Announcement concerning the beginning date of Dhul Hijjah
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It was announced tonight in Mekkah Mukarramah that the crescent moon of the
month of Dhul Hijjah was officialy sighted,
thus making Sunday , corresponding to 02 February 2003, the first day of
the month of Dhul Hijjah.
Thus, the Day of Arafat, 9 Dhul Hijjah, will be on Monday, corresponding to
10 February 2003.
We ask Allaah to help us in remembering Him, praising Him, and perfecting
His worship.
Virtues of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah
How do the first ten days of the Month of Dhul Hijjah differ from other days
of the year?
Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than
others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are
multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them
to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that
the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare
himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.
This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to
correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one
might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind
of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind
of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever
He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special
months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times
through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of
Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of
Hell. (Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa’if, p.8)
The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of
Allaah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty." [al-Hijr
15:99] The mufassireen (commentators) said: "‘The certainty’ means death."
Among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah,
which Allaah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Ibn ‘Abbaas
(may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are no days in
which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days." The
people asked, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?" He said, "Not even
jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to
fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with
nothing." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2/457).
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) also reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There
is no deed more precious in the sight of Allaah, nor greater in reward, than
a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice." He was asked, "Not even
jihaad for the sake of Allaah?" He said, "Not even jihaad for the sake of
Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and
his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." (Reported by
al-Daarimi, 1/357; its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwaa’, 3/398).
These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the
other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of
Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadaan are better, because they
include Laylat al-Qadr ("the Night of Power"), which is better than a
thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. (See Tafseer
Ibn Katheer, 5/412).
You should know, my brother in Islaam, that the virtue of these ten days is
based on many things:
Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is
indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the ten nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn
‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later
generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn
Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified that
these are the best days of this world, as we have already quoted above from
saheeh ahaadeeth.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged people
to do righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people
throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place - for the
Hujjaaj (pilgrims) to the Sacred House of Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to
recite a lot of Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allaah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and
Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar") during this time. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah
be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are no days greater in the
sight of Allaah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than
these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel ("La
ilaaha ill-Allaah"), Takbeer and Tahmeed." (Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad
Shaakir stated that it is saheeh).
These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allaah
perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two
years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the
greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines
acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.
These ten days include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj.
Question: What must the Muslim avoid during these ten days if he wants to
offer a sacrifice?
The Sunnah indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must stop
cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his skin, from the
beginning of the ten days until after he has offered his sacrifice, because
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When you see
the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice,
then he should stop cutting his hair and nails until he has offered his
sacrifice." According to another report he said: "He should not remove
(literally, touch) anything from his hair or skin." (reported by Muslim with
four isnaads, 13/146)
The Prophet’s instruction here makes one thing obligatory and his
prohibition makes another haraam, according to the soundest opinion, because
these commands and prohibitions are unconditional and unavoidable. However,
if a person does any of these things deliberately, he must seek Allaah’s
forgiveness but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation;
his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some hair, nails,
etc. because it is harming him, such as having a broken nail or a wound in a
site where there is hair, should do so, and there is nothing wrong with
that. The state of ihraam is so important that it is permitted to cut one’s
hair if leaving it will cause harm. There is nothing wrong with men or women
washing their heads during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only forbade cutting
the hair, not washing it.
The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer a sacrifice
from cutting his hair etc., is so that he may resemble those in ihraam in
some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that he may draw closer to
Allaah by offering the sacrifice. So he leaves his hair and nails alone
until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allaah
will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And Allaah knows best.
If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of
Dhu’l-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he
decides later, during the ten days, to offer a sacrifice, then he must
refrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makes this
decision.
Some women may delegate their brothers or sons to make the sacrifice on
their behalf, then cut their hair during these ten days. This is not
correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is offering the
sacrifice, whether or not he (or she) delegates someone else to carry out
the actual deed. The prohibition does not apply to the person delegated,
only to the person who is making the sacrifice, as is indicated in the
hadeeth. The person who is sacrificing on behalf of someone else, for
whatever reason, does not have to adhere to this prohibition.
This prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering the
sacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is offering a
sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to sacrifice "on behalf of the family of
Muhammad," but there are no reports that say he forbade them to cut their
hair or nails at that time.
If a person was planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to go and
perform Hajj, he should not cut his hair or nails if he wants to enter
ihraam, because the Sunnah is only to cut hair and nails when necessary. But
if he is performing Tamattu’ [whereby he performs ‘Umrah, comes out of
ihraam and enters ihraam anew for Hajj], he should trim his hair at the end
of his ‘Umrah because this is part of the ritual.
