Contents
Seasons of Mercy
Why are the 10 days of Dhul Hijjah extremely special?
Dhikr: The Hallmark of the days Dhull Hijjah
The day of 'Arafah: The ultimate day of Mercy
Eid al-Adha
The Sunnah of Eid al-Adha
Qurbani: More than just Tender Meat
The days of Tashriq
The best days come to an end
The days of Dhul Hijjah: To-do list
Seasons of Mercy
Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, many of us long to experience once again the sweetness of Ramaḍān: from the communal spirit of worship to the intimate conversations with our Lord; from the joy of opening the fast to the serenity of the nightly prostrations.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Do good all the time, and seek to be recipients of the ‘outpouring’ of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah showers down these (special) ‘outpourings’ of His mercy to whomsoever He wills from His slaves (Ṭabarānī).
This ḥadīth means that although Allah ﷻ constantly showers His mercy, love and blessings upon us throughout the year, there are certain times of the year wherein He is even more Generous to us.
These are the special seasons, days and moments in which it is even easier to acquire His pleasure, earn His forgiveness and be saved from the Hell-fire. The blessed month of Ramaḍān is one such season when we witness these fruits of Allah’s love and kindness.
Another season, though much less known, is the first 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah.
Though this season of worship is short, many of us sadly do not know about the significance and virtues of this blessed season. We do not give it the same attention and importance as we do to Ramaḍān. Unlike the blessed month, the devils are not chained in it, making it more difficult to have a rigid schedule of worship. However, this means that if we do spend these days in worship, the reward will be greater inshā’Allah.
Seasons of worship have many benefits, including the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed… The fortunate one is he who makes the most of these special months, days and hours – drawing nearer to his Lord through acts of worship. It is hoped that he will be the recipient of an ‘outpouring’ from those outpourings, and thus enjoy eternal happiness, and be saved from the scorching Hell-fire.
– Ibn Rajab (RH)
In these ten days, we should renew our repentance and make a firm pledge to Allah to stop sinning, starting off with these days. Ibn Rajab r writes, “Beware of sins, because they deprive one from being forgiven in the seasons of mercy. Whilst sins push the slave far away from Allah, acts of obedience draw him near to Allah and His love”.
Ibn Taymiyyah r writes, “The severity of sins in virtuous times and places increases, and their punishment is proportionate to the virtue of the time and place.”
As the fortunate few of our Ummah make their way to the House of Allah for ḥajj, donning the iḥrām and raising their voices in takbīr and the talbiyah, we are sad at being unable to join them. Allah knows that we long to visit His House, but we cannot always do so. Thus, from His mercy, He gave us these days as a beautiful replacement.
We may not be able to physically travel to the House of Allah with the pilgrims, but we can share in their reward and endure the same spirit of sacrifice in these 10 days by travelling to Him with our hearts.
When Allah loves a slave, He uses him in the best times with the best deeds. And when He is displeased with him, He uses him in the best times with evil deeds, so that this will ensure a more severe punishment and greater wrath. This is because he deprived himself of the blessing of such a time, and violated its sanctity.
– Imām al-Ghazālī (RH)
Why Are The 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah Extremely Special?
1) Allah honoured these days by taking an oath by them.
Allah SWT says, “By the daybreak, and by 10 Nights” (89:1-2). According to the majority of the scholars, these 10 nights refer to the 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah. When Allah swears an oath by something, it is an indication of its importance and benefit.
2) These are the best days of the year
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said, “There are no better days in the sight of Allah than the 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah”
(Ibn Ḥibbān).
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these 10 days (the first 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah).” The (Ṣaḥābah) asked, “Not even jihād in the path of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah replied, “Not even jihād in the path of Allah, unless a man goes out himself for jihād taking his wealth with him and does not return with anything from it” (Tirmidhī).
The scholars have said that the days of the first 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah are superior to the last 10 days of Ramaḍān. However, there is a night in Ramaḍān which is superior to all other nights (i.e. Laylat al-Qadr).
