First ten days of Dhil Hijjah
A lecture delivered by ML ismail moosaWe have a few days left for the month of Dhil Hijjah to dawn upon us which is the concluding month of the Islamic calendar. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has described this month as the most blessed and sanctified month from all the Islamic months. It is narrated in Shuab Al-Iman of Imam Al-Bayhaqi that Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 355)
3755 - أخبرنا القاضي أبو عمر محمد بن الحسين بن محمد بن الهيثم أنا أحمد بن محمود بن حرزاد الكازروني نا موسى بن إسحاق الأنصاري نا خالد بن يزيد بن عبد الملك عن صفوان بن سليم عن عطاء بن يسار عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم سيد الشهور شهر رمضان و أعظمها حرمة ذو الحجة
“The leader of all months is Ramadhaan and the most sacred is Dhul Hijjah.”
A Sahabi, Hazrat Kab (r.a) has categorized the blessed months of the Islamic calendar by saying,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و قال سهيل بن أبي صالح عن أبيه عن كعب قال : أحب الزمان إلى الله الأشهر الحرم
“The period most beloved to Allah is the four sacred months, i.e. Dhul Qa’dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.”
و أحب الأشهر الحرم إلى الله ذو الحجة
“And from these four sacred months Allah admires the month of Dhul Hijjah…”
و أحب ذي الحجة إلى الله العشر الأول
"And although the entire month of Dhil Hijjah is blessed and sanctified, Allah has additionally favoured the first ten days of this month."
In a narration of Musnad Bazzaar, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has described these days as,
أفضل أيام الدنيا العشر
“These are the best of all days.”
In order to draw our attention to the greatness of these days Allah has taken an oath on them in the noble Quran. Allah says,
{ والفجر * وليال عشر }
“By the break of dawn…”
Commentators differ as to what the meaning of this verse is; some commentators suggest that Allah is taking an oath on the general breaking of dawn. However, there are numerous Commentators that opined that Allah is taking an oath on the dawn of the tenth day of Dhil Hijjah.
وليال عشر
“And by the first ten nights of Dhil hijjah,”
Allah has taken an oath on the first ten nights of Dhil Hijjah to show us the great virtues of this period.
Allah Ta’ala loves the actions which a person carries out during this period and is even prepared to multiply the rewards for every action. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has said, as narrated in Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah,
سنن الترمذي - (ج 3 / ص 131)
758 - حدثنا أبو بكر بن نافع البصري حدثنا مسعود بن واصل عن نهاس بن قهم عن قتادة عن سعيد بن المسيب عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم : قال ما من أيام أحب إلى الله أن يتعبد له فيها من عشر ذي الحجة
There is no occasion when Allah loves and prefers worship more than he loves the worship of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah.
يعدل صيام كل يوم منها بصيام سنة
“Fasting on just one day of these ten days is equal to fasting an entire year.”
In fact, by fasting the ninth day alone, which is the day of Arafaat, a person’s sins of the coming year and the previous year will be forgiven. In a narration of Sunan ibn majah, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
سنن ابن ماجه - (ج 1 / ص 551)
1730 - حدثنا أحمد بن عبدة . أنبأنا حماد بن زيد . حدثنا غيلان بن جرير عن عبد الله بن معبد الزماني عن أبي قتادة قال
: - قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ( صيام يوم عرفة إني أحتسب على الله أن يكفر السنة التي قبله والتي بعده ) .
قال الشيخ الألباني : صحيح
“By virtue of the fast of Arafah, I have hope that Allah will forgive the sins of the previous year as well as the sins of the coming year.”
Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم continues by mentioning the virtues of the first ten nights by saying,
وقيام كل ليلة منها بقيام ليلة القدر
“And the worship of every night is equal to the worship of Layl al-qadr.”
We all know the great rewards of Layl al-qadr. It is equivalent to a thousand months. However, the exact date of layl al-qadr is hidden and not known to us. Furthermore, laylatul qadr comes only once a year. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم mentioned that the rewards of worship on these nights are equal to that of Layl al-qadr.
Besides only fasting and standing in prayer, the rewards of other actions are also multiplied. In a narration of Shuab al-Iman of Imam Al-Bayhaqi, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 356)
و العمل فيهن يضاعف سبعمائة ضعف
“(During the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah) the reward of every action is multiplied seven hundred times.”
