent to Allah ta'ala for failing to imitate the ways of Nabi ﷺ.
Allah ta'ala desires those who cannot perform Hajj to receive the same rewards and mercy as those who are performing Hajj. He has selected the worship of repentance for us. Whoever repents and imitates the Hujjaaj will receive the same reward as the Hujjaaj and will be forgiven.
Those who could not perform Hajj should imitate the Hujjaaj and should avoid trimming the hair and clipping the nails. In doing so, they will also receive the splashes of Allah ta'ala's mercy.
The most beloved action to Allah ta'ala during these days is dhikr.
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
"And Allah's remembrance is of even greater merit." [29:45]
Regarding this verse, the commentators state that out of all deeds, the most beloved action to Allah ta'ala is dhikr. Thus, the Dhaakir is most beloved to Allah ta'ala and Allah ta'ala remembers the one who remembers Him.
Allah ta'ala creates light for the Dhaakir because he is spiritually alive and he works on his lataaif and his dhikr lessons. The light travels with him wherever he is in the world.
We should learn dhikr from the teacher who engages in dhikr himself. This is an easy prescription for us.
The essence of Hajj is dhikr. The root and soul of Hajj is dhikr. When you arrive at Mina, you are remembering Allah ta'ala. When you perform Saee and Tawaaf, you remember Allah ta'ala and even in Arafat. There is no moment during Hajj whereby a person is void of Allah ta'ala's remembrance.
We should engage in dhikr in abundance during these days. We are extremely fortunate to have this gathering where Allah ta'ala's dhikr takes place in the morning and evening. A person who fails to partake in this gathering is very unfortunate and wretched.
If you want to be successful then do not adopt any route besides the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Do not be deceived in to thinking that your good deeds are sufficient. Allah ta'ala will assess how much of the Sunnah you followed and how much of your desires you fought.
The scholars have stated that if a person wears his footwear according to the Sunnah, then he is the beloved of Allah ta'ala whilst he performs this action. If he is to die performing this action with intention of imitating a Sunnah, he will rise as a beloved of Allah ta'ala.
We should learn the various Sunnah of the Prophetﷺ. For example, the Sunnah method of entering the mosque and the Sunnah method of wearing the shoes. This is deen. Whoever has attained this deen, has attained the success of life.
No action is accepted without Durood Shareef. It brings a person closer to Allah ta'ala and it completes the good deed. A persons deeds and supplications are delivered to Allah ta'ala with Durood Shareef.
It is through Allah ta'ala's mercy that we have been invited here, not for any worldly purpose, rather, due to our concern for the Hereafter.
This concern has assembled us together and this fear demonstrates that our faith is alive. Despite the challenges of evil and corruption, we possess concern for our Hereafter. This is a sign of high level faith.
Occasionally, human beings can become ignorant and lazy. This is the nature of man and we shouldn’t feel disheartened and put off by it. Rather, we should keep working hard and make effort. Allah ta'ala shall save such a person from Hellfire.
It comes in Ahadith that sometimes a person commits many wrongdoing and is close to the banks of Hellfire. Due to his faith, suddenly Allah ta'ala showers His mercy upon him and grants him the ability to fulfil such an action whereby he becomes safe from Hellfire and granted Paradise.
Sometimes a person reverts to sins after performing many good deeds. After Ramadan passed, the dirt of the world accumulated within us, so it is Allah ta'ala's mercy that He has granted us these special days to purify ourselves again and enter Paradise.
Allah ta'ala has granted us a solution for us to be protected. During the year, Allah ta'ala selects special days and nights whereby if we take benefit from them, Allah ta'ala forgives all our sins. If we remain heedless, then we are extremely unfortunate.
During these days, we should make a connection with Allah ta'ala and draw nearer to Him and have our sins eliminated.
These days are most beloved to Allah ta'ala out of all other days. During these days, whoever performs good deeds which are beloved to Allah ta'ala, he will become most beloved to Allah ta'ala.
