Hajj

The ten best days and the deeds of these days

By the dawn and the ten nights. Surah Al Fajr 89:1 2

Masood Rahman July 11, 2021

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Allah has not made all days equal – some are more blessed than others. We would not have the same amount of energy throughout the entire year. We can do extra good deeds on those days and have the chance to get closer to Allah (SWT). The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are blessed – even more blessed than Ramadan. Day times are more blessed than Ramadan days.

Allah says in Sura Al Fajr:

وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشٍْ

By the dawn and the ten nights

Surah al Fajr 89:1 2

INCREASE OUR SUPPLICATIONS, PRAISE OF ALLAH

It is recommended to increase our supplications, praise of Allah, and acts of charity during these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja).” Then some companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things.”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرْعَرَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ الْبَطِينِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏”‏ مَا الْعَمَلُ فِي أَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ فِي هَذِهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالُوا وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ قَالَ ‏”‏ وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ، إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ يُخَاطِرُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ بِشَىْءٍ ‏”‏‏.‏

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 969

It is recommended to increase our supplications, remembrance, and acts of charity during these first ten days, especially the 9th day which is the day of Arafat, as well as the day of Eid al-Adha and the following three days after it (ayyam al-tashriq).

Allah said:

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ

That they may witness benefits for themselves and remember the name of Allah on appointed days over what He has provided for them of animals, so eat of them and feed the downtrodden and the poor.

Surat al-Hajj 22:28

Al-Suyuti commented on this verse, writing:

وَيَذْكُرُواْ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِى أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَٰتٍ أي عشر ذي الحجة أو يوم عرفة أو يوم النحر إلى آخر أيام التشريق

‘That they may remember the name of Allah on appointed days,’ meaning the ten of Dhul Hijjah, or the day of Arafat, or the day of sacrificing and its following three days.

Source: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn 22:28

Specifically, it is recommended to often recite the declaration of the oneness of Allah (tahlil), the exaltation of Allah (takbir), and the praise of Allah (tahmid).

Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ الْعَمَلِ فِيهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهِنَّ مِنْ التَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّحْمِيدِ

There are no days greater and more beloved to Allah than these ten days of Dhul Hijjah, so increase in them your declaration of the oneness of Allah, your exaltation of Him, and your praise of Him.

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 5423, Grade: Sahih

These are the following supplications:

لا إله إلا الله

La Ilaha Illa Allah

There is no God but Allah.

الله أكبر

Allahu Akbar

Allah is the greatest.

الحمد لله

Al-Hamdulillah

All praise is due to Allah.

FASTING THE DAY OF ARAFAH (NOT FOR HUJJAJ)

Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting the day of Arafat and he said:

يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ

It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162

REWARD FOR HAJJ

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعنه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول‏:‏ ‏ “‏من حج، فلم يرفث ولم يفسق، رجع كيوم ولدته أمه‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏‏

Reference: Riyad as-Salihin 1274

Allah says in Sura Al Hajj:

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ ‎

That they may witness [i.e., attend] benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known [i.e., specific] days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor. Sura Al Hajj 28

Ibn ‘abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Perform Hajj and ‘Umrah consecutively; for they remove poverty and sin as the bellows removes impurity from iron.”’

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَتَّابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَزْرَةُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ تَابِعُوا بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ فَإِنَّهُمَا يَنْفِيَانِ الْفَقْرَ وَالذُّنُوبَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam) Reference : Sunan an-Nasa’i 2630

REWARD FOR UMRAH

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “From one ‘Umrah to another is an expiation for the sins that came in between them, and Hajj Mabrur (an accepted Hajj) brings no less a reward than Paradise.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، – مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ – عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ “‏ الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةُ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2888

REWARD FOR NOT CUTTING NAILS OR HAIR FOR THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF DHUL HIJJAH

It was narrated that ‘Amr bin Muslim said: “Ibn Al-Musayyab told me that Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet told him that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever wants to offer a sacrifice, let him not remove anything from his nails or cut his hair for the first ten days Dhul-Hijjah.”‘

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا اللَّيْثُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ فَلاَ يَقْلِمْ مِنْ أَظْفَارِهِ وَلاَ يَحْلِقْ شَيْئًا مِنْ شَعْرِهِ فِي عَشْرِ الأُوَلِ مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) Reference : Sunan an-Nasa’i 4362

GOOD DEEDS