What is special about the first ten days of the final Islamic month of Dhu'l Hijjah?
The life of a Muslim is very special as it is full of opportunities to get closer to Allahﷻ by performing various acts of worship that Allahﷻ loves. These forms of worship turn the life of a believing Muslim into a life of righteous action, speech and continuous activity for the benefit and goodness of the entire community. This means that the life of true believers (Mu'mins) should be devoted to worship, obedience, righteous deeds and absolute connection with Allahﷻ in every part of their life, and in all their affairs. They do not need to go to the mosque, in particular, to approach Allah ﷻ, as He is with them all the time, as He said in the Holy Qur’an (Surah Qaf: 16): “…and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.”
From this we understand that our life cannot be cut off from the mercy of Allahﷻ. So, perfecting this connection, especially during the five obligatory prayers that are spread over twenty-four hours, the special day of Jummu'a once a week, the fasting during the holiest month of Ramadhan once a year, the Sunnah fasting of the six days of Shawwal, on Monday and Thursday every week and on the three bright days every month. Then there are the ten days of Dhul Hijjah whereby the Hajj pilgrimage is performed. It is during these days that every single good deed is abundantly rewarded by Allahﷻ, who loves good deeds during these days more so than any other time of the year.
The special pilgrimage of Hajj is particular to these first ten days, and Rasulullah ﷺ said if Allah ﷻ accepts the Hajj of a person, they return from their Hajj cleansed of all sins like a new born baby. Umrah is also performed during these days. For those who do not go for Hajj, they can increase and engage in other forms of worship such as fasting the first nine days, give charity, make Tahlil, Tahmeed, Takbeer and they can also offer extra prayers if they wish to, especially during the final third portion of the night (qiyam ul layl).
The Day of ‘Arafah: The 9th of Dhu’l Hijjah and Eid Al-Adha
The 9th of Dhu’l Hijjah is known as ‘the Day of ‘Arafah’ because the pilgrims at Hajj gather at mount ‘Arafah in worship, which is one of the three central integrals of the Hajj pilgrimage. The Day of ‘Arafah is equally as important for those not at Hajj. It was reported that the Messenger of Allah (may blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, “Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah [9th of Dhu’l Hijjah] expiates sins for two years - the one prior and the one forthcoming.” [Muslim]
The day of 'Arafah should be occupied with lots of supplication (dua and tawbah). The life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was dua, to remember Allah ﷻ with every action in every moment, so we should do our utmost best to emulate this Sunnah.
Many Muslims usually take this time off if possible so that they can spend the entire day fasting and supplicating (making dua and tawbah). It is also recommended to sleep directly after Isha the night before in order to wake up for night prayer (qiyam ul layl) a couple of hours before Fajr, so that one may be present at the time Allahﷻ loves to accept duas. It is encouraged for one to make the intention to make the day of 'Arafah different from any other days.
Eid al-Adha comes after the day of 'Arafah, which is the most significant day of the ritual Hajj pilgrimage. It is a day full of worship, takbirs, repentance, tears, hope, supplication, and forgiveness. The sacrifice of Eid al-Adha symbolizes the enormous act of obedience performed by Prophet Abraham (May Allah bless him) who was prepared to sacrifice his own beloved son Ismail for the sake of his Lord. After showing his unwavering conviction in Allahﷻ's command, He replaced Prophet Abraham’s son with a sheep to slay instead. This is the reason why Muslims who can afford it sacrifice a sheep, goat, ram, cow for Eid al-Adha. It is done in an effort to recall the highest strength of submission that one of the greatest Prophets ever to live exemplified.
There is a mandatory charity given to the poor from those who meet certain requirements, and it remains an overall recommendation for everyone to give in charity beyond their normal habit. Sharing a third of one’s sacrificial meat with the poor and hosting one’s community with another third of the animal is one of the fundamental acts of charity for Eid al-Adha. One is encouraged to show one’s happiness to others and thank Allahﷻ for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon them.
Ultimately, it is important to remind ourselves of the purpose of our existence in this life (dunya), as stated in Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:56):
May Allah ﷻ grant His Mercy and the company of the prophet Muhammad's Mercy ﷺ, and may He make these ten days those of forgiveness and acceptance of our duas.
Ameen ya Rab al 'Alameen.
In 2024, Eid al-Adha will take place on June 8th inshaa Allah (by the will and grace of God). This date is tentative until the sighting of the new crescent moon at the start of the next Islamic month Dhu'l Hijjah.
