“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)” Qur’an 22:28
It is a well-known fact that, Allaah Exalted be He, desires ease and wants good for the believers. And by virtue of that, He makes available for them opportunities that will enable them to draw closer to Him. Sins are a serious set back for the believers and they form an obstacle between them and attaining the pleasures of Allaah. Undoubtedly, Man is constantly being exposed to certain spiritual negative factors and unless he is given the chance to offset them, he will forever remain a loser.
With absolute gratitude to Allaah, the believers have at their disposal, Time, which if utilized positively can be one of their greatest assets. Allaah Exalted be He, is the Lord of everything including Time and out of His infinite Mercy, He has made certain days better than others, certain nights better than others and certain months better than others, wherein the reward for deeds are multiplied in manifold.
Indeed, just as Ramadan is chosen to be the noblest month, laytul Qadr (Night of Power) as the noblest night, so also are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah the noblest days of the year. In an authentic narration by al-Bukhari, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days.” The people asked, “Not even jihaad (fighting) for the sake of Allaah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake 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.”
Each day of the week, a believer gets the opportunity to erase the effect of his sins (minor) at least five times, whenever he observes his obligatory prayers. Similarly, on Fridays for the sins of the week and annually, twice he gets that chance during Ramadan and on the Day of Arafah which falls in these ten days of Dhul Hijjah. This then signifies the unequalled Mercy and compassion that Allaah has towards His servants.
Notably, these ten days usher in great opportunity to earn the ultimate reward (Paradise) not only for those that intend to perform Hajj (the fifth pillar of Islam) to Makkah, but also to those who are not embarking on the spiritual journey. In life, there are two categories of people, the happy people and the unfortunate people. The happy ones are those who cease every opportunity that comes their way and make the best out of it. Ibn Rajab in Lataa’if Maa’rif said, “The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell.”
The virtue of these days is widely known amongst Muslims, hence, what is required of them is to strive and make the best out of them. Whoever desires to be embraced by the Mercy and forgiveness of Allaah should fast during these days, read much of the Qur’an, give in charity to the poor, the destitute and the bankrupt. As for fasting these days, in a report which has been authenticated by al-Albani, it was narrated that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’, and three days each month, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays.”
Muslims must repent back to Allaah and proclaim the greatness of Allaah in these days by repeatedly saying Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is Great), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allaah), La ilaha ill Allaah (no deity worthy of worship except Allaah) and Subhanallah (All perfections are Allaah’s). For those who intend to make sacrifice, it is common knowledge that, they should not cut anything of their skin, hair or nail until after the sacrifice on the tenth day.
Another amazing aspect of these days is the fact that they demonstrate the universality and unity of Islam especially on the day of Arafah, where humanity is reduced to one entity irrespective of color, race and background. May Allaah make us among those that will benefit from these days.
