First 10 Nights of Dhul-Hijjah - Moulana Usman | Islamic Reminder | Jummah Khutbah

The First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

We begin in the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most compassionate, our Lord, our creator, our sustainer, our nourisher, and we bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is his servant and messenger.

Not too long ago, we found ourselves preparing for the month of Ramadan, and as the month of Ramadan came, we found that our level of worship and our level of spirituality reached highs like never before. For the fortunate ones, they've stayed true to the promises that they made during Ramadan with Allah, but for most of us, we found that our resolutions came to an abrupt end immediately after Ramadan.

And so for us, there is good news, and that good news is that of the days of Hajj. The days of Hajj, as they come closer, we find that Allah gives us another opportunity, another chance to reconnect and to rekindle our spirituality and our connection and our relationship with Allah. While many from our communities, many from our families may be away or leaving or may have left for the Hajj, we, who are staying back, also have a gift from Allah.

Allah has gifted the rest of the ummah as well with a chance to get closer to Allah. For amongst the many things that indicate towards the importance of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is an ayah in the Quran in which Allah takes an oath by the ten nights — the first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah. And this in itself is indicative of the greatness of these nights.

It is mentioned, scholars write:

When someone of great rank takes an oath, then that taking of an oath in itself is indicative of what they've taken an oath upon. Just like in this world we find when an officer or someone that is being sworn into office takes an oath on a holy book — and even amongst ourselves in conversation when we take an oath, we take an oath on Allah. In the same way when Allah takes an oath, of course it is indicative of the great nature of what Allah is going to say, but also the thing upon which Allah takes an oath — great importance is shown through that as well.

Allah's Oath by the Ten Nights

And so Allah in Surah al-Fajr takes an oath by these ten nights:

Ibn Kathir rahimahullah writes that these ten nights — الْمُرَادُ بِهَا عَشْرُ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ — are the ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah. And this is not only his opinion, but he says it is the opinion of Ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhu, Ibn Zubayr radiyallahu anhu, and many other scholars as well.

Prophetic Encouragement for These Days

In the ahadith we also find encouragement from the Prophet ﷺ. In a hadith reported by Abu Dawood, the Prophet ﷺ says:

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 2438)

The Prophet ﷺ said: There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved in the sight of Allah than in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

In another narration of the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ encourages us to increase our ibadah, and says:

Be excessive in remembering Allah through means of dhikr, by saying:

So not only the auspiciousness of these days and nights, but also an encouragement from the Prophet ﷺ to increase in our actions in these ten days.

In a hadith reported by Imam Tirmidhi, Abu Huraira radiyallahu anhu narrates — and it is a weak hadith, but scholars agree upon the fact that we can still act upon it and use it as a means of encouragement to worship Allah in excessiveness:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 758)

Abu Huraira radiyallahu anhu narrates that in no other days besides these days are good deeds more beloved to Allah. And then he goes on to say that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that the fasting of each of these days is equal to a fast of a whole year, and the worship of each of these nights is equal to the worship of Laylatul Qadr.

Which Are More Virtuous — The Nights of Ramadan or the Days of Dhul-Hijjah?

This brought a discussion — a kind of a debate amongst scholars — regarding which days throughout the year are the most auspicious: the superiority of the days and nights of Ramadan, or the superiority of the days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah, and other days throughout the year as well.

Ibn al-Qayyim's opinion — to make the matter easier — divides the days and the nights. So instead of looking at the superiority of the whole day together, he separates them. He mentions:

He says: if you want to compare the superiority of the nights, then the nights of Ramadan are more virtuous than the nights of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. But when you look at the days, then the days of Dhul-Hijjah — the first ten days — are more superior than the days of Ramadan.

Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, the famous commentator of Bukhari, mentions why these days hold such great importance in the eyes of Allah. He says:

The reason why these days are so important is because it is only in these days — throughout the rest of the year — you will not find every principle act of worship being carried out simultaneously except in these ten days. Throughout the rest of the year we can fast, we can pray Salah, we can perform Umrah, we can recite Quran and remember Allah. But it is only in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah that along with these other actions, Hajj is also taking place. So from amongst the most principal and core ways of worshiping Allah, all of them are taking place only here in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, which is coming upon us just in a few days, inshallah.

What to Do in These Ten Days

So the question always becomes: what do we do and what do we focus on in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah?

1. Recitation of the Quran

Firstly, of course, we want to make sure that we spend a lot of time reciting the Quran. The Quran is our connection to Allah. In one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ specifically singles out fasting and the recitation of Quran, and mentions that both of these on the Day of Judgment will come as intercessors — they will come to argue on behalf of someone that has fulfilled their right.

So the person who fulfilled the right of the recitation of Quran, the Quran will argue in their favor. In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ mentions:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 223)

The Quran will either be an argument in your favor or against you — if, of course, you fulfilled the rights of the Quran, then the Quran will argue on your behalf.

