The Blessed Days of Dhu al-Hijjah
(It’s virtues and various acts to perform)
Adapted from Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s Lata’if al-ma’arif on the section of Dhu al-hijjah
Ustadha Bint Ahmad
(Al-Zahra Institute, London)
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah alone and blessings and peace be upon his beloved, Muhammad, his family, his companions, all of them.
In the Qur’an, Allah takes oaths by various entities to highlight their importance. From amongst these entities, one aspect by which He takes an oath is time. Time is one of the greatest bounties of Allah bestowed upon mankind. In the pursuit of living a life in the obedience of Allah, it is essential that every individual continually reflects over this blessing.
Time in and of itself is a great bounty. However, from amongst the twelve Islamic months of the year, Allah has made some times superior than others. Some times are golden times in which the reward of simple acts is multiplied abundantly. Examples illustrating this are in the following verses where Allah specifically makes mention of certain important periods in the Muslim calendar:
Allah says: “Among them are four sacred months…”. (al-Tawbah: V26)
And he says: “The hajj is known months”. (al-Baqarah: V197)
And he says: “The month of Ramadhan in which the Qur’an was revealed”. (al-Baqarah: V185)
These special days are full of virtues and acts of obedience by which one can draw close to Allah. During these virtuous days Allah unveils an extra compassion from his benevolent nature through which one can attain whatever he wishes from Allah’s favour and mercy upon him. The fortunate one is a person who enriches himself in these virtuous days, months and hours, by using them to attain the nearness of Allah and carrying out the acts of His obedience. It will surely be that such a person will acquire a moment from these virtuous times to have gained the fortune of everlasting success. One has the great potential to become from among those who are guaranteed a place in paradise and freedom from the fire of hell. (May Allah make us from amongst such people, Ameen)
A common phrase used by time conscious individuals is ‘Time is of the essence’. A believer is ever more conscious about time as one is unaware of when they will breathe their last. For this reason every Muslim strives to live an obedient life and is constantly striving to increase in righteous deeds. There are certain times, days and months where the rewards of righteous deeds are multiplied and attaining salvation in these days becomes easier. From amongst these days are the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
DHU AL-HIJJAH
The month of Dhu al-hijjah is named after the performance of the sacred pilgrimage (hajj) which occurs within it. Although this year every Muslim will not undertake the wonderful journey of hajj, it is still important to be aware of the blessings of this month. With the days of Dhu al-Hijjah fast approaching, it is necessary for each of us to understand its sacredness, the incidents which occurred within it and the virtuous acts in which to participate in order to attain the nearness of Allah.
The virtues within this month can be divided into:
a. The virtues of the first 10 days
b. The virtues of the 9th Dhu al-Hijjah (yawm al-‘arafah)
c. The day of ‘Id (yawm al-nahr)
d. The 11th,12th and 13th Dhu al-Hijjah (ayyam al-tashriq)
Along with understanding the virtues it is equally important to know which acts should be performed to truly benefit and attain the nearness of Allah in these extra special days. After discussing the virtues of each of the four above, a few acts to carry out will also be stated.
THE VIRTUES OF THE FIRST 10 DAYS
In the Qur’an Allah takes an oath:
“And the 10 nights” (Al-Fajr: V 2)
Many of the Qur’anic exegetes including Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid and many from them state that the ten nights mentioned in this verse refer to the first ten days of Dhul al-Hijjah, and this is the correct opinion. (Ibn Kathir)
The ten nights by which Allah takes an oath are full of merits. The days in and of themselves are virtuous as are the performance of righteous deeds within them. This can be understood from the words of our beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace).
Ibn ‘Abbas narrates: The Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days” (i.e the first ten days of Dhu al-hijjah). (Bukhari)
Jabir narrates: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “There are no days more virtuous to Allah than the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah”. (Ibn Hibban)
Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asakalani mentions:
The reason why the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah are distinguished is due to it being the time in which the foundational worships are collectively carried out i.e. salah, fasting, charity and hajj are carried out in conjunction with one another. These acts are not carried out collectively in any other days. (Sharh Bukhari: Fath al-Bari)
ACTS ONE CAN PERFORM ON THE FIRST 10 DAYS
After becoming aware of the various virtues the first ten days enjoy, it is essential that one does not let these day pass without performing righteous deeds and striving to attain eternal success. These are golden days where a believer can easily be forgiven and elevated as well as attain the pleasure of Allah, Most High.
