Alhamdulillah, as we are in the blessed ten days of Dhul Hijjah, days most beloved to Allah Al-Maalik, we are reminded to increase in adhkaar, the remembrance of Allah by doing Takbeer, Tahleel, Tahmeed, and Tasbeeh.
These days are an opportunity not just to utter the words of dhikr, but to internalize their meanings and reflect on their weight in our lives.
Takbeer – اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allah is The Greatest
How often we say “Allahu Akbar” with our tongues yet the real question remains,
Is Allah truly The Greatest in our lives?
Is He (swt) greater than our desires, our fears, our egos, and our attachment to the dunya?
Or have we, knowingly or unknowingly, allowed other “greatnesses” to overshadow Him be it societal norms, fear of judgment from people, cultural expectations, or the pursuit of status and wealth?
When we say Allahu Akbar, we must pause and ask,
Is Allah The Greatest in our choices, in our priorities, in our hearts?
Tahleel – لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ
There is no one worthy of worship but Allah
This statement is the foundation of our faith. But how many unseen idols do we serve besides Him, idols of self-importance, approval, pride, convenience, or even our own opinions?
Do we truly live by La ilaha illAllah, or have we let worldly attachments become partners in our devotion?
Slavery (‘ibadah) is not just in prostration, it’s in obedience, love, fear, trust, and submission.
So let us ask,
Is Allah Al-Ahad, The Only One, in Whom our hearts find rest and to Whom our ultimate loyalty belongs?
Tahmeed –
الْـحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
All praise is for Allah
We often say Alhamdulillah, but is our praise rooted in sincere gratitude, or is it a habitual phrase with no presence in our qalb?
Do we truly acknowledge Allah Al-Wahaab (The Bestower of gifts) as The Source of every blessing, or do we become self-congratulatory, falsely elevating ourselves, thinking that we deserved it all?
Have we become so deluded by self-importance that we forget The Giver behind every success?
True praise means recognizing that all goodness stems from Him alone, and all perfection belongs to Him.
Tasbeeh – سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ
Glory be to Allah
To say SubhanAllah is to declare that Allah is free from all imperfection, He is Al-Quddus (The Ultimate Perfect) above all that is attributed to Him unjustly.
But in our day to day lives, do we truly glorify Him as
Al-Quddus, The Most Perfect?
Or do we glorify the creation more than The Creator, celebrating fame, wealth, appearance, and success in ways that transgress His commands?
We must ask ourselves,
Is our admiration reserved for that what Allah Al-Azeem loves, or have we idolized the fleeting glamour of this world?
May Allah A-Mujeeb (The Responder of duas and pleas) make us among those who say these words with truth, sincerity, action, and who live by them long after these ten days have passed.
Ameen.