Anas (r.a) mentions,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 358)
3766 - أخبرنا محمد بن عبد الله الحافظ أنا أبو نصر أحمد بن سهل الفقيه نا صالح بن محمد الحافظ البغدادي نا محمد بن عمرو بن جبلة نا حرمي بن عمارة حدثني هارون بن موسى قال : سمعت الحسن يحدث عن أنس بن مالك فقال : كان يقال في أيام العشر لكل يوم ألف و يوم عرفة عشرة آلاف يوم يعني في الفضل
“Every day of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is equal to a thousand days…” By carrying out an action on just one day a person will be rewarded as if he carried out that action for a thousand days.
When Sahabah heard that no action is more beloved to Allah than the actions done on the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah, they asked Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم in total astonishment,
ولا الجهاد فى سبيل الله
…That… we understand fighting and striving to be the greatest action, are you saying that small actions done on these ten days are even more beloved to Allah than jihad and fighting in the path of Allah. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم replied,
قال « ولا الجهاد فى سبيل الله ».
Yes, small actions done on these ten days are better than fighting Jihad at any other time of the year. However, there is one exception:
« إلا رجل خرج بنفسه وماله فلم يرجع من ذلك بشىء ».
Only if a person goes out and sacrifices both his life and all his wealth, then that person will attain more reward; otherwise, for every other action, the actions of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are more beloved to Allah Ta’ala.
The great Tabi’, Imam Al-Auzai (r.a) mentions as narrated in Shuab al Iman of Imam Al-Bayhaqi,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 355)
3753 - أخبرنا أبو عبد الله الحافظ و محمد بن موسى قالا : نا أبو العباس الأصم نا العباس بن الوليد بن مزيد أخبرني أبي نا الأوزاعي قال : بلغني أن العمل في اليوم من أيام العشر بقدر غزوة في سبيل الله يصام نهارها و يحرس ليلها إلا أن يحتضن امرء و بشهادة قال الأوزاعي : حدثني بهذا الحديث رجل من قريش من بني مخزوم عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم
“It has reached me from Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم that a person who does any good action on these ten days, he would be given the reward of going to fight in the part of Allah, fasting the whole day and keeping guard of Muslims at night.”
Imagine that each of these actions; fighting in the part of Allah, fasting and looking after the Muslim army at night; each of these actions independently is adequate for the salvation of a person. By carrying out good actions in these ten days a person will get such a huge reward.
We all know that the greatest day of the week is Friday. Hadhrat Ibn Umar (r.a) has said,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 289)
و روى ثوير بن أبي فاخته ـ و فيه ضعف ـ عن مجاهد عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال : ليس يوم أعظم عند الله من يوم الجمعة ليس العشر فإن العمل فيها يعدل عمل سنة
There is no day better than Friday except these ten days. Every day of these ten days is better than Friday because for every small action which a person does he will get the reward of doing that action for an entire year.
Respected friends, let us try to derive maximum benefit from these ten days. If we have the ability we should try to keep fast on these days and we should take out some time every night for the worship of Allah. Another action which Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم suggested is that we continuously make dhikr as narrated in Musnad Ahmad and Al-Mujam al-kabeer of Imam At-Tabrani that Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
المعجم الكبير - (ج 11 / ص 82)
11116 - حدثنا معاذ بن المثنى ثنا مسدد ثنا خالد عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : فأكثروا فيهن من التسبيح والتحميد والتكبير والتهليل
“Increase in reciting Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar and continuously recite the kalimah la ilaha illa Allah during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.”
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari it is mentioned that during the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah Ibn Umar and Abi Hurairah used to go to the market place and recite Allahu akbar loudly in order to remind people of the remembrance of Allah. In Abu Dawood it is mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و لا يأتيان لشيء إلا لذلك
“They never used to go for any other reason but to remind people of the remembrance of Allah.”
Therefore, let us take out some time as a poet so beautifully mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
( ليالي العشر أوقات الإجابة ... فبادر رغبة تلحق ثوابه )
( ألا لا وقت للعمال فيه ... ثواب الخير أقرب للإصابة )
( من أوقات الليالي العشر حقا ... فشمر واطلبن فيها الإنابة )
The first ten nights of Dhil Hijjah are a time when Allah readily accepts supplications
Allamah Firyabi narrates from Abu Musa (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) that he said,
لا يرد فيهن الدعاء
We all have problems or things that we seek in life; these ten days are a period when supplications are accepted. Let us use the nights of these ten days to ask Allah for all our needs.