Some of the acts one can undertake are:
1. Fasting the first nine days or as many as one can keep.
Hunaydah ibn Khalid narrated upon the authority of his wife who said, "Some of the wives of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) told me that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fast the Day of ‘Ashurah, the first nine days of Dhu al-Hijjah, and three days out of every month". (Ahmad, Nasa’i)
2. Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah). This can be done by saying the takbir (Allahu akbar), the tahmid (al-hamdu li-Allah), the tasbih (subhana al-Allah) and the tahlil (la ilaha illa al-Allah).
Allah says, “…and recite Allah’s name in specified days” (al-Hajj: V28).
The specified days refer to the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah. By remembering Allah in these days one will be directly following the recommendation in this verse.
3. Performing the ‘Umrah and Hajj. This is only time in the year Muslims can undertake the journey of Hajj. This physical and spiritual journey entails one leaving behind many luxuries and totally submitting one’s self to Allah to be cleansed and elevated. One of the reasons why the ten days are so blessed is because they coincide with some of the days of hajj.
4. Repentance. During these blessed days there is a great opportunity to benefit from the extra benevolence unveiled from Allah, hence; one should set side time to repent for all sins- minor and major.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, “The one who repents from sins is like he who has no sin”. (Ibn Majah, Baihaqi)
5. Refraining from sins.
It is important that each Muslim acknowledges that in order to gain the maximum benefit from righteous actions, it is essential to abstain from sins. Even if a person cannot perform any supererogatory acts, the least one should do is refrain from sin. One must be mindful of every type of sin, from the violation of the rights of Allah, to the rights of the creation of Allah, including sins of the physical body and sins of the tongue.
6. Increase in supererogatory acts in general.
These are days in which any righteous deed is more beloved in the eyes of Allah and more virtuous than if the very same acts were to be performed in the normal days of the year. This could include:
a. Recitation of the Qur’an.
Often after the month of the Ramadhan one loses the habit of reciting the Qur’an regularly. Use these days to increase in the recitation of the beautiful words of Allah to re-establish daily recitation.
b. Maintain ties.
When one becomes busy with work or studying maintaining good relationships with family, neighbours and friends becomes difficult. These days are a prime time to maintain good ties.
c. Supplicating to Allah.
This is a believer’s link to conversing with Allah. One should use these days to express ones gratitude and ask for ones lawful worldly needs as well as salvation in the hereafter.
d. Giving in charity.
THE VIRTUES OF THE 9TH DHU AL-HIJJAH (YAWM AL-‘ARAFAH)
There are numerous virtues of the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah which is known as yawm al-‘Arafah. This is the day where the pilgrims assemble on the plain of ‘Arafah to complete one of the essential rituals of the Hajj. From among the many merits of this day, a few are:
1. This is the day the religion was perfected and the blessings of Allah were complete. The following verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) on the day of ‘Arafah:
Allah says: “Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and chosen Islam as Dīn (religion and a way of life) for you”. (Al Maidah: V3)
The completion of Allah’s blessing refers to forgiveness for ones sins by Allah, as without it the blessings of Allah cannot be complete. This brings to light the importance of being forgiven by Allah.
2. Allah takes an oath by it twice in the Qur’an with the words shaf’ and shahid which some of the exegetes explained as both being the day of ‘Arafah, thereby highlighting the importance of this day.
Allah says: “And by the odd (shaf’)” (Al-Fajr: V3)
And Allah says: “And by that which attends (al-shahid)…” (Al-Buruj: V3)
The odd day refers to the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah. Ibn Abbaas said: ‘… the odd is the Day of Arafah”. This is the view of ‘Ikramah and Dhahhak also. (Ibn Kathir)
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “The shahid is the day of ‘Arafah”. (Al-Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad)
3. It is the best of all days.
Jabir narrates: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The best of days is the day of ‘Arafah”. (Ibn Hibban). However there are other scholars of the opinion that the day of sacrifice (10th Dhu al-Hijjah) is the best day on the Islamic calendar.
