وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٍۙ‏ ﴿89:2﴾

“By the dawn, and the Ten Nights of the Month of Pilgrimage!”

(Translation from Ahmad Zaki Hammad)

Allah swears by the best Islamic days of the year! The ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among us, through the grace of Allah ﷻ. Ramadan is the most blessed month of the year. However, the last ten nights of Ramadan are the most blessed nights of the year, not the best days! It is said that the nights of Ramadan are the best nights in the year and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year. It is very important to recognize and make that distinction. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ stated, “There are no days of the year that are more beloved to Allahﷻ that a person does good in those days than the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.” A man asked, “Oh Messengerﷺ of Allahﷻ, even Jihad?” The Prophetﷺ responded, “Even Jihad, except if a man leaves with all of his property, all of his belongings, money, and life and he dies as a martyr in the battle.”

Dhul Hijjah is the month of the great pilgrimage: Hajj. The great journey that encompasses millions of people from all walks of life around the world coming together to fulfill the sole purpose of worshipping our one and only Lord. For the many Muslims that are not able to perform Hajj, we still have a lot of worship to do here in our homes. Allahﷻ has blessed certain times over others. An example is the month of Ramadan, as it is the most blessed month of the year. Another example is Friday, as it is the most blessed day of the week. Within the year are ten days of which are more blessed than any other day in the year and they are these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Allahﷻ swears by these days in the opening verses of Surat Al-Fajr. Scholars have agreed that the ten nights mentioned in the second verse of the surah are these ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

The days of Dhul Hijjah hold a high significance in Islam. All of the Muslim pilgrims come from all around the world and from all walks of life to the holy city of Makkah to perform this Islamic duty. Furthermore, Dhul Hijjah marks the very last month of the Islamic calendar. Therefore, the Prophetﷺ encourages us to perform as many acts of worship as possible and to amplify our good deeds during these first ten days of the month leading up to Eid Al-Adha. Indeed, there are no other days more beloved to Allahﷻ than these days and all acts of worship performed during this time will be elevated beyond what we can imagine in the eyes of Allahﷻ. These days are so important that Allahﷻ actually swears an oath upon them in the Quran, within the opening verses of Surat Al-Fajr.

Increase of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah ﷻ:

One of the best, if not the most important act of worship to do during these days is Dhikr. Dhikr is simply the remembrance of Allahﷻ. Dhikr is an act of worship in which we repeat words of remembrance of Allahﷻ the almighty. Such words are Tasbih (SubhanAllah), Tahmid (Alhamdulillah), Tahlil (La Illaha Illa Allah), and Takbir (AllahuAkbar). The importance of Dhikr can be seen clearly through the constant chants of the pilgrims throughout their entire Hajj journey. They are constantly repeating words of Dhikr each day, all day. This special Dhikr is called “Talbiyah.” It is a devotional prayer uttered by pilgrims during Hajj or Umrah after making the intention to enter into the state of Ihram. It is recited frequently throughout the pilgrimage. The Talbiyah translates in English to “At Your service, Allahﷻ, at Your service. At Your service, You have no partner, at Your service. Truly all praise, favor and sovereignty is Yours. You have no partner.”

Fasting the Day of Arafah:

It is important to mention that although Dhikr is the best form of worship to make during these days, it is not the only act of worship. Fasting is also another highly recommended and rewarded act of worship. Especially on the day of Arafah. The day of Arafah is the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah and it is the day before Eid Al-Adha. In the Quran, in Surat Al-Ma’idah, Allahﷻ states about this day, “Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.” For this reason, it is highly recommended to fast this day. Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messengerﷺ of Allah ﷺ was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah (the 9th of the month of Dhul Hijjah). He replied, “Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for the preceding year and the following year.”

Eid Al-Adha:

My last message to our beloved community is to enjoy the blessed days of celebration that Allah ﷻ has granted us as Muslims. Unfortunately, it has become more common amongst Muslim families to treat Eid Al-Adha as any other normal day, outside of the Eid prayer. My beloved brothers and sisters, Allah ﷻ made this day special for us so that we can celebrate our acts of worship. Visit your family and friends, give your loved ones and kids gifts to make them happy, and go out and enjoy your time. Bring life to the blessed Eid holiday! Just as non-Muslims celebrate their own holidays and we refrain, Allah ﷻ has made the Eid holidays specifically for us to also celebrate.

As the most blessed days of the year are just coming upon us, let us not waste them my brothers and sisters! Spends these days in worship through engaging in the constant remembrance of Allahﷻ (Dhikr) and fasting as much as we can, especially the day of Arafah. No matter what you are doing, whether you are at work, school, the Masjid, etc, it is easy to engage in Dhikr. Train your tongue to constantly utter words of Dhikr and the reward will be immense in the eyes of Allahﷻ.

We ask Allahﷻ to allow us to witness these most blessed days of Dhul Hijjah. We ask Allahﷻ to accept from us our deeds and to forgive us for our sins. We ask Allahﷻ to protect the people of Gaza, to cure their wounded, have mercy upon and accept their martyrs, and to grant them peace very soon. Allahumma Ameen. Eidul-Adha Mubarak.

By Ahmad Salah