Whoever does not consider himself a sinner can never repent from his mistakes. He will present his good deeds in front of his nafs and he will be proudful. Shaytan will deceive him in to believing that he is not in need of repentance, although all his good deeds are contaminated with pride and other diseases. Shaytan tries his best to divert him from repenting.
Thus, it is Allah's mercy that He has granted us these special days. We should sincerely believe that we are sinners. If we repent, Allah ta'ala will forgive us and there is no reason to doubt this.
Sincere repentance is a very beloved deed to Allah ta'ala. There are three simple steps to repent. To have remorse, to stop the sin immediately and make a firm promise to Allah ta'ala to abandon the sin.
One should still repent even if he believes that he will eventually revert to that sin. When a person performs these three steps, Allah ta'ala announces his sincere repentance. The one who performs sincere repentance is forgiven and given a new lease of life. All his sins will be converted in to good deeds.
We should admit our mistakes and consider ourselves sinful. Thereafter, we should bring positive changes in our life and make a promise to Allah ta'ala to imitate the ways of the Prophet ﷺ and abandon our own desires. When we repent sincerely, Allah ta'ala may transform us and elevate us.
We should make our hearts soft and tender and bring fear of Allah ta'ala and belief in our heart.
Allah ta'ala has ordered us to imitate His beloved. In doing so, we also become the beloveds of Allah ta'ala. Unfortunately, we fail to imitate his ways whilst we call ourselves Muslims. Shaytan allows us to do various kinds of worship but he discourages us from imitating the Sunnah because if we were to follow the Sunnah, all our good deeds will become accepted. We must repent to Allah ta'ala for failing to imitate the ways of Nabi ﷺ.
Allah ta'ala desires those who cannot perform Hajj to receive the same rewards and mercy as those who are performing Hajj. He has selected the worship of repentance for us. Whoever repents and imitates the Hujjaaj will receive the same reward as the Hujjaaj and will be forgiven.
Those who could not perform Hajj should imitate the Hujjaaj and should avoid trimming the hair and clipping the nails. In doing so, they will also receive the splashes of Allah ta'ala's mercy.
The most beloved action to Allah ta'ala during these days is dhikr.
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
"And Allah's remembrance is of even greater merit." [29:45]
Regarding this verse, the commentators state that out of all deeds, the most beloved action to Allah ta'ala is dhikr. Thus, the Dhaakir is most beloved to Allah ta'ala and Allah ta'ala remembers the one who remembers Him.
Allah ta'ala creates light for the Dhaakir because he is spiritually alive and he works on his lataaif and his dhikr lessons. The light travels with him wherever he is in the world.
We should learn dhikr from the teacher who engages in dhikr himself. This is an easy prescription for us.
The essence of Hajj is dhikr. The root and soul of Hajj is dhikr. When you arrive at Mina, you are remembering Allah ta'ala. When you perform Saee and Tawaaf, you remember Allah ta'ala and even in Arafat. There is no moment during Hajj whereby a person is void of Allah ta'ala's remembrance.
We should engage in dhikr in abundance during these days. We are extremely fortunate to have this gathering where Allah ta'ala's dhikr takes place in the morning and evening. A person who fails to partake in this gathering is very unfortunate and wretched.
If you want to be successful then do not adopt any route besides the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Do not be deceived in to thinking that your good deeds are sufficient. Allah ta'ala will assess how much of the Sunnah you followed and how much of your desires you fought.
The scholars have stated that if a person wears his footwear according to the Sunnah, then he is the beloved of Allah ta'ala whilst he performs this action. If he is to die performing this action with intention of imitating a Sunnah, he will rise as a beloved of Allah ta'ala.
We should learn the various Sunnah of the Prophetﷺ. For example, the Sunnah method of entering the mosque and the Sunnah method of wearing the shoes. This is deen. Whoever has attained this deen, has attained the success of life.
No action is accepted without Durood Shareef. It brings a person closer to Allah ta'ala and it completes the good deed. A persons deeds and supplications are delivered to Allah ta'ala with Durood Shareef.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen