By Sumaiya Rabeya
The entire life of believers in this world is for the purpose of worship. Allah, the Exalted, has created humans specifically for His worship. However, in addition to the general time for worship throughout the year, there are some special seasons of worship for believers. These special seasons of worship come with special rewards. Therefore, it is necessary for us to prepare ourselves specifically for worship during these special seasons. In order to attain success Hereafter, we should strive to perform more and more good deeds during these seasons of worship. It is important to welcome these special times through beautiful preparations.
We have entered the honoured month of Dhul-Hijjah in our calendar, which is esteemed in the sight of Allah. After the departure of Ramadan and we return to our regular busy schedule, it is inevitable that the spirit of worship loosens and our connection with Allah fades a bit. This is why this month should be taken as a chance to revive the spirit we gained during Ramadan. Let us see how we can do that:
Self-Purification through Tawbah:
First and foremost, we must keep in mind that we have a special opportunity to purify ourselves on the beloved days of Allah. The more we immerse into self-purification, the higher the chance of our success in self-improvement. Instead of searching for faults and flaws in others, we should strive for self-improvement first. Those who have sincerely reflected upon themselves have forsaken the faults of others. It is necessary not to surrender ourselves to our desires but rather to control our desires firmly. We should protect ourselves as much as possible from all major and minor sins that are facilitated by Satan and our desires. We must remember that we may not be able to perform abundant good deeds, but we should strive to save ourselves from sins as much as possible because even small sins can lead us to Hellfire.
But as a human and by default, we are prone to committing sins. Therefore, we need to develop the habit of continuous repentance, or Tawbah. Repentance can be done at any time, but there are certain times when Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) accepts the repentance of His servants more. Like Ramadan, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are also such special days when Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) grants His servants the opportunity to repent and accepts their repentance.
Just as putting clean water in a glass with impurities will make the water impure, similarly, performing righteous deeds without repenting and carrying the impurity of sins in the heart will diminish their value. That is why it is necessary to purify the heart through repentance.
There are conditions for repentance. Sincere repentance will only occur when three characteristics are present:
1. The sin must be completely abandoned.
2. One must sincerely regret committing the sin.
3. Firm determination must be made to not repeat the sin in the future.
Repentance means to turn back or return. Due to the temptation of Satan and the self, humans commit many sins. But if one realizes their mistakes, feels remorse in their heart, turns back to Al-Ghaffar (the Forgiver), seeks His mercy, repents, and makes a firm resolution not to commit those sins again, that is repentance. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) is greatly pleased with the repentance of His servants. When sincere repentance is done, Allah forgives all sins and transforms them into good deeds. Allah (Subhanahu waTa’ala) has also stated:
“But whoever repents, believes, and does righteousness, then they will be among the successful.” (Surah Al-Qasas: 67)
Time Consciousness:
In addition to repentance, we must also be careful about another valuable aspect that we are rapidly losing, which is the passing of time. If we can make the most out of our valuable time, it will be beneficial for both our worlds, by the permission of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has warned us about time and said, “There are two blessings in which many people incur loss: health and free time.” (Bukhari: 6412)
In order to increase self-purification and the quantity of good deeds, the less time spent online, the better. Facebook, in particular, is an excellent medium for wasting time. Perhaps there are some good things that happen here, such as giving or receiving religious knowledge, but in many cases, people unknowingly become busy with other matters. Sometimes, online activities may increase your knowledge, but they will not increase your deeds. It is better to allocate the majority ofyour time to beneficial activities and not become excessively involved in irrelevant matters.
Spending excessive time online can cause delays in performing prayers or cause one to lose focus during prayers. Even though you may desire it, perhaps a lot of worship is not done. However, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was very conscious about this matter! He said, “I am not more regretful over any day that has passed from my life in which no good deeds were done.”
Therefore, if there is any necessity online, whether it be reading something, reciting Quran, or listening to a lecture, allocate specific time for it. Keep your efforts uninterrupted. The Helper is Allah, the Highest. Those who are sincere in His cause, He will surely guide them on His path. Indeed, Allah says, “And whoever strives for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Surah Al-Ankabut: 69)
About the author:
Sumaiya Rabeya is a researcher and content writer. She is the co-founder of a Malaysia-based media-production company. Sumaiya is also a community volunteer, actively working on various projects related to Islamic dawah, social engagement and women. Born in 1989, she graduated with a degree in Politics and International Relations and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Gender Studies. Moreover, she has been working as a media content writer for over a decade. As a Bengali young mother, she feels responsible in creatively contributing to society.