الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، أما بعد
Allaah, The Most High, swore an oath by the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and this is indicative of their importance and great virtue, He, The Most High, said:
وَالْفَجْرِ* وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
((By the dawn. And by the ten nights)) (Al-Fajr: 1-2)
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (rahimahullaah) said: “the ten nights; what is meant by it is the ten of Dhul-Hijjah as was mentioned by Ibn ‘Abbaas and Ibn Az-Zubair and Mujaahid.”[1]
The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) likewise encouraged his Ummah with carrying out righteous actions in these ten days due to their being more beloved to Allaah during this time, he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam):
مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ العَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ العَشْرِ، قَالُوا: وَلَا الجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: وَلَا الجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، إِلَّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ
((There are no days wherein the righteous action is more beloved to Allaah than these ten days)) They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah?” so he said: ((Not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah, except for a man who goes out with his person and his wealth, and then he did not return with anything from that.))[2]
Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said: “Appropriation of the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah with worship night and day is better than Jihaad in which ones soul and wealth are not betaken.”[3]
This is further explained by Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) who said: “The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah regarding which the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ العَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ العَشْرِ
((There are no days wherein the righteous action is more beloved to Allaah than these ten days))[4]
Meaning that the righteous action carried out in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is more beloved to Allaah than righteous action which is carried out in the last ten of Ramadhaan, because the hadeeth is general. There are no days to be found wherein the righteous action is more beloved to Allaah than these ten.
The one who said this statement is the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam), the most knowledgeable of the creation concerning the legislation of Allaah and the most knowledgeable of the creation with regard to Allaah and that which Allaah Loves. So do not then be astonished if you hear the one who says that righteous action in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is better than righteous action in the (last) ten of Ramadhaan, because this has proof for it from the speech of the Messenger of Allaah (‘alaihis salaatu was-salaam).
Righteous action is of types: recitation of the Qur’aan, remembrance of Allaah, making Tasbeeh, and Tahmeed and Takbeer and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and prayer and giving in charity and dutifulness to parents and enjoining the ties of kinship. So the righteous actions cannot be enumerated.”[5]
Fasting and Supplicating on the Day of ‘Arafah
Shaikh ‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said: “From the fasts which have been legislated is that the person fasts on the day of ‘Arafah, for indeed the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) said:
أحْتَسِبُ على اللهِ أنْ يُكَفِّرَ السنَةَ التي قَبلَهُ، والسنَةَ التي بَعدَهُ
((I hope [in anticipation of reward] from Allaah that it expiates [the sins] of the year which preceded it and the year which is after it.))[6]
Except for the pilgrim, since it is not prescribed for him that he should fast on the day of ‘Arafah, so that he may be strong and vacate himself so as to be devoted for supplication on that day.”[7]
The Shaikh stated likewise: “One should aspire to being preoccupied with supplication in the last part of the day and he should implore when in supplication. Since every time the implore of the servant increases, he manifests his impoverishment to His Lord, The Majestic and Most High, and the person is impoverished to Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic in all of his circumstances.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ
((O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah, and Allaah is The Independent One [free of all wants and needs], Worthy of all praise.)) (Faatir: 15)
So when the person manifests his impoverishment to his Lord and implores Him and has recourse to Allaah in supplication – then let him receive the glad tidings of a response. For indeed Allaah, The Most High, says:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
((And your Lord said: “Call upon Me; I will respond to you. Indeed, those who are too proud to worship Me shall enter Hell, disgraced.”)) (Ghaafir: 60)”[8]
Utilizing These Ten Days in Carrying Out Righteous Actions – and the Blessing of Knowing Their Great Virtue
Shaikh ‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said: “These ten days that are treated with injustice which many of the people are negligent concerning, they pass them by as though they are fleeting days like the days of the rest of the year. Despite there not being any days in which the righteous action is more beloved to Allaah from among the actions than in these ten days from: recitation of the Qur’aan and giving in charity and fasting and other than that from the righteous actions.
So strive hard my brother in these ten days, exert yourself with an abundance of actions.”[9]
The Shaikh said likewise: “These ten days – the merits of which many of the people are ignorant of, and for the one who knows; then he may be careless in giving them their true right by way of striving in carrying out righteous action, therefore since the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ العَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ العَشْرِ، قَالُوا: وَلَا الجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: وَلَا الجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، إِلَّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ
((There are no days wherein the righteous action is more beloved to Allaah than these ten days)) They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah?” so he said: ((Not even Jihaad in the path of Allaah, except for a man who goes out with his person and his wealth, and then he did not return with anything from that.))[10]
Consequently it should be that we strive with the utmost exertion in carrying out righteous actions in these ten days, more so than how we strive in the (last) ten days of Ramadhaan, because the hadeeth is general.”[11]
وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
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[1] Tafseer Al-Qur’aan Al-‘Adheem vol 4 p.459
[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.1026) and Muslim (no.1181)
[3] Al-Mustadrak ‘alaa Majmu’ Fataawa vol 3 p.104
[4] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.1026) and Muslim (no.1181)
[5] Al-Liqaa-aat ash-Shahriyyah vol 1 p.277 with slight abridgement.
[6] Reported by Muslim (no.1162)
[7] Al-Liqaa-aat ash-Shahriyyah vol 2 p.105
[8] Liqa-aat al-Hajj p.108 with slight abridgement.
[9] Al-Liqaa-aat ash-Shahriyyah vol 2 p.374-375
[10] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.1026) and Muslim (no.1181)
[11] Liqa-aat al-Hajj p.16
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