Virtues of First Ten Days of Dhu’l-Hijjah

Allāh favours one season over others and Dhul Hijjah is one of these seasons where righteous deeds are more beloved to Allāh than any other days.

Prophet ﷺ said in an authentic ḥadīth

أفضل أيام الدنيا أيام العشر

The best days in this life are the (first) ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah al-Bazzar (Sahih)

Virtues of Dhul-Hijjah

Furthermore, Allāh swore by them in His Book, and when Allāh swears by something, it is a reflection of its great importance. Allāh says:

والَْفجر • ولَيَال َعشر

By the dawn. And by the nights of the ten days Surah al-Fajr

These are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and they include the day of ‘Arafah, about which the Prophet ﷺ said:

ما من يوم أَ ْكثر من أَ ْن يعتق ا هللَّ فيه عبدا من النهار من يوم عرفَةَ

There is no day in which Allāh Frees more of His slaves from The Fire than the day of ‘Arafah. Sahih Muslim ¹

These ten days are concluded by the day of An-Nahr (sacrifice); then follows the day of Al-Qarr. The Prophet ﷺ said

إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الأَيَّامِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ

The greatest day in Allāh’s sight is the day of sacrifice and next the day of resting Sunan Abu Dawood (Sahih) ²

The day of al-Nahr is the major day of Hajj and the day of ʿEid; while the day of al-Qarr is the following day, it is called as such because of this day the Hujjaj settle in Mina. Good deeds are magnified during these days. The Prophet ﷺ said:

مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ‏”‏ وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ

There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allāh than those ten days.” They said: “O Messenger of Allāh! Not even Jihad in Allāh Cause?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Not even Jihad in Allāh’s Cause, unless a man were to out with his self and his wealth and not return from that with anything. Jami al-Tirmidhi (Sahih) ³

What great virtues and what a great season! What an opportunity this is to collect greater reward than that of Jihaad, which is the best deed after correct tawheed then punctual salaah. The season represents a wonderful opportunity for those who want to complete in collecting rewards and a miserable loss for the idle and lazy, who turns away from such opportunities.

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, compete for and rush towards the forgiveness of Allāh and a paradise which is as wide as the heavens and the earth and do not slacken and be laid-back, because the Prophet ﷺ said

التُّؤَدَةُ فِي كُلِّ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ فِي عَمَلِ الآخِرَةِ

The Prophet ﷺ said: There is hesitation in everything except in the actions of the next world. Sunan Abu Dawood (Sahih) ⁴

Compete and march forward when it comes to working for the Hereafter as Allāh says:

وَفِى ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلْمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ

… So for this let the competitors compete. Surah al-Mutaffifīn

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam: In this season, the roads leading to good deeds are many, so do not miss out on any of them. The intelligent ones are those who exhaust themselves during this season to earn the rewards of Allāh; you will see many of them joining their days with their nights, continuously doing righteous deeds and losing sleep and other comforts in order to get the most out of this season.

Righteous Acts

Prayer (Salaah)

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam: Of the best deeds to perform in these blessed ten days is the Salah, which leads to goodness and is something which Allāh loves. You must strive to perform it in jama’ah as Allāh says:

وَٱرْكَعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ

… bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience] Surah al-Baqarah

And the Prophet ﷺ said:

مَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عُذْرٍ

Whoever hears the call and does not come, his prayer is not valid, except for those who have an excuse. Sunan Ibn Majah (Sahih) ⁵

Al-Muwaffaq (the one whom Allāh has given them the opportunity to do good) during these ten days are the ones who perform as much optional Salaah (while preserving the obligatory ones), because it is something that Allāh loves. The Prophet ﷺ said:

الصلاة خير موضوع ، فمن استطاع أن يستكثر فليستكثر

Salaah is the best thing that one can do, so perform as many as you possibly can. Musnad Imam Ahmad – Hasan

And he ﷺ also said about the one buried in his grave

رْكعتان خفيَفتان مِها تَقروَن وتنفلُوَن أَحب إلَيه من بقيهة دنْياُكم

Two light rak’ahs which you may think as insignificant to add to you deeds, are more beloved to him than possessing the whole world Ibn al-Mubaarak – Hasan

Qurʾān

Another of the paths to righteousness and fields of competition during these blessed ten days is reciting the Qurʾān. The Prophet ﷺ said:

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it. Sahih al-Bukhaari ⁶

And he ﷺ also said:

مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ

[Whoever recites a letter] from Allāh’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. Jami al-Tirmidhi (Hasan) ⁷

Fasting

Another of the fields of goodness is fasting, especially the day of Arafah as the Prophet ﷺ said

صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ

I seek from Allāh that fasting on the day of ‘Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years. Sahih Muslim ⁸

There are no specific references which indicate that there is a special virtue for fasting these ten days in particular, however one should still try to fast as many of them as possible, and this is based on the general texts encouraging good deeds during these ten days (with fasting being amongst them)

Charity

Another avenue for good deeds is giving in charity. The Prophet ﷺ said

أن ملكا ينادي فِ السماء يقول اللهم اجعل لمال منفق خلفا واجعل لمال مِسك تلفا

(Every day) An Angel calls out in the heavens saying, ‘O Allāh! Bless and compensate for the wealth of the one who spends (for your sake) and ruin the wealth of the one who holds back (from spending). Sahih al-Bukhari ⁹ & Sahih Muslim

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

ثَلاَثَةٌ أُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ " . قَالَ " مَا نَقَصَ مَالُ عَبْدٍ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ

There are three things for which I swear and narrate to you abo Jami al-Tirmidhi (Sahih) ¹⁰

Hajj & Sacrific

One of the best deeds in these days is to initiate Hajj as a way of drawing closer to Allāh and fasting the day of Arafah for those who are not performing Hajj. Offering an udhiyya (sacrificial animal) is also one of the most virtuous deeds that one can perform. The Prophet ﷺ said

مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ سَعَةٌ وَلَمْ يُضَحِّ فَلاَ يَقْرَبَنَّ مُصَلاَّنَا

Whoever can afford it, but does not offer a sacrifice, let him not come near our prayer place. Sunan Ibn Majah (Hasan) ¹¹

And he ﷺ also said

إِذَا دَخَلَتِ الْعَشْرُ وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ فَلاَ يَمَسَّ مِنْ شَعَرِهِ وَبَشَرِهِ شَيْئًا

When any one of you intending to sacrifice the animal enters in the month (of Dhu’l-Hijja) he should not get his hair or nails touched (cut). Sahih Muslim ¹²

Final Words

These are just some examples of virtuous deeds, so take advantage of them; beware of laziness and neglectfulness and know that Allāh has favoured seasons over others, so let us take advantage of these opportunities and increase our righteous deeds; perhaps Allāh will forgive us for our sins and shortcomings.