First Ten Days (First Ashra) of Ramadan & Seeking Mercy of Allah
Although Allah Almighty is always showering His blessing and mercy upon the dwellers of this earth, however, there are times when the intensity and magnitude of the pouring of blessing and mercy increases. It is in these times that Muslims need to work the best to make sure that they get a greater share from whatever comes from Allah Almighty.
Pertaining to the time when the blessings and mercy of Allah increases exponentially, perhaps the best time in this regard is the fasting month of Ramadan. It is a month of blessings, forgiveness and mercy, therefore, it holds a special place in the Islamic calendar and the hearts of Muslims as well. The month of Ramadan is divided into three parts of ten days. Each part is called ‘Ashra’ and every respective Ashra comes with its special significance.
1st Ashra Of Ramadan:
The first ten days of Ramadan are referred to as the first Ashra of the Holy Month. These ten days are known for the mercy of Allah Almighty and in these ten days He is more inclined towards showering His mercy over all those who fast and ask for His mercy.
Dua for First Ashra: Rab-bigh-fir war-ham wa Anta Khair-ur-Raahimeen. (Surah Al Muminun:118)
Being the subjects and creation of Allah Almighty, it is imperative that in the first ten days of Ramadan Muslims submit to Him and plead for His mercy so that He may bless and forgive them. In order to ask His mercy, it is imperative that one does the deeds that are righteous and that invoke Him the most to shower His mercy. The lines below discuss some deeds, which a Muslim must commit during the first ten days of Ramadan to ensure reception of greater mercy from Allah Almighty.
Offer Obligatory Prayer:
Ramadan or no Ramadan, any special occasion or an ordinary day, the imperativeness of regular obligatory prayers cannot be superseded by anything. The five times a day Salat is the prescribed means of worshiping Allah Almighty and one of the most influential ways of invoking Him for help, guidance, forgiveness and mercy. Moreover, in the month of Ramadan, the reward associated with every obligatory act increases many a times; hence, the offering of regular prayers throughout the first ten days of Ramadan is surely a means of invoking the Merciful aspect of the personality of Allah Almighty. Ergo, a Muslim must make sure that the regular prayers are offered throughout Ramadan in order to ensure that the respective benefits of each Ashra are received.
Quran Recitation:
In addition to offering regular prayers, the other one act that can help a Muslim in gaining greater mercy of Allah Almighty is the recitation of Quran. For those who have multiple definitions of mercy, Quran can provide them with whatever kind of mercy they require. There are people who consider mercy as the reward which Allah Almighty will give them. For them, the recitation of Quran with its many time multiplied reward against each word is the best means of gathering greater mercy. There are other people for who consider guidance as mercy of Allah, as they are not able to find the right path that can lead them to the truth. For such people also, Quran can be the best source of doing so as the verses of Quran are fill with guidance for those who want to find the truth. Moreover, there are other people for whom forgiveness is mercy, thus for them also, Quran is the ultimate source of mercy as in Quran there are ways and means with the help of which Muslims can increase their chances of receiving forgiveness from Allah. Ergo, during the first ten days of Ramadan, a Muslim must try reciting as much Quran as possible and if you or your children cant read it, then you can take the services of a professional Quran tutor who can help you learn to recite Quran in a the most perfect manner possible.
Taraweeh:
Taraweeh is a Ramadan specific means of worship. If it is Ramadan specific, then it is quite natural that it comes with the benefits of helping achieve the fruits of Ramadan as well. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would offer Taraweeh in every Ramadan, therefore, it is quite natural that in order to receive the blessings and mercy of Allah Almighty, offering Taraweeh can be an effective means. The offering of Taraweeh shows that a Muslim is willing to stand more besides the regular prayer in the worship of Allah, which definitely can prove to be a catalyst that helps in invoking the mercy of Allah. Hence, Taraweeh must be made a compulsory part of the daily Ramadan routine in the first ten as well as the rest of the days of Ramadan.
Be Charitable:
Being charitable is one of the major preaching of Islam. When one is charitable, it means that he or she is willing to help others from the means Allah has given to him or her. Moreover, giving charity also means that a person is willing to spend his or her beloved wealth on the creation of Allah, whom He loves the most. Hence, when one is charitable to others, Allah Almighty in return showers His mercy upon that person, thus, offering charity in excess in the first ten days of Ramadan one is able to increase the chances of receiving greater mercy from Allah the Merciful.
Bottom Line:
In a nutshell, the Ramadan as a whole is a month that has no match in terms of the reward and blessings it brings. Within this month, it is the first ten days that stand as the days that are epitome of mercy and Allah Almighty showers His special mercy upon all those who seek it and strive to be among the ones who are blessed.
