Virtues of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

Praise be to Allaah Who has created time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one's faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Each of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which people may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing through which Allaah bestows His favor and mercy upon whomsoever He, Almighty, Wills.

The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allaah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death)." [Quran 15: 99] The commentators said: "'The ‘certainty’ means death."

Among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah, which Allaah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days." The people (the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them) asked: "O Messenger of Allaah, not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah?" He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah, 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 (lost both his property and life)." [Al-Bukhaari]

This text and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadhaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadhaan are better, because they include the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. [See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412]

The virtue of these ten days:

The virtue of these ten days is based on many things:

1.    Allaah Swears an oath by ten days of Thul-Hijjah, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah Says (what means): "By the dawn and by the ten nights (i.e. the first ten days of the month of Thul-Hijjah)…” [Quran 89: 1-2]

Ibn 'Abbaas, Ibn Az-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations, may Allaah have mercy upon them, said that this refers to the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "This is the correct opinion." [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413]

2.    The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, encouraged people to do righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place - for the pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allaah.

3.    The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to recite a lot of Tasbeeh ("Subhaanallaah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar") during this time. 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "There are no days greater in the sight of Allaah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel ("Laa ilaaha illallaah"), Takbeer and Tahmeed." [Ahmad]

4.    These ten days include the Day of 'Arafah, on which Allaah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include the Day of Sacrifice, the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.

Shall you offer a sacrifice?

The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice 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, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "When you see the new moon of Thul-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice." According to another report he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "He should not remove (literally, touch) anything from his hair or skin." [Muslim]

The Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, instruction here makes one thing obligatory and his prohibition makes another Haraam (prohibited), according to the soundest opinion, because these commands and prohibitions are unconditional and unavoidable.

However, if a person does any of these things deliberately, he must seek Allaah's forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation; his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some hair, nails, etc. because it is harming him, such as having a broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, can do so, and there is nothing wrong with that. The state of Ihraam is so important that it is permitted to cut one's hair if leaving it will cause harm. There is nothing wrong with men or women washing their heads during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah, because the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, only forbade cutting the hair, not washing it.

The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer a sacrifice from cutting his hair etc., is so that he may resemble those in Ihraam in some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that he may draw closer to Allaah by offering the sacrifice. So he leaves his hair and nails alone until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allaah will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And Allaah knows best.

If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides later, during the ten days, to offer a sacrifice, then he must refrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makes this decision.

Some women may delegate their brothers or sons to make the sacrifice on their behalf, then cut their hair during these ten days. This is not correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, whether or not he (or she) delegates someone else to carry out the actual deed. The prohibition does not apply to the person delegated, only to the person who is making the sacrifice, as is indicated in the narration. The person who is sacrificing on behalf of someone else, for whatever reason, does not have to adhere to this prohibition.

This prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering the sacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is offering a sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to sacrifice "on behalf of the family of Muhammad," but there are no reports that say he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, forbade them to cut their hair or nails at that time.

If a person was planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to go and perform Hajj, he should not cut his hair or nails if he wants to enter ihraam, because the Sunnah is only to cut hair and nails when necessary. But if he is performing Tamattu' [whereby he performs 'Umrah, comes out of ihraam and enters ihraam anew for Hajj], he should trim his hair at the end of his 'Umrah because this is part of the ritual.


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Types of worship and deeds to be performed during the ten days:

One must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allaah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by..
Types of worship and deeds to be performed during the ten days:

One must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allaah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the Muslim's duty to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship.

Among His blessings to His slaves, Allaah has given us many ways in which to perform righteous deeds and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Among the righteous deeds which the Muslim should strive to perform during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah are:

1. The performance of Hajj and Umrah, which are the best of deeds that may be done. And what indicates their superiority are a number of narrations, one of which is the saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam: "Performance of 'Umrah is an expiation of the sins committed between it and the previous 'Umrah, and the reward of the Hajj which is accepted by Allaah, Most High, is nothing but Paradise." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

2. Fasting: It is recommended to fast on the nine days and especially on the ninth day of Thul-Hijjah. There is no doubt that the act of fasting is one of the best deeds, and it is from what Allaah, Most High, has chosen for himself, as in the Sacred Hadeeth: "Fasting is for Me (Allaah), and it is I who give reward for it.Verily, someone gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake..." [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah]

Also, from Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "No servant (of Allaah, Most High) fasts one day in the way of Allaah, except that Allaah, the Most High, removes his face from the fire because of it (the distance of traveling) seventy years." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah will be credited with Allaah by forgiving one's sins of the previous year and the following year." [Muslim]

3. Uttering the mention of Allaah: It is recommended to utter Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaaha illallaah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaanallaah") during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah in the Mosque, at home, on the street and every place where it is permitted to mention Allaah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allaah, Most High. He The Most High, Says (what means): "...And mention the name of Allaah on known [i.e., specific] days..." [Quran 22: 28]

4. Performing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allaah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allaah, praying, reading Quran, supplicating, giving charity, honoring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.

5. Offering sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allaah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal. It is the Sunnah of our father Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention - from when Allaah The Most High, redeemed his son by the great sacrifice (of an animal in his place). The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, slaughtered (sacrificed) two horned rams, black and white in color, and he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, slaughtered them with his own hands, mentioned the name of Allaah (saying Bismillaah), said Takbeer (Allaahu-Akbar), and placed his foot on their sides (while slaughtering them). [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

6. Sincerely repenting. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin.

Repentance means coming back to Allaah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, and to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allaah loves. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Verily Allaah has a sense of 'Ghayrah' (honor, prestige and anger over violation), and Allaah's sense of Ghayrah is provoked when a person does that which Allaah has made prohibited." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

7. It is incumbent for the Muslim (who is not making Hajj) to make every effort to perform the ‘Eed Prayer wherever it is performed, and to be present for the Khutbah (sermon) and benefit.

He must know the wisdom behind the legislation of this ‘Eed (celebration). It is a day of thankfulness and performing deeds of righteousness. So, he must not make it a day of wildness, pride and vanity. He should not make it a time of disobedience and increase in forbidden things such as music, singing, uncontrolled amusement and the like - those things which could cause the cancellation of the good deeds done in these ten days (of Thul-Hijjah).

There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good deeds, before death strikes, before one regrets his negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to life but only when prayers will never be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before one is trapped with his deeds in the grave.


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