Actions and Rewards of the Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
- Categories: Fiqh of Hajj and Umrah -
Recommended Actions & Rewards for the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah
All praise is due to Allah alone and prayers and peace of Allah
be upon the last Prophet.
One of graces of the Almighty
to His worshippers that He has assigned seasons for acts of worship
in order to multiply the good deeds and to compete with each other
in what brings them close to their Lord, so the successful whom
embraces the opportunity of these seasons without letting them pass
by. One of these virtuous seasons are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
as the Prophet observed these days as the best of the worldly life
and He has urged to do the pious deeds during them. Moreover Allah
Almighty swore by these days, which is enough honour to them as The
Magnificent does not swear except by the glorious.
Accordingly, this requires
Muslims to work hard in these days to multiply the pious deeds, to
receive them well and make good use of them. In this message there
is an exposition of the favour of these days, the reward of the
good deeds and recommended deeds during them.
May Allah help us to benefit
the most from these days and to make the best use of them in the
way that pleases Him.
How Muslims
receive the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
Muslims should
generally receive seasons of worship with certain
preparations:
1-True
repentance:
Muslims should receive the
seasons of worship generally by true repentance and serious
decision to return to Allah, as repentance leads the worshipper to
success in the worldly life and the Hereafter .Allah Almighty said:
{And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you
may be successful.} [Surat An-Nur: 31].
Transliteration:
watooboo
ilaAllahi jameeAAan ayyuha almuminoona
laAAallakum tuflihoona
2- Serious
intention to make a good use of these days:
Muslims should strongly adhere
to fill up these days with the pious deeds and sayings, as who
seriously intends to do certain thing; Allah will assist and
provide him with means that enable him to achieve his intention.
Who is honest with Allah, Allah will satisfy him, Allah Almighty
says: {As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will
surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh's religion - Islâmic
Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn (good doers)."}
[Surat Al-'Ankabut 29:69].
Transliteration:
Waallatheena
jahadoo feenalanahdiyannahum subulana wainna
Allaha lamaAAa
almuhsineena
3-Keeping away
from sins:
As pious deeds are bringing us
closer to Allah Almighty, likewise wrongdoings distance us from
Allah and drive us out of His mercy, so a man may be deprived from
the mercy of Allah because of committing sins. If you seek the
forgiveness from sins and release from Hell, be aware not to commit
sins in these days and other days. Who knows his aim, all his
efforts will become easy.
Therefore, Muslim brother you
should stick to benefiting from these days and receive them well
not to regret, too late, about missing them.
Attribute of
Ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
1-Allah
Almighty has sworn by:
When Allah swears by
something, it reveals how great and superior this thing is, as
Allah the Magnificent does not swear except by a glorious thing.
Allah Almighty said: {By the dawn;(1) By the ten nights (i.e. the
first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjahh)} [Surah Al-Fajr
89:1-2].
Transliteration:
Waalfajri
(1) Walayalin AAashrin
The ten nights are the first
ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah. All interpreters whether from early or
late periods are unanimous concerning that the ten nights are the
first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah. Ibn
Katheer stated in his book of interpretation: "It is the
correct view".
2-These are
the days that Allah ordained for remembering Him
Allah Almighty says: {and
mention the Name of Allâh on appointed days (i.e. 10th, 11th, 12th,
and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjahh) , over the beast of cattle that He
has provided for them (for sacrifice), [at the time of their
slaughtering by saying: (Bismillah, Wallâhu-Akbar, Allâhumma Minka
wa Ilaik).]} [Surah Al-Hajj 22:28].
Transliteration:
wayathkuroo isma
Allahi fee ayyamin maAAloomatin AAala
ma razaqahum min baheemati alanAAami
Majority of scholars agree
with the opinion that the ten nights are the first nights of
Dhul-Hijjah, and among them Ibn Omar and Ibn Abas.
3- The
Messenger, prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him, stated that they
are the best days in the worldly life.