4. Fasting on this very day is expiation of two years of sin.
5. It is a day of forgiveness from sins and emancipation from the fire of hell.
A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “There is no day greater than wherein Allah frees slaves than the day of ‘Arafah. Verily Allah comes near, then he boasts about them (the servants) to the angels, then he says: “What do these servants want?” (Muslim)
ACTS ONE CAN PERFORM ON THE DAY OF ‘ARAFAH
On the day of ‘Arafah every believer should strive to be forgiven from sin and emancipated from the fire of hell. One should be mindful of performing the following acts whereby this can be facilitated:
1. Fast on the day of ‘Arafah. The fast of this day is expiation for a person’s sins of the previous and upcoming year.
Abu Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
"Fasting on the day of 'Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year” (Muslim)
2. Prevent one’s self from engaging in sin.
3. Abundant recitation of the testimony of the oneness of Allah with sincerity.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said. “The best supplication is the supplication of the day of ‘Arafah, and best is that which I and the prophets before me said: La ilaha illa-Allahu wahdahu la sharoka lahu, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir”. (al-Tirmidhi)
4. Be sincere in repentance.
5. Supplicate to be saved from the fire of hell and placed in paradise and to be blessed with the everlasting pleasure of Allah.
THE VIRTUES OF THE 10TH DHU AL-HIJJAH (YAWM AL-NAHR)
The tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah is known as the day of sacrifice (yawm al-nahr). This is the day where in Muslims across the world celebrate ‘Id al-Adhah.
Some of the virtues found in the Qur’an and hadith are:
1. Allah has taken an oath by the world al-Watr (the even).
“…and by the even (al-watr)” (Al-Fajr: V3)
Some Qur’anic exegetes state that the even refers to the 10th Dhu Al-Hijjah. This once again accentuates the importance of yet another day from the blessed ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.
2. It is the best of days. Earlier it was discussed that the best of all days is the day of ‘Arafah, another groups of scholars state that the best of all days in the year is the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
‘Abd Allah ibn Qurt (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “The best of days to Allah is the day of sacrifice (yawm al-nahr) then the day of qarr (11th Dhu al-Hijjah)”. (Abu Daud, Ahmad, Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban).
3. It is the greatest day of hajj.
Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) stood between the jamarat (area pelted with stones) on the Day of Sacrifice during his Hajj and said, “This is the greatest day of Hajj.” (Bukhari)
On this day many acts are performed by the pilgrims performing hajj:
a) Stoning Jamrah al-‘Aqabah
b) Offering the sacrifice
c) Shaving the head or cutting the hair
d) Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka’bah)
e) Sa’ie (running between al-Safa and al-Marwah)
4. It is the day of ‘Id for all Muslims.
The Companion Anas (Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) migrated to the city of Medina and saw the people celebrating two days of festivities. He said, ‘What are these two days?’ The people of Medina replied, ‘They were days of festivities in the pre-Islamic era (jahaliyya).’ Then he said, ‘Verily Allah has replaced these two days with (what) is better for you—the day of Adha and the day of Fitr” (Abu Daud)
5. It is the day of the offering of the sacrifice of an animal.
This is an act that pilgrims and many non-pilgrims throughout the world participate in. It is a reminder of the Prophet Ibrahim’s (May Allah be pleased with him) total submission to Allah when asked by Allah to slaughter his son. Allah’s request to the Prophet Ibrahim was a test of his submission, dedication and devotion to Allah. Upon success, Allah substituted his son’s body (the Prophet Isma’il) with a ram.
By sacrificing an animal Muslims demonstrate their willingness to carry out rituals for the sake of Allah and making sacrifices to demonstrate utmost submission to Allah.
This incident is mentioned in the Quran.