Hasten to perform good actions in order to attain the great reward of these days
You have heard the great rewards of these days
• These are the best of all days
• Allah has taken an oath on these days
• For every fast a person will get the reward of fasting for an entire year
• Every night is equal to Layla al Qadr
• Every action is multiplied 700 times
• For every action a person will be rewarded as if he carried out that action for a year
• For every action a person will be rewarded as if he fought in the path of Allah, in such a condition that he fasted the entire day and guarded the Muslim army at night
The poet mentions if you want these great rewards then take out some time for worship.
There is no time when actions are more readily accepted than these ten days; hence, exert yourself and turn towards Allah.
It is mentioned of the great Tabi’, Hadhrat Saeed bin Jubair (r.a) that in these ten days he used to exert himself to the maximum to such an extent that it would be almost impossible for him to increase.
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 289)
و كان سعيد بن جبير و هو الذي روى هذا الحديث عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما إذا دخل العشر اجتهد اجتهادا حتى ما يكاد يقدر عليه
He also used to exhort his students to spend the night in worship by saying to them,
و روي عنه أنه قال : لا تطفئوا سرجكم ليالي العشر تعجبه العبادة
Respected friends, now while we have the opportunity let us try to take maximum benefit.
A poet says,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
( ليس للميت في قبره ... فطر و لا أضحى و لا عشر )
When we die we won’t get this opportunity again.
If we cannot do any good in these ten days, then at least let us stay away from sin. Allamah Ibn Rajab Hambali mentions,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
احذروا المعاصي فإنها تحرم المغفرة في مواسم الرحمة
Allamah Marwazi mentions in ‘Kitab al war’ that a person from the Sahabah or Tabi’een saw a dream on the first night of Dhil Hijjah that a person came to him and said, “Every person is being forgiven five times on these ten days except those who used to engage in sin by playing chess. Hence, if we cannot do any good then let us at least stay away from evil.
And finally, Dhul Hijjah marks the last month on the Islamic calendar; let us end this Islamic year on a good note by attaining forgiveness for all our sins which we carried out during the year. I leave you with a poem
و لا في عشر ذي الحجة الذي مضي كنت قواما و لا كنت صائما
فهل لك أن تمحو الذنوب بعبرة و تبكي عليها حسرة و تندما
و تستقبل العام الجديد بتوبة لعلك ان تمحو بها ما تقدما
Respected friends, if we cannot spend our entire in worship, let us at least take out some time. If we cannot fast or pray salah the entire night, let us make dhikr while walking and carrying out our chores. In a narration of Musnad Ahmad Al-Mujam al-kabeer of Imam At-Tabrani Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
المعجم الكبير - (ج 11 / ص 82)
11116 - حدثنا معاذ بن المثنى ثنا مسدد ثنا خالد عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : فأكثروا فيهن من التسبيح والتحميد والتكبير والتهليل
“Increase in reciting Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar and continuously recite the kalimah la ilaha illa Allah.”
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari it is mentioned that Ibn Umar and Abi Hurairah used to go to the market place and recite Allahu akbar loudly in order to remind people of the remembrance of Allah. In Abu Dawood it is mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و لا يأتيان لشيء إلا لذلك
“They never used to go for any other reason but to remind people of the remembrance of Allah.”
Brothers, these ten days are an
( ناء عن الأهل على قربه ... كذاك من مسكنه القبر )
Once you die you won’t get back these great days.
Respected brothers and sisters, these ten days are terminated by the great day of Eid wherein we have been commanded to slaughter animals. One virtuous action for those intending to slaughter is that during the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah they should not cut their nails or hair. It is narrated in Saheeh Muslim,
صحيح مسلم – (ج 6 / ص 83)
2 – حدثنا ابن أبى عمر المكى حدثنا سفيان عن عبد الرحمن بن حميد بن عبد الرحمن بن عوف سمع سعيد بن المسيب يحدث عن أم سلمة أن النبى –صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال « إذا دخلت العشر وأراد أحدكم أن يضحى فلا يمس من شعره وبشره شيئا »
“When the ten days of Dhil Hijjah set in and any of few wish to make Qurbani, then he should not cut his hair or nails.”
