السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
All praises, abundant and blessed, are for Allah. I testify that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah alone, who has no partners a testimony which saves the one who says it from the punishment of Allah, and I testify that indeed Muhammad is His true worshipper and messenger. May the praise of Allah and peace be upon him, his family, his companions and everyone who follows them correctly until the Day of Judgment.
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As for what proceeds, O worshippers of Allah:
You are indeed coming upon the ten blessed days, which Allah swore by in His statement:
وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
“By the dawn. By the ten nights.” [Soorah AI-Fajr: 1-2]
What is intended by the ten nights, as is held by many of the commentators, is that they are the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
AS-SA’DEE:
“He swore an oath after it by the ten nights; and they are, upon the correct saying, the [last] ten nights of Ramadaan, or the [first] ten of Dhul-Hijjah, since they are nights which comprise virtuous days; and such acts of worship and devotion occur in them as do not occur in other than them.
So in the [last] ten nights of Ramadaan Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Decree) occurs, which is better than a thousand months; and in their days the fasting at the end of Ramadaan occurs, which is one of the pillars of Islam. And in the [first] ten days of Dhul-Hijjah there occurs the standing in ‘Arafah, wherein Allah forgives His servants with forgiveness that causes Satan to grieve.
So Satan is never seen to be more humiliated and rejected then he is on the day ‘Arafah, because of what he sees from the descending of the Angels and mercy from Allah upon His servants; and many of the actions of the Hajj, and the ‘Umrah occur in them, and these are matters greatly honoured, and are deserving that Allah should swear an oath by them.”
AT-TABAREE:
“The people of explanation disagree about which ten nights these are. So some of them said: They are the ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah:
… Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The ten nights which Allah swore an oath by are the first ten nights of Dhul-Hijjah.”
… ‘Ikrimah said: “The ten of Dhul-Hijjah.”
… Mujaahid said regarding the saying of Allah-the Mighty and Majestic: وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ : “The ten of Dhul-Hijjah.”
… Qataadah said: “It used to be narrated to us that they are the ten of al-Adhaa.”
… Ibn Zayd said: “The first ones of Dhul-Hijjah.”
Whereas others said: "They are the ten (nights) at the beginning of Ramadaan."
However what is the correct saying in that regard in our view is that they are the ten of al-Adhaa, because of the consensus of the evidence from the people of explanation upon it."
And the Prophet, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him and his family, said about them:
"There are no days in which the righteous actions are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” They (the companions) said: “O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the path of Allah?” He replied: “Not even Jihad in the path of Allah, except the one who goes out with his self and his wealth and returns with none of them.”
Meaning that he went out and was martyred and didn’t return with anything.
So, increase in these ten days, O brothers, increase in actions of righteousness: prayer and recitation of the Qur’aan, remembrance of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, giving charity, fasting.
Some people says the fasting in the first these ten days is Bid'ah. That view is from ignorant person who should be taught. The Messenger (peace be upon him)ordered that good deed should be done in them and fasting is one of the good deeds.
Though it is not certain whether the Prophet (peace be upon him) fasted them or not, yet it should be relied on what the Prophet said because saying is much more significant than practice. When saying is accompanied by practice, this will affirm the Sunnah. The Sunnah of the Prophet are divided into saying, practice, and approving. Though each of them forms the Sunnah, the saying is the most significant and strong of them. Then, the practice comes next and then approval follows.
There are no days in which the righteous actions are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.
Indeed the Prophet, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him, did not make this statement except as an encouragement to hasten towards righteous actions. Audibly, and in abundance, say the takbeer (Allah is the Greatest). Abundantly utter the statement:
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, None deserves to be worshipped except Allah, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise).
So that you can ‘join’ the pilgrims, who have filled the horizons with the raising of their voices with the talbiya. So, fill the horizons, by raising your voices with the glorification and praise of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Indeed Allah is the Most Wise, the Most Merciful. When he legislated for the pilgrims to say the talbiya and to raise their voices with it and He legislated for them the sacrifice of an animal, He legislated for the people in their countries, to raise their voices with the takbeer (Allahu Akbar), the tahleel (Laa ilaaha ilIa-Allah)
Plus, it is ordained during these days also to recite Takbir (saying: “Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]”), Tahmid (saying: “Al-hamdu lillah [All praise is due to Allah]”), and Tahlil (saying: “La ilaha illa Allah [There is no god except Allah]”) because he (peace be upon him) said:
“There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so recite a great deal of Tahlil, Takbir, and Tahmid during them.”
Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 2, p. 75.
Also, that they should offer a sacrificial animal because it is one of the nusuk (rites of Hajj) by which one seeks a means of nearness to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. So, sacrifice for yourself and for your families.
One sacrificial animal suffices a man and his family and there is no need for every individual (in a family) to offer a sacrifice even if they have the financial means. This is because, even though the Prophet, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him, was the most generous of creation, he didn’t sacrifice for himself and his family except one sacrificial animal. Even though his family comprised nine women, he only sacrificed one sacrificial animal, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him. As for the second sacrificial animal that he offered, it was for his nation – may Allah reward him for that with the best of rewards.
As for the one who intends to offer a sacrifice and the ten days have commenced, he should not remove any of his hair, his nails or any of his skin because the Prophet, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him, prohibited this. For this reason, anybody who wants to act upon the Sunnah by trimming his moustache, plucking his armpits, clipping his nails, or shaving his private parts should do so before the commencement of these ten days because when the ten days begin, he should not remove anything from these things due to the prohibition of the Prophet, may the praise of Allah and peace be upon him and his family.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Written by : Muhammad Shazzlee