Allah says: “And he (Ibrahim) said, “I am going to my Lord. He will show me the way. O my Lord, bless me with a righteous son (Isma’il).”So, We gave him the good news of a forbearing boy.Thereafter, when he (the boy) reached an age in which he could work with him, he (Ibrāhīm) said, “O my little son, I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you, so consider, what is your opinion?” He said, “O my dear father, do what you have been ordered to do. You will find me, inshā’allah , (if Allah wills) one of those who endure patiently.”So, (it was a great episode) when both of them submitted themselves (to Allah’s will), and he laid him on his forehead (to slaughter him), and then We called out to him, “O Ibrāhīm, you did make the dream come true.” This is how We reward those who are good in their deeds. This was indeed a trial that clearly demonstrated (their obedience).And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice,and We left for him (a word of praise) among the later people,(that is,) “Salām be on Ibrāhīm! This is how We reward those who are good in their deeds.” (Surah al-Saffat: V99-110)
ACTS ONE CAN PERFORM ON THE DAY OF SACRIFICE (‘ID AL-ADHAH)
The day of ‘Id is can often confused with many celebratory days of other religions and cultures. Therefore, it is necessary for each Muslim to understand the day of ‘Id thoroughly. It is not a break from the worship or obedience of Allah. On this ‘Id (the ‘Id of sacrifice) Muslims are encouraged to participate in the act of slaughtering an animal for the sake of Allah alone. This act symbolises submission to Allah, it promotes selflessness (as a portion of the meat is encouraged to be distributed to family and the poor), and it is a reminder to be grateful for the blessings of Allah unto mankind. It is to be understood that this day is yet another great opportunity to attain the nearness of Allah.
The acts that can be performed are:
1. Slaughtering an animal (one who is required in the shari’ah must offer the sacrifice)
2. Maintaining family ties.
3. Being charitable.
4. Refraining from sin. It is important that on this day one does not neglect the obligatory acts like the five mandatory prayers.
THE VIRTUES OF THE 11TH, 12TH AND 13TH DHU AL-HIJJAH (AYYAM AL-TAHSRIQ)
The days of tashriq are the three days that follow the day of sacrifice. Although these days are not a part of the first ten days, they still entail reward and blessings.
Allah says, “And remember Allah in the appointed days” (Al-baqarah: V203)
The ‘appointed days’ refers to these very three days in which Muslims are commanded to remember Allah. Within these days one is not allowed to fast; this is a reminder to Muslims that even the rewards of virtuous deeds are dependent on when Allah has intended for them to be meritorious.
The Messenger of Allah said, “The days of Mina are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah”. (Muslim)
In this hadith again reference is being made to the days of tashriq.
ACTS ONE CAN PERFORM ON THE DAYS OF TASHRIQ
The days of tashriq are the appointed as the days wherein one should abundantly remember Allah. One should always try to engage in the remembrance of Allah; in these days this should be increased. This can be attained by the following:
1. After every obligatory prayer (from the fajr of the 9th till the asr of the 13th Dhu al-Hijjah) the takbir of tashriq should be recited. That is:
‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, La ilaha illa-Allah, wa-Allahu akbar, Allah akbar, wa li-Allahi ‘L-hamd.’
‘Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. There is no God but Him. And Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. And to Allah belongs all praise.’
2. Remembering Allah with the basamalah (bi-Smillah) and with the takbir (Allahu akbar) at the time of slaughtering the animal.
3. Remembering Allah at the time of eating and drinking by mentioning his name to begin and finishing by praising him. Being extra mindful of this if one normally forgets to do so.
4. Being abundant in all forms of remembering Allah.
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The fiqh of ‘Id, the slaughter and the takbir of tashriq has not been mentioned. Each reader is advised to read on these issues too. This article was for the purpose of stating the virtues and suggesting beneficial acts to perform on these special days.
May Allah grant us all the ability to understand the virtue of these blessed days and the ability to do righteous deeds to attain His everlasting pleasure. Ameen.
Summary
1) The first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are the most virtuous days of the year.
2) Virtues of performing good deeds during these days and the necessity of utilising time.
3) Examples of good deeds:
a. Salaah.
b. Recitation of the Qur’aan.
c. Fasting.
d. Charity.
e. Hajj.
4) Sacrificing Udh-hiyah, and the Sunnah regarding it.
