The First Ten Days Of Dhul Hijjah

[Muhsin]

Assalamu Alaikum,

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." (Bukhari)

Pretty strong words huh? So when are these 10 days that the Prophet (PBUH) is referring to? They are the first 10 days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah.

Concerning the types of worship to be performed during these ten days, one must understand that these 10 days are a great blessing from Allah, which is appreciated properly by the righteous persons. It is the Muslim's duty to appreciate this blessing and seize the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His servants, Allah has given us many ways in which to do good and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.

Okay, so what we should we do?

1- Fasting the first 9 days: The Prophet (pbuh) urged us to do good deeds during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds. If a person cannot afford to fast all nine days, he may at least fast the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, which is known as the Day of `Arafah. The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: "Fasting on the day of `Arafah expiates (removes) sins of two years, the past year and the future year." However, it is also worth mentioning that while fasting the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah is recommended, it is forbidden to fast during the days of the `Eid (the 10th, 11th and 12th days of the month).

2- Extra Worship: Scholars have stressed that the days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah must be set aside for intensive dedication to worship, increased preoccupation with virtuous acts, and contemplation. Virtue and contemplation go hand in hand in Islam. Works that are especially worthy of mentioning include reading the Qur'an; making dhikr [saying "subhan Allah" (glory be to Allah), "al-hamdu lillah" (all praise to Allah), "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Greatest), and "la ilaha illa Allah" (there is no god but Allah)] and du`aa'; performing non-required prayers; sending benedictions on the Prophet (pbuh); rendering acts of kindness and compassion; visiting the sick; counseling what is good and forbidding what is wrong; bringing peace, reconciliation, and harmony among people; helping those who are in distress or need; showing dutifulness to parents; maintaining the ties of kinship and so on. While all of these works are to be active concerns of all Muslims every single day of their life, these must certainly be multiplied in these days more than any other time.

3- Performing Hajj and `Umrah: One of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days is to perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. The one whom Allah helps to offer Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals properly is included in the words of the Prophet (pbuh): "An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise."

4- Sacrifice: One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice.

5- Sincere repentance: One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin.