Alhamdulillah, we are about to enter into the blessed month of Dhul-Hijjah. In sha Allah, in my khutba today, I’ll talk about some of the virtues of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, and some of the righteous deeds we should do in them. In His infinite wisdom, Allah (SWT) has made some periods of time more superior than others. There are some special times in which the rewards of simple acts are multiplied many times over. Allah specifically makes mention of certain important periods of time in the Islamic calendar. For example, we have in Surat at-Taubah,
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ
“Indeed the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah’s Book, the day when He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred”(al-Taubah, 9:26).
And we have in Surat al-Baqarah,
الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَات
“The hajj takes place during certain well-known months”(al-Baqarah, 2:197).
We also have in Surat al-Baqarah,
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ
“It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed”(al-Baqarah, 2:185).
These special months and days are full of virtues by which one can draw close to Allah. The fortunate person is one who utilizes them to do righteous deeds in order to gain the pleasure and nearness of Allah. From amongst these blessed times are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. These days are the first ten days of the 12th or final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. These are the days when pilgrims make a journey to Mecca to perform Hajj. It is important to be aware of the blessings of these days. We have in Surat al-Fajr,
وَالفَجرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشرٍ
“By the dawn and the ten nights” (al-Fajr, 89:1-2).
The ten nights by which Allah takes an oath are full of merit. Imam Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah) said that the intended meaning behind this verse is the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah as stated by Ibn Abbas (RA), Ibn Zubair (RA), and others. These days are blessed for both, the pilgrims and the non-pilgrims. Rewards of good deeds are multiplied in these days. Imam Ibn Qayyim (Rahimahullah) said: “Indeed, its days are the most excellent of all the days with Allah.
It has been confirmed in Sahih al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” Some of his companions (RAA) asked: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He replied: “Not even jihad except for the man who puts his life and wealth in danger [for Allah’s sake] and returns with neither of them.”
One of the reasons why these days are distinguished is due to it being the time in which the foundational worships are collectively carried out i.e. prayers, fasting, charity, and Hajj are carried out in conjunction with one another. These acts are not carried out collectively in any other days. After knowing some of the merits of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, it is essential that one does not let these days pass by without performing righteous deeds and without striving to attain eternal success. Along with understanding the virtues of these days, it is equally important to know which acts should be performed to attain the nearness of Allah in these extra special days. Some of these acts are:
1. Performing Hajj and Umrah. These are the best of deeds that may be done. This is the only time in the year that Muslims can undertake the journey of Hajj. This physical and spiritual journey entails leaving behind many luxuries just for the sake of Allah. And what indicates their superiority are a number of ahadith. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Performance of Umrah is an expiation of sins committed between it and the previous Umrah, and the reward of the Hajj which is accepted by Allah is nothing but Paradise.”
2. Fasting the first nine days or as many as one can keep. It is Sunnah to fast on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah. Fasting is one of the best of deeds one can do. In a hadith Qudsi, Allah says: “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” In another hadith, the Prophet (SAW) said: “Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the Hell fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.”
3. Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah). This can be done by saying the takbeer (i.e. Allahu Akbar – Allah is the greatest), the tahmeed (i.e. Al-Hamdulillah – All praise is due to Allah), and the tahlil (i.e. La-ilaha-illallah – there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah). Ayah 28 of Surat al-Hajj tells us to mention the name of Allah on the appointed Days.
وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ
“And invoke Allah’s name on specified days” (al-Hajj, 22:28).
Ibn Abbas (RA) says this ayah refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. We also have the ayah 37 of Surat al-Hajj which says,
لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُم
“That you might proclaim Allah´s greatness for the way that He has guided you”(al-Hajj, 22:37).
So, by remembering Allah in these days one will be directly following the recommendation in these verses.
4. Tawbah (repentance). Repentance means coming back to Allah. It is to give up all those deeds, which Allah dislikes and being determined not to return to them again. One should set aside some time to repent for all sins; minor and major. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “The one who repents from sins is like he who has no sin”. When a Muslim combines repentance with good deeds during the most virtuous days, this is a sign of his success. Allah says:
فَأَمَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَعَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ
“But he who repents and believes and does good things may well be among the successful” (al-Qasas, 28:67).
5. Keeping away 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 (i.e. going beyond the requirements of duty), the least one should do is to keep away from sins. 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. Doing plenty of voluntary righteous deeds. 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. These could include:
1. Recitation of the Qur’an: Often after the month of the Ramadan 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.
2. Maintaining ties: When one becomes busy at work or school, maintaining good relationships with family, neighbors, and friends becomes difficult. These days are a prime time to maintain good ties.
3. 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 one’s lawful worldly needs as well as salvation in the hereafter.
4. Giving in charity:
Brothers and sisters! These are golden days in which we must exert ourselves. A true believer has 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 Ya Rabb al-‘Aalameen.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
After understanding the virtues of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, and some of the acts that should be performed in them to attain the nearness of Allah, let me share with you some of the virtues of the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, which is known as Yawm ul-‘Arafah. This is the day when the pilgrims assemble on the plain of ‘Arafah to pray and 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 Allah perfected His deen, completed His blessings, and was pleased with Islam to be our deen or God-ordained system of life. The following verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) on the day of ‘Arafah:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you” (al-Ma’idah, 5:3).
2. It is the best of all days. Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA) narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The best of days is the day of ‘Arafah.
3. Fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year.
4. It is a day of forgiveness from sins and freedom from the fire of hell. A’ishah (RA) narrates: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “There is no day greater than wherein Allah frees slaves than the day of ‘Arafah.
5. Its importance is such that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Hajj is ‘Arafah.”
What are some of the virtues of the 10th Dhul-Hijjah?
The tenth of Dhul-Hijjah is known as the day of sacrifice (Yawm un-Nahr). Some of the virtues of this found in the Qur’an and hadith are:
1. It is the best of days. Earlier it was discussed that the best of all days is the day of ‘Arafah. Another group of scholars state that the best of all days in the year is the 10th of Dhul- Hijjah.
2. It is the greatest day of Hajj. Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood between the Jamrat (the area where stones are pelted at the Shaytan) on the Day of Sacrifice during his Hajj and said, “This is the greatest day of Hajj.”
3. This is the day on which Muslims across the world celebrate Eid al-Adha.
4. It is the day of the offering of sacrifice. This is an act that pilgrims and many non-pilgrims throughout the world participate in. It is a reminder of Prophet Ibrahim (AS)’s total submission to Allah when asked by Allah to slaughter his son. Allah’s command to the Prophet Ibrahim was a test of his submission, dedication and devotion to Allah. Once he acceded to Allah’s command, Allah substituted his son—Prophet Isma’il’s body with a sheep. By sacrificing an animal Muslims express their willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of Allah and demonstrate their utmost submission to Allah.
Let me conclude by saying that among one of the most blessed periods of time that we have been gifted with are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. 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. Brothers and sisters! Let us take benefit from the ten days of Dhul Hijjah before they pass away and we become regretful. May Allah (SWT) make us among those who benefit from these blessed days. Ameen; ya arham ar-Rahimin.
وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