Slaves of Allaah! You are approaching virtuous days; they are the best days as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said in an authentic hadeeth: “The best days in this life are the (first) ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah”. Furthermore, Allaah swore by them in His Book, and when Allaah swears by something, it is a reflection of its great importance. Allaah says that which translates to: “By the dawn. And the nights of the ten days” (Al-Fajr: 1-2). These are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and they include the day of ‘Arafah, about which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “There is no day in which Allaah Frees more of His slaves from The Fire than the day of ‘Arafah” (Muslim). These ten days are concluded by the day of An-Nahr (sacrifice); then follows the day of Al-Qarr. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The greatest days in the scale of Allaah are the days of An-Nahr and Al-Qarr” (Abu Daawood). The day of An-Nahr is the major day of Hajj and the day of ‘Eid; the day of Al-Qarr is the following day. Virtuous deeds have a magnified position during these days. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than the (first) ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah” (Ad-Daarimi), in another narration the companions asked: “Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allaah?” he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except for a man who loses (sacrifices) both his wealth and life in a battle” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, At-Tirmidhi).
What great virtues and what a great season! What an opportunity this is to collect greater rewards than that of Jihaad, which is the best deed after sound belief and punctual Salaah. This season represents a wonderful opportunity for those who want to compete in collecting rewards and a miserable loss for the idle, who shun such opportunities.
Slaves of Allaah! Compete for and rush towards the forgiveness of Allaah and paradise which is as wide as the heavens and earth and do not slacken and be unhurried, because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Being laid-back is best in every matter except for good deeds” (Abu Daawood & Al-Haakim). One must compete and march forward when it comes to working for the hereafter as Allaah says that which translates as: “… So for this let the competitors compete” (Al-Mutaffifeen: 26) and also, “…So race to (all that is) good…” (Al-Baqarah: 148).
In this season, the roads leading to goodness are numerous, so do not miss out on any of them. The intelligent ones are those who exhaust themselves during this season to gain abundantly; you see many of them joining their days with their nights, continuously doing righteous deeds and hardly sleeping in order to get the most out of this season. On the other hand, you see those who put all their efforts into the attainment of worldly gains. The sad fact is that the result of all this effort would be, at most, the doubling of their capital - if indeed they do not actually lose it. As for the wise believers, nothing is dearer to them than increasing their efforts and righteous deeds that please the Lord, get them closer to Him and elevate their ranks; Allaah told us what pleases Him in His Book and through His messenger; Allaah will guide those who truly wish for goodness (if He Wills).
Salaah is one of the ways leading to goodness and something that Allaah loves. The slave must be keen to perform it in congregation as Allaah says that which translates to: “…And bow (in rukoo’) with those who bow” (Al-Baqarah: 43), and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “He who hears the Adhaan (call for Salaah) and does not respond, his Salaah is not accepted, except with the congregation, unless he has a (valid) excuse” (Ibn Maajah) The excuse is either fear, sickness or rain.
A slave of Allaah who is guided would supply himself with optional Salaah in these ten days, because it is a path to goodness and something that Allaah loves. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Salaah is the best thing that one can do, so perform as many as you possibly can” (At-Tabaraani) and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “Two light rak’ahs which you may think as insignificant to add to you deeds, is better for you than possessing the whole world” (Ibn Al-Mubaarak) he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah, “The son of Aadam could not do anything more beneficial for himself than Salaah, reconciliation (between Muslims) and being well mannered” (Al-Bayhaqi and others).
These were three examples of good deeds that lead to righteousness, Salaah, reconciliation and being well mannered which are better than anything else that the son of Aadam can do, yet you see some people slight the performance of obligatory Salaah, let alone optional Salaah; you see them instigating disputes between people; and you see ill-mannered people who have lost out on the great reward for having a good character. So let us repent to Allaah from our sins, reform our situation and improve our manners.
A woman was praised in the presence of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam for her Salaah, fasting and other good deeds; her only flaw was that she harmed her neighbours. Upon hearing the praise, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “She is from the people of the Fire” (Ahmad). In reality, the guided ones are those who do all those things which please Allaah and refrain from all those things that cause His wrath, as some of the scholars said: “Wisdom is to perform what you are obliged to, in the correct manner and on time; he who is granted wisdom has attained a great deal of good”.