Commentators of Hadith suggest that the primary reason for this is that we can resemble those who are in Ihram.
One more point with which I wish to conclude, the greatest action which a person can do on Eid al-adha is to slaughter as much animals as possible. In a narration of Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has said,
سنن الترمذي - (ج 4 / ص 83)
حدثنا ابو عمرو مسلم بن عمرو بن مسلم الحذاء المدني حدثنا عبد الله بن نافع الصائغ أبو محمد عن ابي المثنى عن هشام بن عروة عن ابيه عن عائشة : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال ما عمل آدمي من عمل يوم النحر أحب إلى الله من إهراق الدم
On the day of Eid al-adha the best action which a person does is to slaughter animals
Many of us send our qurbani overseas and rightfully so; the Qurbani will be valid.
Spirit is to commomerate Ebrahim However, with sending overseas we should also try to slaughter at least one sheep so that we can also participate and involve ourselves in the spirit of Qurbani. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم used to stress on his family members to participate in Qurbani, as is narrated in Mustadrak al-Hakim,
المستدرك على الصحيحين للحاكم مع تعليقات الذهبي في التلخيص - (ج 4 / ص 247)
حدثناه أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن بالويه ثنا الحسن بن علي بن شبيب المعمري ثنا داود بن عبد الحميد ثنا عمرو بن قيس الملائي عن عطية عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم لفاطمة عليها الصلاة و السلام : قومي إلى أضحيتك فاشهديها فإن لك بأول قطرة تقطر من دمها يغفر لك ما سلف من ذنوبك قالت : يا رسول الله هذا لنا أهل البيت خاصة أو لنا و للمسلمين عامة ؟ قال : بل لنا و للمسلمين عامة
تعليق الذهبي قي التلخيص : عطية واه
“Stand up and witness your Qurbani…”
Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم himself used to take special care in performing Qurbani himself. There is still time for us to buy an animal in Qurbani. Let us try our best to participate in the Qurbani.
And Allah Ta'ala knows best.
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 355)
3755 - أخبرنا القاضي أبو عمر محمد بن الحسين بن محمد بن الهيثم أنا أحمد بن محمود بن حرزاد الكازروني نا موسى بن إسحاق الأنصاري نا خالد بن يزيد بن عبد الملك عن صفوان بن سليم عن عطاء بن يسار عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم سيد الشهور شهر رمضان و أعظمها حرمة ذو الحجة
“The leader of all months is Ramadhaan and the most sacred is Dhul Hijjah.”
A Sahabi, Hazrat Kab (r.a) has categorized the blessed months of the Islamic calendar by saying,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و قال سهيل بن أبي صالح عن أبيه عن كعب قال : أحب الزمان إلى الله الأشهر الحرم
“The period most beloved to Allah is the four sacred months, i.e. Dhul Qa’dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.”
و أحب الأشهر الحرم إلى الله ذو الحجة
“And from these four sacred months Allah admires the month of Dhul Hijjah…”
و أحب ذي الحجة إلى الله العشر الأول
"And although the entire month of Dhil Hijjah is blessed and sanctified, Allah has additionally favoured the first ten days of this month."
In a narration of Musnad Bazzaar, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has described these days as,
أفضل أيام الدنيا العشر
“These are the best of all days.”
In order to draw our attention to the greatness of these days Allah has taken an oath on them in the noble Quran. Allah says,
{ والفجر * وليال عشر }
“By the break of dawn…”
Commentators differ as to what the meaning of this verse is; some commentators suggest that Allah is taking an oath on the general breaking of dawn. However, there are numerous Commentators that opined that Allah is taking an oath on the dawn of the tenth day of Dhil Hijjah.
وليال عشر
“And by the first ten nights of Dhil hijjah,”
Allah has taken an oath on the first ten nights of Dhil Hijjah to show us the great virtues of this period.
