Month: June 2024

The Takbir of the Tongue & Heart During the Ten Days of Dhil Hijjah
Shaykh Saleh Sindi حفظه الله
https://youtu.be/u1LD6Yvgab0 [17 min] – Arabic | English Subtitles

All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has not begotten a son, and Who has no partner in His Dominion, nor He is low to have a helper, protector or supporter. And magnify Him with all magnificence. May Allah send His peace and blessings upon the one whom His Lord sent as a guider, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. And as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light. May His complete and abundant peace and blessings upon him, his family and his companions. Congratulations O noble brothers for the favor of Allah upon you, that He has extended your lifespan and your appointed term so that you could reach these blessed ten days. The first ten days of Dhil-Hijjah is a season of profit, a market of commerce and a field of competing towards goodness. So whomever Allah blesses to reach these ten days, then let him praise Allah abundantly and to ask Him to grant him success in these days by doing that which He loves. And that He favors him by accepting it.

These ten days, O noble brothers, every hour of it, rather every second of it, is of great significance. And it is sufficient regarding its virtue that Allah swore by these ten days, by saying: “By the dawn, By the ten nights (i.e. the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah).” [al-Fajr:1-2] The Prophet mentioned in many Ahadith that they are the most beloved days to Allah. And that the actions performed in them are purer and more beloved to Allah than these ten days. Therefore, they are the best days and nights of the year without exception. So congratulations to the one who has been given success and recognizes the significance of these hours and these moments which will soon come to an end. Just as our lives will soon come to an end. O successful one, be one who has sure knowledge, one who is smart, pure, intelligent, one who knows the significance of this lifespan and its importance for your true future. The righteous actions during these ten days comprise everything that Allah loves and has legislated for His slaves. During these ten days, every righteous actions that is based upon the Sunnah and is beloved to Allah, its reward before Allah is greater in these ten days than in other than these ten days. This is the distinguished characteristic of these ten days. Allah creates whatever He wills and He chooses. He specified these ten days with this virtue.

And from the greatest actions of these ten days is the remembrance of Allah. “…and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them…” [al-Hajj:28] So these are the days of the remembrance of Allah. So increase in the remembrance of Allah. In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad in the Hadith of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet said regarding these days by saying: There are no days when actions are performed in that is more beloved to Allah than these ten days. So increase in them the Tahlil (saying لا اله الا الله), the Takbir (saying الله اكبر) and the Tahmid (saying الحمد لله). As the Prophet said and al-Mundhiri said its chain is Jayyid. So the remembrance of Allah is the best matter one should occupy his moments with during these ten days. And from the remembrance of Allah is the Takbir, which is the symbol of these ten days. Since the time of the companions of the Prophet until now, the Muslims continue to frequently make the Takbir of Allah during these ten days. al-Bukhari mentions in his Sahih that Ibn Umar, Abu Hurayrah would go out to the marketplace and make Takbir and the people would make Takbir along with their Takbir. And in another narration: And there was nothing that made them come out to the marketplace except for this purpose. They didn’t have any objective of buying and selling. Rather it was only to remind the people of this virtue, which is the Takbir. Maymun ibn Mihran, the noble Tabi’i, said: I came across a people who would make the Takbir abundantly during these ten days as if their Takbirat were like waves due to their abundance. And this shows that from the Sunnah of the Salaf in these ten days would be to repeatedly make the Takbir with a loud voice. And these two Sunnahs for this act of worship are forgotten among the people during these times, with great sorrow. Repeating the Takbir abundantly along with raising the voice. And this is what the Salaf were upon, may Allah have mercy upon them.

The Takbir begins when the ten days begin until they are finished. And the best time is on the Day of Arafah and on the Day of Sacrifice (the Day of Eid). So the best Takbir is done on these two days and the days that follow from the Days of Tashriq as the narrations of the companions allude to. There is no specific form of Takbir that is narrated from the Prophet. Rather, there are narrations stated from the companions regarding the Takbir during the ten days unrestrictedly. And for the Day of Arafah, the Day of Sacrifice and the Days of Tashriq, there are specific forms of the Takbir that are stated from the companions. So the affair regarding this is flexible. If you wish, you may make the Takbir with the well-known Takbir that has been handed down from the Salaf until today, which is by saying: الله اكبر الله اكبر لا اله الا الله و الله اكبر الله اكبر ولله الحمد. This is the Takbir of Ibn Mas’ud. And it was narrated on Ali ibn Abi Talib and other than him. And this is what the Salaf would use. Ja’far al-Firyabi narrated by Yazid ibn Ziyad who said: I saw Sa’id ibn Jubayr, Abdurrahman ibn Abi Layla, Mujahid, or he said two of these three, he wasn’t sure, and the scholars of Fiqh, making Takbir in these ten days saying: الله اكبر الله اكبر لا اله الا الله و الله اكبر الله اكبر ولله الحمد. And this form combines what the Hadith encourages with, which is the Takbir, Tahmid and Tahlil. So increase in the Tahlil (saying لا اله الا الله), the Takbir (saying الله اكبر) and the Tahmid (saying الحمد لله). If you wish, you may make the Takbir in another form. Like the Takbir of Salman: الله اكبر الله اكبر الله اكبر كبيرا. If you wish, you may make the Takbir of Ibn Abbas: الله اكبر كبيرا الله اكبر كبيرا الله اكبر واجل الله اكبر ولله الحمد. If you wish you may make the Takbir in another form. Or if you wish you may just repeat: الله اكبر. So the variations of these narrations show that there is flexibility in the matter. And all praise is due to Allah. What is intended, O brothers, it is good for you and it is befitting for you to increase making the Takbir during these ten days.