In a hadith reported by Imam Ahmed, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 6626)

Both the Quran and your fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment. What will the fasting say? Our fasting will, in figurative speech, speak to Allah and say:

The fasting will say: Oh Allah, I prevented him from eating and drinking and I prevented them from fulfilling their desires throughout the day, so Allah, accept my intercession on their behalf.

And the Quran will also make a claim and say:

Oh Allah, I prevented him from sleeping at night, so Oh Allah, accept my intercession on his behalf. And the hadith doesn't end there. The Prophet ﷺ then goes on to say that both of them will intercede on behalf of a person — فَيُشَفَّعَانِ — and both of their intercessions will be accepted. So they are not just something making an argument on your behalf, but it is an accepted argument, guaranteed by the Prophet ﷺ.

So in regards to our recitation of Quran, we want to make sure that in some way, shape or form we are connected to the Quran. At the end of the 16th juz, Allah talks about those that ignore or don't give the Quran its due right:

Allah says that those who turn away from His remembrance — and some scholars of the Quran mention that "my remembrance" here is referring to the Quran — those who turn away from the Quran: فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ — there are two punishments. There are some punishments that start in this world for certain sins; other punishments are for the hereafter. In some cases there are punishments only in the hereafter, in some cases it starts now and then carries on in the hereafter. Leaving the Quran or turning away from the Quran is one of those actions where the punishment starts now.

Allah says a person who turns away from His remembrance: فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا — the first thing is that here in this world their life becomes very constricted, and things become tough — whether it's medical bills, whether it's rent, whether it's finances, whether it's health. In whatever way, shape or form, Allah says their life becomes constricted, becomes difficult for them.

And the second punishment is for the hereafter: وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ — on the Day of Judgment they will be raised blind.

And so Allah goes on and paints a scene for us — the description of what will happen to this person who is raised blind on the Day of Judgment. This person will say to Allah:

Oh Allah, why have you resurrected me blind? وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا — in the world I was someone that could see. I had 20/20 vision. Oh Allah, why have you raised me blind on this day?

And so Allah will reply and say:

In the world We gave you Our signs, We gave you Our book, We gave you the Quran. We gave you different ways to remember Allah, to stay connected to Allah. فَنَسِيتَهَا — but you forgot them, you ignored them. وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ — so in the same way, today you will be forgotten. In the same way today you will be ignored.

So our relationship with the Quran — in these ten days, if from Ramadan till now we've disconnected ourselves from the Quran, then this is another opportunity for us to rekindle that relationship with the Quran.

2. Optional Prayers

The second thing we should try doing and focusing on in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is to try to perform optional prayers. The fara'id, of course — praying our fara'id — we try and pray them in jama'a, in the masjid. But outside of the fara'id as well, try to engage in optional prayers. The reason being, in a hadith the Prophet ﷺ mentions that on the Day of Judgment:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 413)

The first thing that will be reckoned from us is our salah. Now if our salah is found to be up to par, then this person will be successful. But if there is a deficiency in their salah, as mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, then Allah will say: انْظُرُوا هَلْ لِعَبْدِي مِنْ تَطَوُّعٍ — look into the deeds of my slave. That slave that was deficient in their fara'id salah — look into his good deeds. Maybe there are some optional prayers through which we can fulfill the deficiency found in the obligatory prayers. So through means of optional prayers, we are securing and trying to fulfill that deficiency that we may have in our fara'id, in our obligatory prayers.

3. Sincere Repentance

Another action that we should try to remember and focus on in the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is sincere repentance. Allah loves when we turn back to Him and ask for forgiveness. In a hadith reported by Imam Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ mentions that Allah says:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2687)

A person who meets Me — and this is of course metaphorical, just figurative speech — if for example, if sins had a body and we could fill the earth with our sins, Allah says: a person who meets Me with sins that have filled the land, لَا يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا — as long as he never associated partners with Me — لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغْفِرَةً — then I will meet him with the same amount of forgiveness as he had sins. As long as we don't associate partners with Allah, then the doors of tawbah are always open.

Allah wants that we ask for forgiveness. Allah wants that He accepts our forgiveness. Allah wants that we rekindle our relationship with Him.

4. Fasting — Especially the Day of Arafah

Another action that we should try focusing on in these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is fasting. We find in the hadith reported by Imam Tirmidhi that the fast of each of these days is equal to a year of fasting. Imam al-Nawawi rahimahullah mentions it is mustahab — it is very rewarding — that a person fasts the first eight days of Dhul-Hijjah, the ninth being the Day of Arafah.

And that is something we should definitely fast, as we find specific encouragement in the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ for the Day of Arafah. In a hadith reported by Imam Muslim in his collection of Sahih hadith, he mentions that a person who fasts the Day of Arafah — a past year of sins and a coming year of sins are forgiven by Allah for the fast of the 9th, which is the Day of Arafah.

Also on the Day of Arafah, we want to make sure that we make lots of dua on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah. We find in the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, when he performed the Hajj on the plains of Arafah, the Prophet ﷺ made dua for over five hours. Some scholars say that when the Prophet ﷺ started making dua, he was sitting on his camel and then he stood up and raised his hands so high that the Sahaba say they could see the whiteness from under his arms — that is how high the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands in dua.

And in one hadith it is mentioned:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3585)

That the best dua is the dua of the Day of Arafah. In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that it is the Day of Arafah on which Allah frees the most amount of people from the fire of Jahannam. So the eight days — of course we try our best to fast in these days, as it gives us a means of focusing and concentrating on our relationship with Allah. But specifically on the 9th, with an encouragement from the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ regarding our sins being forgiven and dua being accepted, it is definitely a day that we should try to fast and connect with Allah.

The Story of Imam Ahmed and the Baker — The Power of Dhikr and Dua

I end with a story — specifically a story that has to do with dua — and this is something that we can use as a means of inspiration for us in these ten days. It highlights two things: the power of dua and the power of remembering Allah.

Imam Ahmed was known in his time as the greatest scholar of the time. Imam al-Dhahabi writes that at his janazah — and this is a time before news and WhatsApp and Facebook and CNN, way before that time — there were over a million people. And this was without social media and without the news as we have it today. And so Imam Ahmed was very well known.

It is mentioned about him that one day he traveled to a very far land. He was on a journey going to al-Sham, which is present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. As he was on his way there, he stopped for the night. He prayed Isha in a masjid and intended to stay the night in the masjid. But the masjid would close up and it had a guard. The guard asked him to leave, and the guard did not know that this was Imam Ahmed. Again, in those days, there was no Facebook and no social media to know what a person looks like — there were no photographs. So he did not know that this was Imam Ahmed. And so he asked him to leave the masjid.

So Imam Ahmed picked up his belongings. He had intended to stay the night there, but they were closing the masjid. So he left and sat on the outside steps. Sometime later, the guard came again and said: No, you have to leave the property of the masjid. And this was Imam Ahmed. Again, the guard did not know it was Imam Ahmed. And Imam Ahmed was so humble, he did not pull the card that "I am Imam Ahmed — give me somewhere to stay" or anything like that. He said: I have nowhere else to go. And so the guard became upset, literally picked Imam Ahmed up, dragged him across the street, and left him there.

So Imam Ahmed — traveling, no place to stay, having just been kicked out of a masjid, and the guard having literally dragged him across the street — found himself across the road where there was a baker. The baker spent his night preparing dough and baking things so that people could buy it in the morning. He saw what had happened and went out and felt pity for Imam Ahmed — again, not knowing it was Imam Ahmed. He said: Listen, I spend my night in the bakery preparing. How about you come and spend the night in my bakery?

Imam Ahmed agreed and went into the bakery and spent the night there. Throughout the night, the baker — as he was baking and kneading the dough, with every movement that he made — was remembering Allah. He was saying:

With every movement he made, he was remembering Allah. So Imam Ahmed watched this the whole night. And so Imam Ahmed asked him: I see you making dhikr the whole night — on every breath, you are remembering Allah. He replied: Yes, this is something I have done. It is a habit of mine. I work the nights and I just make dhikr of Allah throughout the night.

So Imam Ahmed then asked him: If you have made so much dhikr, what do you see as the result of all your dhikr? Of course in Jannah, Allah has built for him mansions and palaces — and the hadith are numerous in this regard — and Imam Ahmed knew that of the hereafter. But he asked him: What is the outcome of your dhikr in this world?

And so the man replied: Every dua I make, Allah accepts. Every dua I make, Allah has accepted — except for one dua. So Imam Ahmed asked: What is that one dua? And remember, the man did not know this was Imam Ahmed. He said: I have been making dua to Allah — and this is the one dua He has not yet accepted — that I see Imam Ahmed, that I one day meet Imam Ahmed.

And so Imam Ahmed was brought to tears. This man — the one dua he thought Allah had not accepted was that he meet Imam Ahmed. And here, Allah had literally dragged Imam Ahmed into his bakery to fulfill his dua. And so Imam Ahmed said:

SubhanAllah — this is that Allah who dragged me, who brought Ahmed to you through means of your dua.

So to highlight two things: the importance of dhikr — remembering Allah — and to highlight the importance of making dua. The power of dua is something we can never underestimate.

Closing Dua

And so we ask Allah in the ten days that we will have of Dhul-Hijjah that Allah gives us the tawfiq to connect with Him, to recite Quran, to fast, and to make dua. We make dua that Allah gives us all the tawfiq to do so. We ask Allah to guide us, to forgive us, to keep us and our families away from all harm. Ameen. Ya Rabbil Aalameen.