3) They comprise of the Day of ʿArafah (9th Dhul-Hijjah).
Coming Next
4) They comprise of the Day of Naḥr (sacrifice).
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The greatest day in the sight of Allah is the day of Naḥr (10th of Dhul Ḥijjah) and then the day of Qarr (11th of Dhul Ḥijjah)” (Abū Dāwūd).
The Day of Naḥr is the best day due to the various rites of ḥajj simultaneously occurring in it, such as the pelting of the jamārāt, sacrificing the animal, shaving the head, ṭawāf, and saʿy. Similarly, non-pilgrims gather for the Eid ṣalāh, congratulate one another and perform qurbānī.
5) The Prophet would fast these days.
One of the wives of the Messenger of Allah said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast on the first nine days of Dhul Ḥijjah; the day of ʿĀshūrā’ and three days of each month…” (Nasā’ī).
Ibn Ḥajar said the reason that these 10 days are so special is because all of the major acts of worship occur in them, which doesn’t happen in other days: ṣalāh, fasting, charity and ḥajj. Although it is possible to combine the first three deeds on an ordinary day, the great worship of ḥajj is restricted to these blessed days.
Dhikr: The Hallmark of the Days of Dhul Hijjah
Just as the recitation of the Qur’ān is the hallmark of Ramaḍān, dhikr is the hallmark of the blessed days of Dhul Ḥijjah. The Messenger of Allah SWT said, “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah, or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these 10 days. So recite a great deal of tahlīl , takbīr and taḥmīd“(Aḥmad).
We should repeat takbīr in the masjids, in the homes and in the streets. ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah k would go out in the marketplaces and recite takbīr loudly in these 10 days. Upon hearing them, the people would follow in suit and recite takbīr. Along with this, the takbīrāt of tashrīq are to be recited audibly after each farḍ ṣalāh, starting from the Fajr of the 9th of Dhul Ḥijjah till the ʿAṣr of the 13th Dhul Ḥijjah.
I came across people who would say the takbīr in the 10 days of Dhul-Ḥijjah (so frequently and loudly) that I would compare it to the crashing of waves.
– Maymūn b. Mahrān (RH)
In these blessed days, we should also be consistent with the daily dhikr prescribed by our beloved Messenger of Allah SWT, such as the morning and evening adhkār, the adhkār before sleeping and the adhkār after ṣalāh.
To gain the full benefit of dhikr in these blessed days, it is important to understand the meaning of these short yet comprehensive words. Let us utter them with a deep reflection on the Perfect Names and Attributes of Allah, and His creation, so that we can increase our īmān in Him, and our love and awe of Him.
Amass huge gains by seizing the opportunity of
doing good in these great days (of Dhul Ḥijjah),
for they are irreplaceable and priceless.
Be quick in doing good and hurry before death
strikes; before the transgressor will regret what
he did, and beg to return to do good, but will
be refused; before death comes between the
hopeful and his hopes; and before man is held
hostage in his grave by the actions he set forth.
– Ibn Rajab (RH)
The Day of ʿArafah: The Ultimate Day of Mercy
The Day of ʿArafah (9th of Dhul Ḥijjah) is the best day of the year. It is the day on which sins are forgiven, souls are released from the Hell-fire, and duʿās are readily accepted. This day is also special because it was the day Allah SWT bestowed upon our Ummah its greatest gift: He perfected the religion of Islam and completed His favour upon us.
ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb h narrated: ‘Once a Jew said to me: “O leader of the believers! There is a verse in your (Holy) Book which you all recite; had it been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of celebration.”’ ʿUmar RA asked him: “Which verse?” The Jew replied:
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion” (5:3).
ʿUmar replied: “No doubt, we know the day and the place when this verse was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ It was Friday and the Prophet ﷺ was standing at ʿArafah (i.e. the Day of ḥajj)” (Bukhārī).
- Fasting
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the fast of the Day of ʿArafah, he said: “It wipes away the (sins) of the past year and upcoming year” (Muslim).
