Episode 10: "And in That Let Them Rejoice"

Episode Transcript

(Note: the transcript has been edited for clarity)

0:00 – 1:35 Rejoice in Allah's forgiveness and bounty

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmah Allah wa Barakatuhu everyone, welcome back to the Virtues of Dhul-Hijjah, and Eid Mubarak to you all and your families.

I want to reflect on something very beautiful that Allah says in the Quran and how it really ties into this. Allah says "Qul bifadl Allahi warahmati fa bithalika falyafrahu wa Huwa khayrun min ma yajma'oon."

"That say in the bounty of Allah and His mercy, let them rejoice in that and that is greater than all that they gather of this world, when they rejoice in the bounty and the mercy of Allah SWT."

We have two Eids, two holidays in Islam, two feasts in Islam. One Eid comes after the best ten nights, the other eight comes after the best ten days.

One Eid comes after a month of fasting, Ramadan, and we celebrate that, and again particularly the last ten nights. The Eid immediately follows that. Another Eid follows the best ten days, with the best good deeds that we could possibly present to Allah SWT.

One Eid comes after Laylatul Qadr, which is the best of the last ten nights. This one night that is worth an entire lifetime, and one Eid comes after Arafah, which is the best day of the year, and a day in which we could be redeemed entirely in the sight of Allah SWT.

So this is the meaning of "Qul bifadl Allahi warahmati fa bithalika falyafrahu" That we take joy and we find joy and we rejoice in Allah's forgiveness and His bounty in His grace and in His mercy, and that is greater than anything else that we could possibly attain.

And this really speaks to the fact that these two Eids come with acts of worship, really speaks to something special about the spirit of salvation in Islam. We are not commemorating someone else's good deed. We're not commemorating someone else's acceptance. We're commemorating Allah's mercy and allowing us to perform a good deed, and then hoping for His Acceptance in that because of that same mercy and because of that same grace from Him SWT.

So it is you that takes the action, you what you're supposed to do for these 30 days in Ramadan or 29 days in Ramadan and these 10 days of the Dhul-Hijjah, and then you celebrate that Allah allowed you to do that, and you celebrate Allah's mercy and you depend upon a good answer from Allah SWT.

The Prophet SAW said "ud'u Allah wa antum muqeenun bil ijabba" - Call upon Allah confident in the response when you do these good deeds - you are confident in Allah's acceptance, not because of your supreme performance of them, but because of Allah's supreme mercy in accepting them.

We also find that Allah tells us, or the Prophet SAW taught us to recite in the Eid Salah Surah Al-Ghashiya, Surah A'laa, and in Surah Al-Ghashiya and Surah A'laa, "Wal akhiratu khayrun wa abqa", "Wal akhiratu khayrun laka min al ula."

Both of them say that the Hereafter is better than everything in this world and everything that it contains, and the Eid - the celebration of this world is to celebrate what is greater than everything in this world which is Allah's mercy and His bounty and His forgiveness.

Just like the Prophet SAW said for the fasting person "Lalsa imi farhatan" For the fasting person is two joys, when they break their fast and when they meet Allah with that fast. For the sacrificing good doer is two joys- when they eat the fruits of that sacrifice in this world and when they meet Allah SWT with that sacrifice.

So May Allah SWT accept your good deeds, accept your sacrifice, accept all that you've done of remembrance, of fasting, of charity in these 10 days - all that you've done to draw close to him. May Allah SWT redeem all of us. May Allah accept our Arafah, and may Allah SWT allow us to be amongst those that are sanctified on the Day of judgement, elevated on the Day of Judgement to the highest level of Jannah-ul-Firdaus with the Prophets whose examples we follow in drawing close to Him. May Allah SWT allow us to be in that same level of Paradise and as close to Him.

Allahuma Ameen. JazakumAllahu Khayran for joining us on this journey. I hope that you've rediscovered Dhul-Hijjah and the blessings and the mercy of Allah SWT contained within.

Wassalamu Alaykum Warahmah Allah Wabarakatuh.