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In These 10 Sacred Days, Don't Overlook This
This story changed how I see dhikr
Sometimes the simplest people carry the deepest wisdom.
I was reminded of that this week. And with us being in these precious 10 days of Dhul Hijjah - the best days of the entire year - I knew I had to share it with you.
It’s about a man most of us wouldn’t give a second glance to.
Not a scholar.
Not a speaker.
Not an influencer.
Just a simple labourer carrying goods through the streets.
But what made him different was what was constantly on his tongue:
“Alhamdulillah”
“Astaghfirullah”
“Alhamdulillah”
“Astaghfirullah”
Every step, every lift, every moment.
A scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, Bakr Al-Muzani, noticed him and waited for him to take a break.
He asked, “Do you not know anything else besides this constant repetition?”
And the man’s response… SubhanAllah.
He said:
“Indeed I know much else, and I read the book of Allah. But the condition of a slave of Allah is that he is constantly between a blessing from Allah and a sin that he’s committing. So I praise Him for His blessings and seek His forgiveness for my sins.”
And Bakr Al-Muzani ر admitted something powerful after that:
“This man has a deeper understanding of the religion than me.”
You know what hit me the most about this?
It wasn’t about knowledge.
It wasn’t about status.
It was about awareness.
The kind of self-awareness most of us lose in the busyness of our lives.
This labourer understood something so simple yet so deep:
We are always moving between Allah’s blessings and our own shortcomings.
And between those two realities, a believer should constantly be in a state of dhikr - remembering Allah through praise and seeking forgiveness.
Not just in Ramadan.
Not just in times of hardship.
And definitely not just in the masjid.
But while carrying your worries.
While working.
While driving.
While cooking.
Right now, as you read this - we are living through the greatest days of the year. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.”
These are the days where every tasbeeh, every istighfar, every simple “Alhamdulillah” carries a weight you and I can’t even imagine.
And we often underestimate the value of the small things.
But look at the labourer.
His constant “Alhamdullilah, Astaghfirullah” made a scholar admit, this man understands the deen better than I do.
And if there’s any time to revive the habit, it’s now.
Especially with the Day of Arafah just around the corner.
The day the Prophet ﷺ described as:
“There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Hellfire than the Day of Arafah.”
And you know what’s incredible?
On that day, the best thing you can do is dhikr.
“The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafah, and the best that I and the prophets before me have said is:
‘La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer.”
Pick one dhikr you’ll keep on your tongue today.
Even if it’s only “Alhamdulillah” or “Astaghfirullah.”
And on the Day of Arafah (coming soon), make sure your heart, tongue, and du’a list are ready.
Block out time for dhikr.
Make du’a for yourself, your family, the Ummah, and those who passed away.
Ask for forgiveness like your life depends on it - because it does.
May Allah fill our hearts with awareness of Him, make our tongues busy with His remembrance, and allow us to be among those whose hearts stay alive through dhikr, especially in these blessed days.
Ameen.
If you ever want to reply to a newsletter with your thoughts, questions or reflections — I’d love to hear from you.
Until the next letter,
— Hidvyaa