It was Narrated by Jaber that
the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him, said: "The
best days of the worldly life are the ten days - meaning the ten
nights of Dhul-Hijjah- It was said: Are not they like fighting for
the sake of Allah? He said: No, except for a man whose face was
covered with dust striving for the cause of Allah." [Reported by
Al-Bazar and Ibn Habban and authenticated by Al-Albani due to the
multiplicity of its chain of narrations]
4-They include
the day of 'Arafa:
The day of 'Arafa is the
greatest day of pilgrimage, forgiveness of sins, and release from
Hell. It is enough honour for the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah that they
include the day of 'Arafa as it was previously mentioned about the
reward of the day of 'Arafa and the Prophet tradition in it in the
message of (Pilgrimage is 'Arafa).
5- It includes
the day of Immolation (sacrifice):
Which is the best day of the
year according to some of scholars. The Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon him, said: "The greatest day to Allah is the day
of immolation (sacrifice), then the day of Qarr (the day of sojourn
in Mina)." [Reported by Abu Dawud and Authenticated by
Al-Albani].
6-It gathers
the main acts of worshipping:
Al-Hafez Ibn
Hajar in the book of "Al-Fath" said: "The reason behind the superiority
of the ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah is that they gather the main acts
of worship which are prayer, fasting, alms and pilgrimage, which
does not occur in other days."
Rewards of
deeds of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
It was narrated by Ibn Abas,
may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah,
prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him, said: "There are no such
favourable days to Allah to accept the good deeds like these ones
(the ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah) - They (the companion) said: "O
Messenger of Allah, is not jihad (fight) for the sake of Allah
favourable?" He said: Not even that, except for a man went out
(fighting for the sake of Allah) sacrificing his soul and his
property and came back with nothing." [Reported by
Al-Bukhari].
It was told about Abdullah Ibn
Omar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: "I was with the
Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, and he
said: I mentioned deeds to him, then he replied: there is no days
such favoured for pious deeds than these ten days, so they
(companion) wondered: O Messenger of Allah, what about jihad
(fighting) for the sake of Allah? He glorified such a deed and
replied: Even that, except for a man went out with himself and his
property for the sake of Allah which he extremely loves." [Reported
by Ahmad].
Those two previous Hadiths and
other indicate that doing good deeds in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
is more favourable to Allah than in other days. Hence, if they are
more favourable, so, deeds are more preferable to Allah. Also the
two Hadiths indicate that the pious deeds doer is better than
fighting for the sake of Allah except for the fighter for the sake
of Allah with himself and his property, moreover, the rewards of
the pious deeds are multiplied without any exception.
The
recommended deeds in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah:
Muslim brother, if you realize
the rewards of doing good deeds in these ten days rather than other
day, how these seasons are blessings and graces from Allah to His
worshippers and a great opportunity that should be seized, then you
should pay more attention to these days, exert yourself by pious
deeds and more kinds of charity as the pious forefathers used to
do. Abu 'Uthman An-Nahdi said:
They (the forefathers) were glorifying three tens (days): the last
ten days of Ramadan, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and the
first ten days of Muharram.
Some of the
good deeds that Muslims should adhere to and increase in these days
are:
1- Performing
rituals of Hajj (pilgrimage) and 'Umrah (minor
pilgrimage):
They are the best pious deeds
in the ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah, and whomsoever has been enabled
to perform Hajj or 'Umrah in the way that Allah accepts, his reward
will be in paradise as Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon
Him, said: "Sins committed between one 'Umrah and another are
expiated and the reward of Hajj (the one accepted by Allah) is
nothing but paradise." [Agreed upon]
Hajj (the one accepted by
Allah) which is consistent with the Sunnah of the Prophet, prayers
and peace of Allah be upon him, and it is free of any hypocrisy,
celebrity, obscenity, or wickedness, rather it is surrounded by
pious and good deeds.
2-
Fasting:
It is considered one of the
main pious deeds rather it is one of the best as Allah has kept it
for Himself because of its significance and superiority. Allah
Almighty said in Qudsi Hadith (divine Hadith): "All the deeds of
the son of Adam is for him, except fasting which is for Me, and I
reward it Myself." [Agreed upon]
The Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon Him, emphasized on fasting the day of 'Arafa which
is one of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and illustrated its
significance as He said: "By fasting the day of 'Arafa, Allah
expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming one."
[Reported by Muslim]
Accordingly, a Muslim should
fast the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah because the Prophet, prayers and
peace of Allah be upon Him, has urged to make good deeds during
these days. Imam An-Nawawi
recommended to fast the ten days as he said: "Fasting these days is
highly recommended."
3-
Prayer:
It is one of the best, the
greatest and the most virtuous pious deeds, therefore Muslims
should keep performing prayer on time and in congregation. They
also should do more supererogatory works which are of the best
pious acts. The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah upon Him, said
by narrating from his Lord: "My worshipper continues to seek
closeness to me by supererogatory acts till l love him." [Reported
by Al-Bukhari]
4-Glorifying,
praising, declaring oneness of Allah and invoking Him:
It was narrated by Ibn Omar,
may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon Him, said: "There are no days greatest to Allah
nor loved to perform good deeds than the these ten days (first ten
days of Dhul-Hijjah), so increase in invocations by Tahlil (Lai
ilaha ila Allah- There is no God except Allah), takbeer (Allahu
Akbar) and tahmid (Al Hamdu lilah - Praising Him)." [Reported by
Ahmad]
Al-Albani
said: "Ibn Omar and Abu
Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them), were going out to markets
in these ten days glorifying Allah (saying Allahu Akbar) and people
were repeating after them."
"When Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) was glorifying Allah in
his dome at Mina, people in The Masjid heard him and accordingly
they repeated after him, so did people in the market to the point
that Mina was quaking. Also Ibn Omar was glorifying in Mina on
these days (the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah), after prayers and in his
bed as well as in his tent, while he was sitting and walking all
these days long."
It is recommended to Muslims
to declare glorifying Allah and to say it out loudly beside they
should avoid collective glorifying as it has not been reported
about the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon Him, or any
of the ancestors, and Sunnah (Prophet's tradition) dictates that
everyone glorify solely.
5-
Alms:
It is one of the pious deeds
which is highly recommended for Muslims to do and Allah has
promoted to do as He says: {O you who believe! Spend of that with
which We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will
be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And it is the
disbelievers who are the Zâlimûn (wrong-doers).} [Surat Al-Baqarah
2:254].
Transliteration:
Yaayyuha
allatheena amanoo anfiqoo mimma
razaqnakum min qabli an yatiya yawmun la bayAAun
feehi walakhullatun wala shafaAAatun
waalkafiroona humu
alththalimoona
Also Prophet, prayers and
peace of Allah be upon Him, said: "Charity does not diminish out
property." [Reported by Muslim]
Besides what was mentioned
above there are other pious deeds that are recommended to be
increasingly done, some of which will be pointed out as a
reminder:
Reciting and learning the
Qur'an, seeking forgiveness, dutifulness to parents, connecting
with one's kinship, propagation of greetings, offering food,
reconciliation between people, enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong, keeping tongue from evils - gossip, lying
and so on - and guarding one's modesty, treating neighbour kindly,
hospitality to guests, spending for the sake of Allah, moving away
harms from paths, supporting one's wife and children, sponsorship
of orphans, visiting patients, meeting brothers' needs, keeping off
causing harm to Muslims, being gentle with others, keeping in good
relation with parents' friends, praying for the Muslim brothers in
their absence, paying deposits and keeping promises, keeping the
good relation with aunts and uncles, praying upon the Prophet,
prayers and peace of Allah upon Him, helping the needy, lowering
the gaze from what is forbidden, performing ablution perfectly,
invocation between the prayer call and the iqama call (second call
for prayer), reciting Surah Al-Khaf (from Quran) on Fridays,
adherence to congregation prayer in Masjids, keeping on the Sunnan
Al Rawateb (supererogatory prayers associated with the five
obligatory prayers) and performing Eid prayer in place of prayer,
remembering Allah after each prayer, seeking lawful sustenance for
living, bringing happiness to Muslims, sympathy for the weak,
attempting to do favours and guiding to good, continuous
supplication to Allah, being honest in buying and selling, praying
for one's parents, working on purifying one's heart and avoiding
bitter feeling, directing boys and girls and cooperation with
Muslim on what is good.
Prayers and peace of Allah be
upon our Prophet Muhammad, His family and His
companions.
Translated by Wathakker website
en.wathakker.net