Allah Ta’ala loves the actions which a person carries out during this period and is even prepared to multiply the rewards for every action. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has said, as narrated in Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah,
سنن الترمذي - (ج 3 / ص 131)
758 - حدثنا أبو بكر بن نافع البصري حدثنا مسعود بن واصل عن نهاس بن قهم عن قتادة عن سعيد بن المسيب عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم : قال ما من أيام أحب إلى الله أن يتعبد له فيها من عشر ذي الحجة
There is no occasion when Allah loves and prefers worship more than he loves the worship of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah.
يعدل صيام كل يوم منها بصيام سنة
“Fasting on just one day of these ten days is equal to fasting an entire year.”
In fact, by fasting the ninth day alone, which is the day of Arafaat, a person’s sins of the coming year and the previous year will be forgiven. In a narration of Sunan ibn majah, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
سنن ابن ماجه - (ج 1 / ص 551)
1730 - حدثنا أحمد بن عبدة . أنبأنا حماد بن زيد . حدثنا غيلان بن جرير عن عبد الله بن معبد الزماني عن أبي قتادة قال
: - قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ( صيام يوم عرفة إني أحتسب على الله أن يكفر السنة التي قبله والتي بعده ) .
قال الشيخ الألباني : صحيح
“By virtue of the fast of Arafah, I have hope that Allah will forgive the sins of the previous year as well as the sins of the coming year.”
Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم continues by mentioning the virtues of the first ten nights by saying,
وقيام كل ليلة منها بقيام ليلة القدر
“And the worship of every night is equal to the worship of Layl al-qadr.”
We all know the great rewards of Layl al-qadr. It is equivalent to a thousand months. However, the exact date of layl al-qadr is hidden and not known to us. Furthermore, laylatul qadr comes only once a year. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم mentioned that the rewards of worship on these nights are equal to that of Layl al-qadr.
Besides only fasting and standing in prayer, the rewards of other actions are also multiplied. In a narration of Shuab al-Iman of Imam Al-Bayhaqi, Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 356)
و العمل فيهن يضاعف سبعمائة ضعف
“(During the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah) the reward of every action is multiplied seven hundred times.”
Anas (r.a) mentions,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 358)
3766 - أخبرنا محمد بن عبد الله الحافظ أنا أبو نصر أحمد بن سهل الفقيه نا صالح بن محمد الحافظ البغدادي نا محمد بن عمرو بن جبلة نا حرمي بن عمارة حدثني هارون بن موسى قال : سمعت الحسن يحدث عن أنس بن مالك فقال : كان يقال في أيام العشر لكل يوم ألف و يوم عرفة عشرة آلاف يوم يعني في الفضل
“Every day of the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah is equal to a thousand days…” By carrying out an action on just one day a person will be rewarded as if he carried out that action for a thousand days.
When Sahabah heard that no action is more beloved to Allah than the actions done on the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah, they asked Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم in total astonishment,
ولا الجهاد فى سبيل الله
…That… we understand fighting and striving to be the greatest action, are you saying that small actions done on these ten days are even more beloved to Allah than jihad and fighting in the path of Allah. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم replied,
قال « ولا الجهاد فى سبيل الله ».
Yes, small actions done on these ten days are better than fighting Jihad at any other time of the year. However, there is one exception:
« إلا رجل خرج بنفسه وماله فلم يرجع من ذلك بشىء ».
Only if a person goes out and sacrifices both his life and all his wealth, then that person will attain more reward; otherwise, for every other action, the actions of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are more beloved to Allah Ta’ala.
The great Tabi’, Imam Al-Auzai (r.a) mentions as narrated in Shuab al Iman of Imam Al-Bayhaqi,
شعب الإيمان - البيهقي - (ج 3 / ص 355)
3753 - أخبرنا أبو عبد الله الحافظ و محمد بن موسى قالا : نا أبو العباس الأصم نا العباس بن الوليد بن مزيد أخبرني أبي نا الأوزاعي قال : بلغني أن العمل في اليوم من أيام العشر بقدر غزوة في سبيل الله يصام نهارها و يحرس ليلها إلا أن يحتضن امرء و بشهادة قال الأوزاعي : حدثني بهذا الحديث رجل من قريش من بني مخزوم عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم
“It has reached me from Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم that a person who does any good action on these ten days, he would be given the reward of going to fight in the part of Allah, fasting the whole day and keeping guard of Muslims at night.”
Imagine that each of these actions; fighting in the part of Allah, fasting and looking after the Muslim army at night; each of these actions independently is adequate for the salvation of a person. By carrying out good actions in these ten days a person will get such a huge reward.
We all know that the greatest day of the week is Friday. Hadhrat Ibn Umar (r.a) has said,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 289)
و روى ثوير بن أبي فاخته ـ و فيه ضعف ـ عن مجاهد عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال : ليس يوم أعظم عند الله من يوم الجمعة ليس العشر فإن العمل فيها يعدل عمل سنة
There is no day better than Friday except these ten days. Every day of these ten days is better than Friday because for every small action which a person does he will get the reward of doing that action for an entire year.
Respected friends, let us try to derive maximum benefit from these ten days. If we have the ability we should try to keep fast on these days and we should take out some time every night for the worship of Allah. Another action which Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم suggested is that we continuously make dhikr as narrated in Musnad Ahmad and Al-Mujam al-kabeer of Imam At-Tabrani that Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
المعجم الكبير - (ج 11 / ص 82)
11116 - حدثنا معاذ بن المثنى ثنا مسدد ثنا خالد عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : فأكثروا فيهن من التسبيح والتحميد والتكبير والتهليل
“Increase in reciting Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar and continuously recite the kalimah la ilaha illa Allah during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.”
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari it is mentioned that during the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah Ibn Umar and Abi Hurairah used to go to the market place and recite Allahu akbar loudly in order to remind people of the remembrance of Allah. In Abu Dawood it is mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و لا يأتيان لشيء إلا لذلك
“They never used to go for any other reason but to remind people of the remembrance of Allah.”
Therefore, let us take out some time as a poet so beautifully mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
( ليالي العشر أوقات الإجابة ... فبادر رغبة تلحق ثوابه )
( ألا لا وقت للعمال فيه ... ثواب الخير أقرب للإصابة )
( من أوقات الليالي العشر حقا ... فشمر واطلبن فيها الإنابة )
The first ten nights of Dhil Hijjah are a time when Allah readily accepts supplications
Allamah Firyabi narrates from Abu Musa (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) that he said,
لا يرد فيهن الدعاء
We all have problems or things that we seek in life; these ten days are a period when supplications are accepted. Let us use the nights of these ten days to ask Allah for all our needs.
Hasten to perform good actions in order to attain the great reward of these days
You have heard the great rewards of these days
• These are the best of all days
• Allah has taken an oath on these days
• For every fast a person will get the reward of fasting for an entire year
• Every night is equal to Layla al Qadr
• Every action is multiplied 700 times
• For every action a person will be rewarded as if he carried out that action for a year
• For every action a person will be rewarded as if he fought in the path of Allah, in such a condition that he fasted the entire day and guarded the Muslim army at night
The poet mentions if you want these great rewards then take out some time for worship.
There is no time when actions are more readily accepted than these ten days; hence, exert yourself and turn towards Allah.
It is mentioned of the great Tabi’, Hadhrat Saeed bin Jubair (r.a) that in these ten days he used to exert himself to the maximum to such an extent that it would be almost impossible for him to increase.
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 289)
و كان سعيد بن جبير و هو الذي روى هذا الحديث عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما إذا دخل العشر اجتهد اجتهادا حتى ما يكاد يقدر عليه
He also used to exhort his students to spend the night in worship by saying to them,
و روي عنه أنه قال : لا تطفئوا سرجكم ليالي العشر تعجبه العبادة
Respected friends, now while we have the opportunity let us try to take maximum benefit.
A poet says,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
( ليس للميت في قبره ... فطر و لا أضحى و لا عشر )
When we die we won’t get this opportunity again.
If we cannot do any good in these ten days, then at least let us stay away from sin. Allamah Ibn Rajab Hambali mentions,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
احذروا المعاصي فإنها تحرم المغفرة في مواسم الرحمة
Allamah Marwazi mentions in ‘Kitab al war’ that a person from the Sahabah or Tabi’een saw a dream on the first night of Dhil Hijjah that a person came to him and said, “Every person is being forgiven five times on these ten days except those who used to engage in sin by playing chess. Hence, if we cannot do any good then let us at least stay away from evil.