Some of the Ahaadeeth which mention the virtues of optional Salaah are as follows: “Prostrate as much as you can, because whenever you prostrate, Allaah elevates your rank by a degree and wipes out a sin from your record” (Muslim) and in another narration: “Whenever a slave prostrates to Allaah, Allaah writes a reward for him, wipes out one of his sins and elevates his rank by one degree; so prostrate as much as you can” (Ibn Maajah). The way to perform Salaah is as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam described: “The night Salaah is done two (rak’ah) at a time” (Al-Bukhaari) and in another narration: “The optional Salaah at night and during the day is done two Rak’ah at a time” (Ahmad, Ibn Maajah and others).
Slaves of Allaah! Another of the paths to righteousness and fields of competition is reciting the Qur’aan. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The best amongst you are those who learn the Qur’aan and then teach it” (Bukhaari) he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “He who recites a letter from the Book of Allaah will get a reward and each of these rewards will be multiplied ten times. I do not mean ‘Alif Laam Meem’ is one letter, but rather ‘Alif” is a letter, ‘Laam is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter ” (At-Tirmidhi) and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “If one of goes to the masjid and learns a verse or reads two verses from the Book of Allaah, is better for him than owning two she-camels, (reading) three are better than (owning) three, (reading) four are better than (owning) four and so on” (Muslim) and also, “Let him who wants to attain love for Allaah and His messenger read from The Book of Allaah”.
Another of the fields of goodness is fasting as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam encouraged us to “Fast on Mondays and Thursdays” (Ahmad & Nasaa’i) and “Fast the day of ‘Arafah” (Muslim) also: “Fast like the Prophet Daawood (who fasted every other day)” (Bukhaari & Muslim). I do not know of any specific reference that relates to any special virtue for fasting these ten days in particular, but, having said this I would add that one should still fast during these days because of the general texts encouraging good deeds during these ten days.
Another way is giving in charity; ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Saburah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “(Every day) An Angel calls out in the heavens saying, ‘O Allaah! Bless and compensate for the wealth of the one who spends (for your sake) and ruin the wealth of the one who holds back (from spending)’” (At-Tabaraani) Also he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said to Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with him: “Spend (charitably) O Bilaal! - and do not fear that Allaah will decrease your provision (due to your spending)” and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam addressed Asmaa’, may Allaah be pleased with her, saying: “Spend (charitably) and don’t count (i.e. don’t be cautious in spending in this manner) otherwise your provisions will become limited and don’t hold back (from spending in charity) otherwise your provisions will be held back” (Bukhaari & Muslim) The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “I swear that these three things are true: That giving in charity does not decrease the wealth of the slave …..…” (Ahmad & Tirmidhi). Giving in charity enables one to be among the seven categories of people who will be protected under the shade of the Throne of Allaah; regarding this, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “… and a man who gave charity so secretly that even his left hand would not know how much his right hand had spent” (Bukhaari & Muslim) also, “Charity given in secret extinguishes the wrath of Allaah”. One of the best forms of charitable giving is to give someone a drink of water as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The best form of charity is giving someone water (to drink)” (Ahmad, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah).
O slaves of Allaah! One of the best deeds in these days is to initiate Hajj as a way of drawing closer to Allaah and fasting the day of ‘Arafah for those who are not performing Hajj. Allaah willing we will talk about the virtues of Hajj in another Khutbah. Offering a sacrificial animal is also one of the most virtuous deeds that one can perform. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who does not offer a sacrifice while being financially able to, let him not come close to our masjid (i.e. pray with us)” and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “When the ten days (Dhu’l-Hijjah) have begun and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, then let him not cut any of his hair or remove anything from his skin” (Muslim) in another narration he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Let him not cut anything from his hair or nails until he sacrifices” (Ad-Daarimi).
These are examples of virtuous deeds, so take advantage of them; beware of laziness and neglect and know that Allaah Has favoured certain seasons over others, so let us take advantage of these opportunities and increase our righteous deeds; perhaps Allaah will forgive us for our sins and shortcomings.