If you have been unable to fast for the first eight days of Dhul Ḥijjah, ensure not to miss out on the amazing reward of fasting on this special day.
- Freedom from Hell-fire
The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no day in which Allah sets free more slaves from Hell-fire than the Day of ʿArafah. Indeed, He draws near, and He then boasts about them to the angels and says: ‘What do these (slaves of mine) want?’” (Muslim). On this day, Allah SWT frees a huge number of His servants from the Hell-fire. This is Shayṭān’s worst day in the year. In just a few hours, years of Shayṭān’s efforts to mislead man come to naught. What enrages him even more is that not only does Allah free the pilgrims from the Hell-fire, but He frees the non-pilgrims too.
Allah frees from the Fire even those who are not
physically in ʿArafāt. Therefore, the next day is Eid and
a celebration for the pilgrims and non-pilgrims alike.
- Ibn Rajab RA
ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak approached Sufyān al-Thawrī on the evening of ʿArafah. Sufyān al-Thawrī was sitting on his knees and weeping bitterly. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak asked him: “Who is in the worst situation amongst these masses?” He
replied: “The one who thinks that Allah will not forgive him.”
Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām would stand in ʿArafah with 100 camels and 100 slaves. He would then free the slaves for the sake of Allah. The people would then start crying loudly, saying: “O Allah! Your slave freed his slaves, and we too are Your slaves, so free us (from the Hellfire).”
- The Day of Duʿa
The best action on this great day is duʿā’. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The best duʿā’ is the duʿā’ of the Day of ʿArafah. The best of what I and the Prophets before me have said is:
There is no god worthy of worship but Allah. He is Alone and He
has no partner whatsoever. To Him Alone belong all sovereignty
and all praise. He is over all things All-Powerful” (Tirmidhī)
We see an astounding spectacle of duʿā’ in the Farewell Ḥajj of our beloved Prophet ﷺ After years of struggle in conveying the message of his Lord, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula comes under his control and finally accepts his message. Yet, gathered on the plains of ʿArafah, at his highest point of victory, we do not witness parades or displays of pomp. Rather we witness nothing but humility and turning to Allah in desperate need.
Despite being over sixty years of age, undertaking a long journey from Madinah to Makkah, and being responsible for huge crowds, none of it comes in the way of worshipping his Beloved Creator.
The Prophet ﷺ delivers a moving and powerful sermon, and then leads his Companions j in prayer, combining Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr. Everyone is looking at him. He moves towards the Mountain of Mercy, faces the Qiblah and thereafter occupies himself in earnest duʿā’ until Maghrib. He spends approximately six hours in continuous duʿā’. He is so focused on making duʿā’ that even when the rein of his camel falls down, he grasps it with only one hand, and leaves his other hand raised towards the sky.
How strong was his connection with His Lord!
It is incredible to think that a man, to whom Allah had already given glad tidings of forgiveness, raises his blessed arms to the sky, and cries out:
“O Allah, You hear my speech…I am the desperate and needy
one, the one who is seeking Your help and protection, fearful
and scared, one who confesses and acknowledges his sins. I
beg You – the begging of a destitute; I humbly implore You – the
imploring of a humiliated sinner. I invoke You – the invoking of
the fearful afflicted person, whose neck is bowed down before
You, whose eyes have overflowed with tears for You, whose
body is humbled before You, and who has completely lowered
Himself to You… ” (Ṭabarānī).
- Experience the Sweetness of Duʿa
The secret of making duʿā’ is to display an utter need of Allah, expressing utmost humility, desperation and dependence. Go to Allah as a humble beggar, lengthen your duʿā’ and have firm conviction that Allah will accept it. Be persistent and beg Allah. Keep asking and do not tire of repeating the same duʿā’. Do not lose hope in your duʿā’ being accepted. Allah may be delaying the fulfilment of your request, as He loves to hear your voice and your sincere pleas. He may delay the fulfilment of your duʿās for reasons unknown to you at this moment, but which contain much good for you in the future.
