The 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah - Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem

The Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we ask His help and we ask His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds.

Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whosoever He leads astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

O you people, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul, and created from it its mate. And He spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah in Whom you ask for help and mercy. Verily, Allah is ever watching over you.

O you who believe, fear Allah and say the right words. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great success.

The best hadith is the Book of Allah. And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst of things are its innovations. And every innovation is a creation. And every creation is a misguidance. And every misguidance is in the Fire.

The Blessed Month of Dhul-Hijjah

Dhul-Hijjah is the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, and we are about to complete the month of Dhul-Qa'dah. I would like to share with you some of the virtues of the first ten days of this blessed month, the month of Dhul-Hijjah, and also the reasons that the scholars have mentioned with regards to the importance and the virtues of these ten days, and then what we need to do in these ten days.

Quranic Oaths Over These Days

Allah says in Surah Al-Fajr:

By the dawn. By the Fajr time. And by the ten nights. And by the odd and even.

The scholars — like Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, and amongst the Tabi'een like Mujahid — and many other scholars, the Fuqaha and Mufassirun, have said that Allah refers in these ayat to the days of Dhul-Hijjah, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. When Allah takes the oath of dawn and says "By ten nights," these ten nights refer to the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. And "by the even and odd" — the even is the day of sacrifice, the day of Eid, and the odd is the day of Arafah, which is the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah.

Likewise, Allah says in Surah Al-Hajj:

Those who perform the pilgrimage — those who went to perform Hajj — they are there to witness the benefits that Allah has prepared for them, and they should remember the name of Allah in these known days. Again, the Mufassirun have said these days are the days of Dhul-Hijjah, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Allah says in Surah Al-A'raf, regarding Sayyiduna Musa, peace be upon him:

We promised Musa with 30 nights, and then we increased ten more nights. So the appointment that Musa had with his Lord was altogether for 40 nights. The Mufassirun have said the first 30 nights were the nights and days of Dhul-Qa'dah, and then the additional ten nights and days were the days of Dhul-Hijjah. And some of the Mufassirun have said the day in which Allah spoke directly to Sayyiduna Musa was the day of Arafah.

Prophetic Hadiths on the Ten Days

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

The best of the days of this world are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
(Reported by al-Bazzar; see also Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah of al-Albani, Hadith 1133)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:

There are no days in which performing good deeds are better and more rewardable than in these ten days. The companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even fighting in the way of Allah?" He said: "Not even fighting in the way of Allah — except the man who goes out with his soul and his wealth and does not return with anything."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 969)

So my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, these ten days are very, very important days for us to perform good deeds and to increase our acts of worship. The scholars have said that these ten days are even better and more virtuous than the last ten nights or days of the month of Ramadan. But unfortunately, during the month of Ramadan we attend the masajid, we increase — we obviously fast, and other than fast, we increase the reading of the Quran, making du'a, Sadaqah, giving in the way of Allah, attending the masjid for the night prayer — but when it comes to these ten days, we do not bother; we neglect them. Whereas these ten days are better than the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has said the best of the days of this dunya are these ten days.

So this is the first lesson that we need to learn and bear in mind from today's khutbah: that these ten days are the best of the days of the whole year. So we need to increase our acts of worship in these ten days.

Why These Ten Days Are So Virtuous

The Day of Arafah

One of the reasons that is very apparent is that within these days is the Day of Arafah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

There is no day in which Allah frees His slaves from the Fire of Hell more than the Day of Arafah.
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1348)

In one single day, Allah sets free His slaves from the Fire of Hell in a very large amount and number — more than He does on any other day of the year. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said that on that day, the Day of Arafah, Allah comes closer to His servants, and some narrations say that Allah descends — as it befits His Majesty — to the lower heaven, and then Allah boasts before His angels and says: "Look at My slaves — all of them have gathered in the field of Arafah. What do they want?"

And then in another narration reported by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says that Allah boasts about the people of Arafah — those pilgrims, those Hujjaj who are in the field of Arafah to perform the Hajj — and Allah says to His angels:

"Look at My slaves, look at My servants — they have come to Me, dishevelled and uncombed, with their faces covered with dust. What do they want? O My angels, I make you My witness — bear witness that I have forgiven them."

And especially for the believers, the Day of Arafah is the day of Eid, the day of celebration, because this is the day in which Allah completed His religion for us, when Allah revealed the ayah to our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

"Today, this day, I have completed for you your religion, and I have perfected for you My blessing and My favour, and I have chosen for you the religion of Islam."