The things that are described above as being prohibited for the person who
is planning to offer a sacrifice are reported in the hadeeth quoted above;
the person is not forbidden to wear perfume, have marital relations, wear
sewn garments, etc.
Concerning the types of worship to be performed during these ten days: one
must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allaah to His
slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the
Muslim’s duty to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the
opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving
hard in worship. Among His blessings to His slaves, Allaah 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.
Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first
ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are:
Fasting. It is Sunnah to fast on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do good
deeds during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds. Allaah has
chosen fasting for Himself, as is stated in the hadeeth qudsi: "Allaah says:
‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except for fasting, which is
for Me and I am the One Who will reward him for it.’" (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 1805).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the
ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hunaydah ibn Khaalid reported from his wife that some
of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast
on the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, on three days of
each month, and on the first two Mondays and Thursdays of each month."
(Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 4/205 and by Abu Dawud; classified by al-Albaani as
saheeh in Saheeh Abi Dawud, 2/462).
Takbeer. It is Sunnah to say Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu
Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaha ill-Allaah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaan Allaah")
during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the
mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to
remember Allaah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a
proclamation of the greatness of Allaah, may He be exalted.
Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them
quietly.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of
Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and
mention the name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that
He has provided for them (for sacrifice)..." [al-Hajj 22:28]
The majority of scholars agree that the "appointed days" are the first ten
days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him and his father): "The ‘appointed days’ are the first ten
days (of Dhu’l-Hijjah)."
The Takbeer may include the words "Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, la ilaaha
ill-Allaah; wa Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great,
Allaah is Most Great, there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and
to Allaah be praise)," as well as other phrases.
Takbeer at this time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten,
especially during the early part of this period, so much so that one hardly
ever hears Takbeer, except from a few people. This Takbeer should be
pronounced loudly, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the
negligent. There is sound evidence that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) used to go out in the marketplace during the
first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would
recite Takbeer when they heard them. The idea behind reminding the people to
recite Takbeer is that each one should recite it individually, not in
unison, as there is no basis in Sharee’ah for doing this.
Reviving aspects of the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten is a deed
that will bring an immense reward, as is indicated by the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Whoever revives an
aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward
equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in
the least from their reward." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 7/443; this is a
hasan hadeeth because of corroborating asaaneed).
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 Allaah. The one
whom Allaah helps to go on Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals
properly is included in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than
Paradise."
Doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allaah
and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj
should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allaah, praying
(salaat), reading Qur’an, remembering Allaah, making supplication (du’aa’),
giving charity, honouring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship,
enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and
acts of worship.
Sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allaah
during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality
animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allaah.
Sincere repentance. One of the most important things to do during these ten
days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of
disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allaah and foregoing
all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has
passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it,
but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allaah loves.
If a Muslim commits a sin, he must hasten to repent at once, without delay,
firstly because he does not know when he will die, and secondly because one
evil deed leads to another.
Repentance at special times is very important because in most cases people’s
thoughts turn towards worship at these times, and they are keen to do good,
which leads to them recognizing their sins and feeling regret for the past.
Repentance is obligatory at all times, but when the Muslim combines sincere
repentance with good deeds during the days of most virtue, this is a sign of
success, in sha Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "But as
for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be
among those who are successful." [al-Qasas 28:67]
The Muslim should make sure that he does not miss any of these important
occasion, because time is passing quickly. Let him prepare himself by doing
good deeds which will bring him reward when he is most in need of it, for no
matter how much reward he earns, he will find it is less than he needs; the
time of departure is at hand, the journey is frightening, delusions are
widespread, and the road is long, but Allaah is ever watchful, and to Him
will we return and render account. As the Qur’aan says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it,
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it."
[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]
There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by
these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good works, before
death strikes, before one can regret one’s negligence and failure to act,
before one is asked to return to a place where no prayers will be answered,
before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for,
before you are trapped with your deeds in the grave.
O you whose hard heart is as dark as the night, is it not time that your
heart was filled with light and became soft? Expose yourself to the gentle
breeze of your Lord’s mercy during these ten days, for Allaah will cause
this breeze to touch whomever He wills, and whoever is touched by it will be
happy on the Day of Judgement. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all
his Family and Companions.
With the very best of good wishes,
Musa Amadu Pembo
Glasgow,
Scotland
UK.
[log in to unmask]
Da’wah is to convey the message with wisdom and with good words. We should
give the noble and positive message of Islam. We should try to emphasize
more commonalities and explain the difference without getting into
theological arguments and without claiming the superiority of one position
over the other. There is a great interest among the people to know about
Islam and we should do our best to give the right message.
May Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,grant us entrance to paradise .
We ask Allaah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will
benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allaah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and
companions..Amen.
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