Cut yourself off from the world and its distractions on this special day, and let your soul ascend up to the heavens. Experience the sweetness of intimately conversing with Allah SWT, humbling yourself to Him and crying to Him. Turn to Him with sincerity and beg Him to forgive you.
If you are able to seclude yourself (in worship) towards
the latter part of the Day of ʿArafah, then do so!
– ʿAṭā’ (RH)
Imām al-Nawawī r wrote: “It is mustaḥabb to perform dhikr and duʿā’ in abundance, and to exert oneself in this. This is the best day of the year for duʿā’…It is essential that one devotes every effort to doing dhikr, making duʿā’, reciting Qur’ān, supplicating with various supplications and performing a variety of adhkār… He should make duʿā’ for himself, his parents, his relatives, his teachers, his companions, friends and loved ones, all those who have done good to him, and all the Muslims. He should be extremely careful not to neglect any of the above actions, because he will not be able to make amends for it, unlike other acts.”
One of the pious predecessors said: “I have been making duʿā’ on the Day of ʿArafah for the last 50 years, and not a year passes by except that I see them (answered) as clearly as the light of the morning.”
"I came across people who would conceal their
needs until the Day of ‘Arafah, so that they could
ask Allah for them (on this day).
– al-Awzāʿī (RH)"
As this day comes only once a year, we should switch off our phones, take the day off from work (if possible), and spend as much time as we can in duʿā’. If we find it difficult to make duʿā’ for such a long duration, we can alternate between making our own duʿā’, reading from a duʿā’ book, listening to a duʿā’; or switching to another act of worship (e.g. recitation of the Qur’ān), and coming back to making duʿā’.
Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah (RH) was fortunate to perform ḥajj
70 times. Each year in ʿArafah, he would longingly
and lovingly plead to Allah: “O Allah! Do not let this
be the last time with you (in ʿArafah)!” In the year
which he passed away, he did not supplicate with
this duʿā’. When he was asked about this, he said: “I
felt shy of Allah, the Exalted.”
- 5 Specific Actions to Do on the Day of ʿ Arafah
Set apart this day for the worship of Allah c. Ensure all your Eid preparations are done beforehand, leaving the day free for worship. Do not miss out on one of the most important days of the entire year by wasting your time in elaborate Eid preparations.
In addition to the obligatory and voluntary good deeds, the following are specific actions for the Day of ʿArafah:
1) Fast on this day.
2) After each farḍ ṣalāh and generally throughout the day, recite the takbīrāt of tashrīq.
3) Keep repeating with reflection.
4) Make lots of duʿā’, particularly between ʿAṣr and Maghrib.
5) Seek forgiveness and protection from Hell-fire.
From His mercy, Allah placed the Night of Qadr at the end of Ramaḍān; the best days of the year at the end of the year (Dhul Ḥijjah); and the Day of ʿArafah at the end of these best days, to give us a chance to make up for our shortcomings. Let us make the most of this day. If the Night of Qadr is unknown, then the Day of ʿArafah is known.
Eid al-Adha: The Greatest Day
Eid al-Aḍhā — also known as the Day of Naḥr (sacrifice) — is “the greatest day in the sight of Allah” (Abū Dāwūd). It is a day of celebration marking the end of a season of worship. Anas (RA) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madinah, and the people (of Madinah) had two days in which they would play and have fun. He asked, ‘What are these two days?’ They replied, ‘We used to play and have fun in them during the pre-Islamic period.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Indeed Allah has substituted for you something better than these two days: the Day of al-Aḍḥā and the Day of al-Fiṭr’” (Abū Dāwūd).
Eid al-Aḍḥā commemorates the īmān and submission of Ibrāhīmعليه السلام who was commanded to sacrifice his son: a son who was born after many years of childlessness; a source of solace after being forced to leave his homeland; and a model child who was the coolness of his eyes. He was not asked to send his beloved son to war — rather he himself was asked to sacrifice him with his own hands. The purpose of this test was not to sacrifice his child, but to remove the love of anyone other than Allah from his heart.