A Jewish person came to Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab and said: "O Umar, in your Quran there is a verse — if this verse was revealed in our book, in the Torah, the day it was revealed we would have taken that day as the day of Eid and celebration for us." Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "O man, I know when this verse was revealed and where it was revealed. Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was in the field of Arafah — on the Day of Arafah, in the field of Arafah, Allah revealed this ayah. Meaning that this was the day of Eid for us anyway."

The Day of Nahr

Another reason for the virtue and the high position and the status of these days is the Day of Nahr — the day of slaughtering the animals and sacrificing solely for the sake of Allah. Millions of animals every single year, for hundreds of years, have been sacrificed and slaughtered in the name of Allah on that single day, the Day of Nahr. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

The greatest of the days is the Day of Nahr — the day of slaughtering the animals for the sake of Allah.
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1765; authenticated by al-Albani)

The Gathering of All Major Acts of Worship

Imam Ibn Hajar, the great scholar and muhaddith, says in his sharh of Sahih al-Bukhari that what is apparent — the reason for these ten days being highly virtuous — is because all the major acts of worship are performed within them. Within these ten days, Muslims perform their salah, they also offer the fast, they give Sadaqah and charity, they offer the sacrifice for the sake of Allah, and they also perform one of the pillars of their religion — Hajj. And you cannot combine all these acts of worship in other than these ten days. That is why the scholars have said these ten days are more virtuous than the last ten days of the month of Ramadan — because in Ramadan you might be able to perform all other acts of worship apart from Hajj, but in these days you can perform all those acts of worship on top of Hajj.

What to Do in These Ten Days

Tawheed: Purifying Your Worship

As it is the most important part of our religion, we need to testify the oneness of Allah — the Tawheed of Allah — in every single act of worship. When it comes to the matter of the Tawheed of Allah, it is not merely the belief that you hold within your heart. Rather, the Tawheed of Allah must be demonstrated through your actions. The salah that you perform must be performed under your belief of the Tawheed of Allah. The fast that you offer within these days or other than these days must demonstrate the Tawheed of Allah. Your Hajj, your Sadaqah, your charity — all of it stems from the Tawheed of Allah.

Allah says:

They have not been ordered except that they worship Allah, purifying for Him His worship. Your salah should be solely for the sake of Allah. Your fasting for the sake of Allah. Your Hajj and Umrah for the sake of Allah. Your Sadaqah and charity solely for the sake of Allah. Your sacrifice solely for the sake of Allah. Purify your intention, because it is directly linked to the Tawheed of Allah. If you perform any act of worship showing off — with the intention of riya' — then it shows your lack of iman in the Tawheed of Allah. That is why Tawheed of Allah is the most important thing that we need to observe within these days and other than these days.

Salah, Fasting, Charity, and Sacrifice

And then after Tawheed of Allah, performing salah — especially for those who have been neglectful with regards to the prayers, the five daily prayers. Now it is the time for you to rectify your mistakes, sort yourself out, and be regular in your five daily prayers. Attend the masjid for the congregational prayers — as many prayers as you can attend in the masjid in congregation.

And also fast. As mentioned, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has recommended the fast of the Day of Arafah, and he said:

I hope in the mercy of Allah that Allah forgives the sins of someone who fasts the Day of Arafah — Allah forgives the sins for this person for the past year and the year to come.
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1162)

And this is only the Day of Arafah. As for the first eight days, again, if you want, you can fast — because of the general hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Although there is no authentic narration that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, offered the fast all nine days — he used to offer the fast on the ninth day, which was the Day of Arafah. But as for the first eight days, there is no authentic narration that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did fast. But it is open for us — we can, if you have the ability, go ahead and fast all eight days before the Day of Arafah, because fasting is one of the virtuous deeds.

Give in charity for the sake of Allah. Offer the sacrifice — the Qurbani — for the sake of Allah.

The Importance of Good Character (Akhlaq)

And along with this, we all need to bear in mind, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, the virtuous akhlaq and manners. Performing salah, offering fast, giving in the way of Allah, performing your Hajj and Umrah, reading Quran, making du'a — all of them can be destroyed if your akhlaq is bad. If your akhlaq is not of the standard that your Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has set for you. Good akhlaq and manners — this is part of your religion.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

On the Day of Judgment, when Allah is going to weigh the deeds — the heaviest of the deeds in the scale on the Day of Judgment will be your good akhlaq.
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4799; authenticated by al-Albani)

Not your salah, not your fasting, your reading of Quran, your dhikr — all these acts of worship are directly linked to Allah Dhul Jalal wal Ikram. But they are acceptable by Allah only if you have good akhlaq — if you have the best akhlaq that your Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has taught you.

He, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

The most perfect amongst the believers with regards to his iman is the one who is the best with regards to his akhlaq.
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4682; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1162)

Your akhlaq and manners are directly linked to your belief and your iman. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has said: "Indeed the believer can reach the level of the person who fasts every single day and the one who performs the night prayer every single night — simply by showing his good akhlaq." Although you are unable to fast every single day throughout the year, and it is very difficult for someone to perform the night prayer every single night of the year, through your good akhlaq you can reach the level of that person. So your good akhlaq has a good impact on your good deeds.

Whereas, on the other hand, if you are a person of bad akhlaq and bad manners, then this bad akhlaq can destroy your good deeds. And there are many, many evidences from the Sunnah of Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him.

The Woman Who Harmed Her Neighbours

One of them is what is reported by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah. Imam al-Bazzar has reported this narration. He says Abu Hurairah said: a person came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "There is a lady who is well known amongst the community and society because of her worship — because of her salah and her fasting and her Sadaqah. She gives a lot in the way of Allah. She fasts so many days throughout the year. She performs a lot of prayer. But she has one concern, one mistake, one shortcoming: she harms her neighbours with her tongue."

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said — listen carefully, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, this is the tongue that we need to safeguard — he said: "She is in the fire of hell." Although she is well known amongst the community that she fasts a lot, she performs a lot of prayers, she gives a lot in charity — but her neighbours are not safe from her harm. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: she is in the fire of hell.

And then this person said: "O Messenger of Allah, there is another lady in the community. She is known that she performs very little of the prayer, very little fast, and she gives very little in the way of Allah as Sadaqah. But she is well known that her neighbours are completely safe from her harms, and they are very happy with her." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "She deserves paradise."

This is the status of akhlaq in the religion of Allah.

The Bankrupt Person on the Day of Judgement

And we all know, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, the very famous hadith of Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him, in which he said to his companions:

"Do you know who is the bankrupt?" They said: "The bankrupt amongst us is the one who has no dirham and no wealth." He said: "Indeed the most bankrupt of my ummah will be the person who comes on the Day of Judgement with his prayers, his zakah, his fasting, and his charity — while he had insulted this person, hurled abuse against that person, eaten the wealth of that person, and beaten someone without any right. Allah will order the angels that his good deeds be distributed and given to all those he oppressed. If his good deeds fall short before Allah passes the final judgement, then the sins of others will be added to his scale of bad deeds, and then he will be thrown into the fire."
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2581)

Although he had performed the salah, he had offered the fasting, he had given in the way of Allah — but because of his bad akhlaq and mannerism, Allah is going to destroy all of his acts of worship, and he will be thrown in the fire. May Allah protect us from bad akhlaq.

Reconciling with Others

If you have any problem with anyone — amongst your friends, your colleagues and your relatives, your family members, your siblings, your parents, your children — please make peace with them. Bear in mind the hadith of Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him, in which he said:

Every single Monday and Thursday, the deeds of the servants of Allah are presented to Allah. Allah accepts those good deeds from every single person who had not committed shirk with Allah — except from the person who had malice in his heart against his brother. Allah says to the angels: "Leave these two alone until they make peace."
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2565)

This is the time for us to rectify our shortcomings. And we ask Allah to give us tawfiq and ability to act upon whatever we say and whatever we hear.

Ruling on Cutting Hair and Nails Before Qurbani

And before I conclude the khutbah, I would like to remind everyone — and those who are going to perform udhiyah, the Qurbani and sacrifice — of the hadith of Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him. He said:

When the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah start — meaning as soon as the moon of Dhul-Hijjah has been sighted — and any one of you intends to perform his Qurbani and sacrifice, he must abstain and refrain from cutting his hair, clipping his nails, or taking anything from his body. He should wait until the sacrifice is slaughtered on the day of Eid.
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1977)

So this is the general ruling and restriction that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has put for someone who intends to perform Qurbani. And this restriction is only for the person who is offering the Qurbani. It is generally said and misunderstood that the whole family — every single person in the family — has to refrain from it. But this is not true. The wording of the hadith is: "someone who intends to perform Qurbani" — meaning the head of the household who is offering the Qurbani or the udhiyah. He has to refrain from cutting his hair and nails.

Closing Du'a

May Allah give us tawfiq and ability to understand our religion. May Allah allow us to complete our iman. May Allah allow us to make the most of these ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. May Allah enable us to fast the Day of Arafah. May Allah forgive our sins. And may Allah increase us in our iman. Indeed He is the All-Hearing, the Near, the Responder.