VIRTUE OF THE TEN DAYS OF DHU’L-HIJJAH
Praise be to Allah who created times and made some times
better than others, some months and days and nights better than others. Allah
created the days of the week and made them seven and he created the months of the year and made them twelve; and
chose four of them as the sacred months of the year as He has mentioned in the
holy book. “Verily! The number of months in
the sight of Allah is twelve months since the day he created the heavens and the
earth; among them are four sacred months”
The four sacred months are Rajab, Dhu’l-Quada, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram.
The four sacred months are Rajab, Dhu’l-Quada, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram.
Dhu’l-Hijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar and it
is also the month of the hajj as the name entails. This month is one of the sacred months because in it is one of the greatest seasons of worship in Islam;
the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are considered as the best days of the year without
an exception, not even the last ten days of Ramadan; however, the last ten nights
of Ramadan are the best nights of the year because in it is laila tu Kadir (The night
of decree).
The messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said concerning the virtue of
Dhu’l-Hijjah in a hadith narrated by Ibn Abass: “there
are no days in which good deeds are more beloved by Allah than these ten days.”
The people asked, “Not even jihad for the sake
of Allah?” He said “not even jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a
man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and
came back with nothing.” {Reported
by al-Bukhaari, 2/457}.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Islam, we should know
that the virtue of these days is based on many things and one of them is:
Allah swears an oath by them in the holy Quran. And wearing an oath by something indicates its importance and great benefit. Allah says in the holy Quran: “(I Swear) by the dawn; by the ten nights” {al-Fajr 89:1-2}.
Ibn Katheer and other scholars said that the above verse refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. The prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H) testified that these are the best days of this world, as we have already said above from saheeh ahaadeeth.
Allah swears an oath by them in the holy Quran. And wearing an oath by something indicates its importance and great benefit. Allah says in the holy Quran: “(I Swear) by the dawn; by the ten nights” {al-Fajr 89:1-2}.
Ibn Katheer and other scholars said that the above verse refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. The prophet of Allah (P.B.U.H) testified that these are the best days of this world, as we have already said above from saheeh ahaadeeth.
Haven enlighten you about the importance of this month
and precisely the first ten days, we
need to now be concerned with how to extract the benefits of this season of
worship. The messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said in a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar ”….during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“la ilaaha
ill-Allah”), Takbeer
and Tahmeed.” (Reported by Ahmed, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that
it is saheeh).
One of the best ways to extract the benefits of this month is by fasting the first ten days or some of the first them because the Prophet (P.B.U.H) is reported in a hadith to have fasted these ten days.
This season of worship is also a time of repentance to Allah the lord of the words. These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected his Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the day of sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year.
One of the best ways to extract the benefits of this month is by fasting the first ten days or some of the first them because the Prophet (P.B.U.H) is reported in a hadith to have fasted these ten days.
This season of worship is also a time of repentance to Allah the lord of the words. These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected his Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the day of sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year.
What a Muslim must avoid during these ten days if he wants to offer a sacrifice?
The sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a
sacrifice on the days of Nahr (The day of the eid and three days following it) must stop cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his
skin, from the beginning of the ten days until after he has offered his
sacrifice because the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “when
you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer his
sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he offers his
sacrifice.” However, if a person in this state cuts his hair or
nails due to a necessity, then that is no blame on him. If a person never had the
intension to make a sacrifice and then cuts his hair or nails during the ten
days and decides later to make a sacrifice, then he should avoid cutting
them until when the sacrifice is done. If a woman for example delegates her
brother or son to make the sacrifice on her behalf, then it is not allowed for
her to cut her hair during these ten days and the brother or son is out of the
ruling of keeping hair even thought he is executing the sacrifice. Allah knows
best.
My beloved brothers and sisters, these ten days are the best
days of the year and Allah is more willing to accept righteous deeds than any
other time of the year. It is now our duty to extract the values of this season
of worship by worshiping Allah in many different ways as per our ability. Let us
make repentance and seek his forgiveness so that we can become successful here
and hereafter.
MAY ALLAH ACCEPT OUR WORSHIP
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