Failing Plans and Allah(swt)’s Mercy
Today, my mother and I watched an aircrash investigation program on TV. The accident under investigation was a highly fatal one – an Air France Concorde had caught fire during takeoff on 25th July, 2000 and crashed within two minutes. There were no survivors. What caused it? A tiny scrap of metal that had broken off another airplane, ripped into one of the engines, cutting electrical cables and thus creating a spark sufficient to ignite the fuel tanks. The plane could not gain height and crashed just beyond the airport’s boundary.
What really struck me as I was watching the documentary, was the story of one couple aboard that plane. Teachers by profession, they had been saving up for twenty long years for a dream vacation that included flying on the Concorde. I wondered how they must have painstakingly set aside money for the trip, imagining all the fun they’d have. They must have had high hopes and made many plans. Could they have ever imagined they were heading not towards the culmination of a dream but the very final moments of their lives?
It made me wonder how we make plans for the future, dreaming up the perfect scenario how we want things to turn out. And then, if we come across a “glitch” in our grand scheme – a delay, an unexpected problem or a “failure” altogether – despair rules the day. Suddenly, it’s fate that is blamed for ruining those beautiful dreams. How pathetic it seems then! And yet… do we pause to wonder if maybe, just maybe, that failure was actually a great blessing in disguise? What if something much more terrible was around the corner and it was nothing but Allah(swt)’s Mercy that had averted it?
Of course, this does not mean we stop making plans for the future altogether! That’s missing the point entirely. Rather, we must definitely make plans while praying and having solid faith in Allah(swt) that the outcome will be according to His Will, and that would be the best result possible! I do not know how people can find flaw with such a positive and forward-looking approach? Don’t they see how liberating it is to put your hopes in the best outcome and then patiently persevere with gratitude, even if the outcome is not exactly as initially planned? It’s a win-win situation, if you really understand what it’s all about. 
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated:
“Wondrous are the believer’s affairs. For him there is good in all his affairs, and this is so only for the believer. When something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and when something displeasing happens to him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”
(Narrated in Sahih Muslim)
This is why it’s so important to be thankful to Allah(swt) in whichever state you are… and whatever the outcome is. Only Allah(swt) has Full Knowledge of what goes on in the heavens and the earth and what will happen in the future. How, then, can we even think of turning away, instead of towards, such an All-Powerful and Merciful Creator for all our hopes and dreams?
Labbayk, Allahumma Labbayk!
It’s Hajj, SubhanAllah! Since my own Hajj in 2006, I’ve loved this time of the year because of the mixed emotions it evokes and all the memories. And even if I put that aside for a bit, just watching three million people pour into Makkah for the beginning of a unique pilgrimage is a massive dose to boost a weakling Iman.
The best part about Hajj is the way it brings together mankind – there’s NO, NO, NO discrimination on the basis of skin tones or bank accounts in Islam and no where is that more evident than in Hajj! There’s the dark-skinned pilgrim shading himself with his umbrella and a fair-skinned man will hand him a cool drink of water. The call to prayer is made and everyone lines up – all you can see is a mass of people, all dressed in the same pilgrim’s dress (two sheets of plain white, unstitched fabric for men) attesting to their faith in ONE God. They’re not here to bow down to an idol, a stone or any object created by God… they’re here because they believe in, worship, revere, love the One God… Who sent as His Messengers Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Suleman (Solomon), Dawud (David), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), Mohammad… may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all (and all other Prophets that He sent with His Message to every nation).
The pilgrims cry “Labbayk, Allahumma Labbayk! Labbayka La Shareeka laka labbayk!”
“Here I am, O Allah, here I am! Here I am, and You have no partner (in worship i.e. You Alone are the Creator, Sustainer)!”
May Allah accept the Hajj of all the pilgrims who made the effort to perform this worship for Him in the best manner! May Allah pverlook any mistakes they may have made inadvertently! May Allah forgive us and them, all their previous sins! O Allah, bless us with your Mercy and grant us entry into Your Paradise!
-- A muslim Sister.