And what is better than that is if you comprehend its meaning and then establish this meaning in your heart. الله اكبر. Take heed how you repeat this statement over and over again. So what is the meaning of: الله اكبر? The people of knowledge, like Ibn Atiyyah and al-Qurtubi and other than them from the people of Tafsir say: The most profound statement that the Arabs can say expressing glorification and magnification is the statement of Takbir: الله اكبر. And this is what Allah commanded with when He said: “And magnify Him with all the magnificence.” al-Isra:111. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Essence. Allah is greater than everything regarding His Attributes. So His Hearing is greater than every hearing. And His Seeing is greater than every seeing. His Honor, Mercy, Love and Power are greater than these attributes that are from other than Him. So He is greater (than everything) regarding His Attributes. And He is greater (than everything) regarding His Power. And He is greater (than everything) regarding His Praise. So there is none from His slaves that can praise Him as He should be praised, even the most knowledgeable of the creation of Him, our Prophet Muhammad. Verily, he said: I am not able of praising You as you should be praised, You are as You have praised Yourself. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Mercy. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Mention. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Anger. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Retribution. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding His Punishment. Allah is greater (than everything) regarding everything. And this unrestriction denotes generality. Therefore, O brothers, this is the meaning of the Takbir.

Know that if making the Takbir with the tongue is something that is good and it is a Sunnah, then making Takbir with the heart is something that is greater and more obligatory. The Takbir with the tongue, in other than the prayer, is Sunnah. However, the Takbir with the heart, is a Takbir that is obligatory. The Takbir of the tongue is required at times but the Takbir of the heart is obligatory at all times. And this repetition of the Takbir: الله اكبر الله اكبر الله اكبر invites you to establish this meaning in your heart so that the Aqidah is firmly grounded. It affects the heart and in turn it will affect the limbs. If the Muslim were to recognize this reality, and was certain of it, and were to act upon it inwardly and outwardly with what it necessitates, by Allah, he would live a life unlike anyone else. He would be living another life. Whoever magnifies Allah with his heart, it will become magnified until everything other than Allah will disappear from his heart. He will not give any act of worship to other than Him, neither hope nor fear, neither love nor supplication, or sacrifice, nothing from it whatsoever. Therefore why does the heart turn to other than Allah? And why would the limbs be provoked by other than Him? Therefore, the polytheists didn’t magnify Allah in their hearts. “They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him…” al-Zumar:67. Yes, by Allah! The one who supplicates to other than Allah. The one who says O Messenger of Allah, grant me relief. The one who says: The most generous of mankind, I do not have anyone to take shelter in except you at occurrence at the time of widespread calamity. By Allah, they didn’t magnify Allah in their hearts. Whoever magnifies Allah in his heart, everything other than Allah will disappear from his heart. And to him, everything above the dirt is dirt. This is because he believes that Allah is greater.

Whoever magnifies Allah in his heart, his limbs will be provoked to the obedience of Allah. He will magnify His commands and prohibitions. If he is called to carry out the command of Allah, if he is called to the prayer, he will be reminded with: الله اكبر. He will have fear and get up. This is because Allah is greater. He is greater than your worldly life, your desires, your business, your family, your children, your studies, He is greater than everything in this life. Therefore, His command is greater. It necessitates that you magnify His prohibitions. So you avoid what Allah prohibits because you know that His prohibitions are tremendous. And that His punishment that results from that is tremendous. Whoever magnifies him in his heart, that which is beloved to him diminishes in his heart. So he reaches a state where he doesn’t love except Allah, or that which Allah loves, or that which He permits. Whoever magnifies Allah in his heart, his reliance, dependence and his entrustment upon his Lord will prove to be true. He will not give attention to anyone other than Him. And he wouldn’t care about anyone other than Him. Therefore, you find that the worries and problems of the worldly life becomes insignificant in the heart because He is depending upon the One Who is greater than everything. Whoever magnifies Allah in his heart, he will live a life, as I mentioned, that is other than this life. He will be living with Allah and living for Allah. The religion, from its beginning until its end, the establishment of Tawhid, is all gathered in this statement: الله اكبر. But it is not truthful if one utters it with his tongue, but its meaning doesn’t penetrate his heart so that his heart is firmly grounded in it. Therefore, O slave of Allah, make for yourself a goal in this life, and strive against your soul, to make Allah in your heart greater than everything. Strive against your soul, to magnify Allah with your heart, just as you magnify Him with your tongue. I ask Allah to make us from those that are granted success in reaching this tremendous, lofty and noble objective. Just as I ask Him to fill our hearts with His love and to grant us success in His obedience. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon His slave and messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those that follow them in good.

Blessed Days [First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah]
https://abdurrahman.org/hajj/blessed-days-first-10-days-of-dhul-hijjah/