.png)
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,” referring to the (first) ten days of Dhul- Hijjah. They said: “O Messenger of Allah! Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah?” He said: “Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah, unless a man goes out with himself and his wealth and does not bring anything back.”
Prior to Dhul Hijjah you should let go of your animosity, eradicate hatred from your heart, and free yourself from the chains of resentment. Animosity is the tool Shaytaan uses to prevent you from finding peace within yourself. There are so many hadiths in which the Prophet (ﷺ ) advises us to abandon our resentment.
Abu Darda reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me about a deed that will admit me into Paradise.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not be angry and you will enter Paradise.” Al-Muʻjam al-Awsaṭ 2411
Ridding your heart of this poison is the first thing you should do during the holy month of Dhul Hijjah. Rage often causes us to act rashly and irrationally, and we can either say things we do not mean or we can end up damaging valuable relationships. Islam is peace, and in order to attain peace we must eliminate our rage and make peace with our enemies.
The Day of Arafah is truly a blessed day filled with Barakah. On the day of Arafah Surah Ma’idah, verse 3 was revealed. The verse that completed the Shariaah of Islam.
“... This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
The day of Arafah is the day to fast and to make supplications, asking Allah for whatever you desire. Ask Allah to allow you to get married, ask Allah to forgive all of your sins, ask for protection from the Hell fire. Ask for whatever your heart desires on the best day of the year.
The day of Arafah is the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah. On this beautiful day we are given the chance to cleanse ourselves from the sins of the previous year and the future year. I will mention two hadiths that explain the benefits and blessings bestowed upon us on the day of Arafah.
“There is no better day in the Sight of Allah than the Day of ‘Arafah. Allah The Almighty descends [on that day] to the lowest heaven, and boasts about the people of the earth to the dwellers of heaven, saying: ‘Just look at My slaves! They have come to Me with disheveled hair and covered in dust, standing in the forenoon. They have come from every distant pass. They seek My Mercy although they have not seen My punishment.’ There is no day when Allah sets free more slaves from Hell than the Day of ‘Arafah.” Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 3853
The second hadith mentions the benefits of fasting on the day of Arafah.
Abu Qatadah reported:
The Prophet ﷺ, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about fasting the day of Arafat and he said, “It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.” Then, the Prophet was asked about fasting on the day of Ashura and he said, “It will expiate the sins of the past year.” Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162.
The day of Arafah is indeed the best day of the year, however we should not let the first eight days of Dhul Hijjah pass us without making Taubah do good deeds and fasting.
Hunaydah ibn Khalid reported: Some of the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that he would fast the first nine days of the month of Dhul Hijjah, the day of Ashura, and three days of every month, which would be the first Monday and Thursday of the month. Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2437
These are the best days of the year, and every good deed is multiplied. In order to obtain these rewards and maximize your blessings by fasting all 9 days. However if you are unable to, you should fast on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, the day of Arafah.
The prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said the best dua that you should make on the Day of Arafah is this du’a.
“There is nothing that deserves to be worshiped in truth except Allah, He is Alone and has no partner, to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is All-Powerful over all things.”
You should also recite the Takbir, Tahleel, and Tahmeed, as much as possible on the day of Arafah and throughout the first 10 days.
Praising Allah as much as you can and seeking his forgiveness on the best day of the year. The day we are given a chance to expiate our sins and free ourselves from the fire.
Laa iIlaahaa illaAllah Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, Salah(Prayer), Zakah(Charity), Sauw(fast), Hajj. The month of Dhul Hijjah is the only Islamic month in which all five pillars of Islam are observed. Within the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah we should perfect our obligatory acts of worship. We give more charity, increase our involuntary prayers, pray on time, and reflect on how to better ourselves as Muslims.
Al-Qasim ibn Abi Ayyub reported: When Sa’id ibn Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reached the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, he would exert himself in worship so greatly that he would nearly overwhelm himself. Sunan al-Dārimī 1774
In order to follow the example of the Prophet (ﷺ ) we must earnestly strive to become the best versions of ourselves during these days. The first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are meant to prepare us for the Eid. During these days we should be sacrificing our desires and whims that prevent us from strengthening our Islam and building our relationship with Allah. On Eid Al Adha we sacrifice the Udhiyah, (sacrificial animal) for the sake of Allah.
These 10 blessed days of Dhul Hijah are a perfect time to give in the way of Allah with Sadaqah (charity). All of the rewards and efforts are multiplied many times over in this sacred month, and that includes the act of Giving You can easily make Sadaqah donations to a variety of excellent projects and both calculate and pay Zakat through Human Appeal.You can also donate to various types of charity campaigns globally on IslamicRelief or LaunchGood.
The Prophet (saw) said, “Charity does not decrease wealth.” [Muslim]
This month is all about sacrifice, so ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to attain your spot in Jannah-tul Firdaus? What are you willing to sacrifice to secure your happiness in the afterlife? We’ve been given the upper hand against Shaytaan, and we’ve been given a chance at forgiveness and a chance at happiness. Do not miss out on the Baraakah of this month. May Allah accept all of our deeds and answer all of our supplications, grant us protection from the fire, and bless us to go to Jannah tul Firdaus.