And finally, Dhul Hijjah marks the last month on the Islamic calendar; let us end this Islamic year on a good note by attaining forgiveness for all our sins which we carried out during the year. I leave you with a poem
و لا في عشر ذي الحجة الذي مضي كنت قواما و لا كنت صائما
فهل لك أن تمحو الذنوب بعبرة و تبكي عليها حسرة و تندما
و تستقبل العام الجديد بتوبة لعلك ان تمحو بها ما تقدما
Respected friends, if we cannot spend our entire in worship, let us at least take out some time. If we cannot fast or pray salah the entire night, let us make dhikr while walking and carrying out our chores. In a narration of Musnad Ahmad Al-Mujam al-kabeer of Imam At-Tabrani Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم said,
المعجم الكبير - (ج 11 / ص 82)
11116 - حدثنا معاذ بن المثنى ثنا مسدد ثنا خالد عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : فأكثروا فيهن من التسبيح والتحميد والتكبير والتهليل
“Increase in reciting Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar and continuously recite the kalimah la ilaha illa Allah.”
In Saheeh Al-Bukhari it is mentioned that Ibn Umar and Abi Hurairah used to go to the market place and recite Allahu akbar loudly in order to remind people of the remembrance of Allah. In Abu Dawood it is mentioned,
لطائف المعارف - (ج 1 / ص 295)
و لا يأتيان لشيء إلا لذلك
“They never used to go for any other reason but to remind people of the remembrance of Allah.”
Brothers, these ten days are an
( ناء عن الأهل على قربه ... كذاك من مسكنه القبر )
Once you die you won’t get back these great days.
Respected brothers and sisters, these ten days are terminated by the great day of Eid wherein we have been commanded to slaughter animals. One virtuous action for those intending to slaughter is that during the first ten days of Dhil Hijjah they should not cut their nails or hair. It is narrated in Saheeh Muslim,
صحيح مسلم – (ج 6 / ص 83)
2 – حدثنا ابن أبى عمر المكى حدثنا سفيان عن عبد الرحمن بن حميد بن عبد الرحمن بن عوف سمع سعيد بن المسيب يحدث عن أم سلمة أن النبى –صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال « إذا دخلت العشر وأراد أحدكم أن يضحى فلا يمس من شعره وبشره شيئا »
“When the ten days of Dhil Hijjah set in and any of few wish to make Qurbani, then he should not cut his hair or nails.”
Commentators of Hadith suggest that the primary reason for this is that we can resemble those who are in Ihram.
One more point with which I wish to conclude, the greatest action which a person can do on Eid al-adha is to slaughter as much animals as possible. In a narration of Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم has said,
سنن الترمذي - (ج 4 / ص 83)
حدثنا ابو عمرو مسلم بن عمرو بن مسلم الحذاء المدني حدثنا عبد الله بن نافع الصائغ أبو محمد عن ابي المثنى عن هشام بن عروة عن ابيه عن عائشة : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال ما عمل آدمي من عمل يوم النحر أحب إلى الله من إهراق الدم
On the day of Eid al-adha the best action which a person does is to slaughter animals
Many of us send our qurbani overseas and rightfully so; the Qurbani will be valid.
Spirit is to commomerate Ebrahim However, with sending overseas we should also try to slaughter at least one sheep so that we can also participate and involve ourselves in the spirit of Qurbani. Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم used to stress on his family members to participate in Qurbani, as is narrated in Mustadrak al-Hakim,
المستدرك على الصحيحين للحاكم مع تعليقات الذهبي في التلخيص - (ج 4 / ص 247)
حدثناه أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن بالويه ثنا الحسن بن علي بن شبيب المعمري ثنا داود بن عبد الحميد ثنا عمرو بن قيس الملائي عن عطية عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم لفاطمة عليها الصلاة و السلام : قومي إلى أضحيتك فاشهديها فإن لك بأول قطرة تقطر من دمها يغفر لك ما سلف من ذنوبك قالت : يا رسول الله هذا لنا أهل البيت خاصة أو لنا و للمسلمين عامة ؟ قال : بل لنا و للمسلمين عامة
تعليق الذهبي قي التلخيص : عطية واه
“Stand up and witness your Qurbani…”
Nabi صلي الله عليه و سلم himself used to take special care in performing Qurbani himself. There is still time for us to buy an animal in Qurbani. Let us try our best to participate in the Qurbani.
And Allah Ta'ala knows best.
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