Essential advice for those performing Haj
Recite the Talbia profusely as there is a specific blessing of Talbia - that is, wherever and whenever you say the Talbia the Prophet said every single leaf, rock and stone that hears your will bear witness for you on the day of Judgement, so keep it constantly on your tongue even though you are exhausted.
Another beautiful hadith is that you are Allah's guests and your presence is by a special invitation so fill yourself with a sense of humility and thankfulness and optimism. Allah invited you to honour you Allah SWT invited you to bless you Allah SWT invited you to forgive you so give profuse thanks through the remembrance of Allah SWT.
The legal rulings of Hajj:
Nullification: Only one thing annuls Hajj and that is sexual intimacy while in the state Ihram
There are four Arkan rulings of Haj:
1. Verbal intention of Niyyat that you are entering into the Hajj ritual is a Fard act.
لبيك الهم لبيك
If performing the combined Umrah and Hajj - Tamattu then complete the Umrah and come out of Ihram. Tamattu means ease, therefore rest for a few days after Umrah to prepare the body for the Hajj journey. It is a time when you can relax, visit sites, use the time to go to Madinah and prepare yourself for the Hajj rituals.
On the 8th Zhul Hijjah, pilgrims transfer to Mina, as did the beloved Messenger ﷺ After praying Salaat Zuhur, Asr, Maghrib, Esha and Fajr on the morning of the ninth of Zhul Hijjah, the next step is to make the journey to Arafat.
2. Arafat on the 9th of Zhul Hijjah is a Fard, absolute compulsory act of Hajj. Some sick individuals attend only for a short time on this day to complete the act of Hajj. This is the day of remembrance and thanks and profuse Dua to Allah SWT, especially in the time between Asr and Maghrib.
After Maghrib is the journey to Muzdalifah for an overnight stay, before the day of Eid, to rest under the canopy of the stars. Picking off the stones can be done in Muzdalifah, which is full of pebbles. As a special dispensation, the Prophet ﷺ allowed the sick and the elderly and those who have to perform the logistics of Hajj at Mina to leave Muzdalifah at night. Those who go to Mina in the middle of the night, may do the stoning Ramy Al-Jamarat as soon as they arrive, before the arrival of the huge crowd.
The day of Eid 10th Zhul Hijjah is a special event. After Fajr, the Prophet ﷺ started his day with Wuquf supplication after Fajr at Muzdalifah before setting off for the stoning Ramy Al-Jamarat in Mina. Then he proceeded to slaughter the sacrifice which is called Hadyi. Only after the sacrifice is done, then hair can be shaved preferably, or trimmed. At this stage. Ihram clothes may be removed for new clothes. Men may apply perfume. Preparations are made for travel for the next two rulings which are the Tawaf and Sa’i in Makkah.
3. Tawaf in Makkah
4. Sa’i
Stay at Mina is for 2 or 3 nights until the 12th or 13th Zhul Hijjah as Allah SWT says in Surah Baqarah verses 197-203.
Essential Logistic Advice for Hajj Days:
Drink plenty of water Always carry a water bottle in a back pack
Carry healthy snacks
A small amount of cash to buy food
Footwear should be comfortable and preferably with support soles
Medication
Have an umbrella for sun protection as you're going to be walking in the intense heat of the Arabian desert sun.
Be sure to carry a phone power bank or extra battery pack as you might not find a plug to charge your phone for 2 days. Phones could be a lifeline in case you get lost in the crowd.
Acclimatise yourself when you reach Mina tents by looking at the maps and make a note of your tent number. There are maps everywhere and Boy Scouts will help you make your way to your tent if you know the number.
Always have some snacks in a light backpack with essentials for 2 days.
Travel lightly. Do not take heavy suitcases or even wheelie bags. The most practical solution is a light backpack with essentials.
Food stalls going are everywhere so it's wise to carry cash, enough Riyal for two days’ supplies of food and drink, medicine and change of clothes.
Always carry some ID on you and a contact phone/Whatsapp number of a relative in case of an emergency.