The month of Dhul-Hijjah is a season
of worship, and seasons of worship
bring along blessings, benefits and
opportunities to correct one's faith and
make up for shortcoming. Every one of
these special opportunities involves
some kind of worship, which brings the
slave closer to his Lord. And Allah
bestows His blessings and Favors on
whom He wills. The fortunate person is
he who makes good use of these
special months, days, and hours, while
worshiping Allah. He is most likely to
be touched by the blessings of Allah.
[Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa'if pp. 8]
The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are
marked blessed for both, the pilgrims
and the non-pilgrims. Rewards of good
deeds are multiplied in these days.
Imaam Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) (d.
751H) said: “Indeed, its days are the
most excellent of all the days with
Allah. It has been confirmed in Saheeh
al-Bukharee from Ibn Abbas (radhi
allahu anhu) that the Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said:
“No deed are more virtuous than deeds
on these days.” The companions
asked: 'Not even Jihad (fighting in
Allah's Cause)?' He (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) replied: “Not even Jihad
for the sake of Allah, unless a man
goes out risking himself and his wealth
for the sake of Allah, and does not
come back with anything.” [Saheeh al-
Bukharee vol: 2, no: 457] And it is
these ten days, of which Allah takes an
oath saying: “By the dawn; by the ten
nights.” [Soorah al-Fajr (89): 1-2] This
is why it is recommended to increase
in making Takbeer, Tahlil and Tamhid
during these days.” [Zaad al-Ma'aad
vol: 1, pp: 56]
Yawm al-Arafat: The 9th day of Dhul-
Hijjah is the day of Arafat. It is this day
when the pilgrims gather on the
mountain plain of Arafat, praying and
supplicating to their Lord.
The day of Arafat holds great
importance in Islam since this is the
Day when Allah completed his
revelation on His Messenger (sallahu
alaihe wa-sallam). It is reported in the
Saheehayn (i.e. Saheeh al-Bukharee
and Saheeh Muslim), from Umar Ibn al-
Khattab (radhi allahu anhu) that a
Jewish man said to him: “O Ameer al-
Mumineen (O head of the Muslims)!
There is a verse in the Qur'aan, which
if was revealed on us, the Jews, we
would have taken that day as an Eid
(festival).” Umar asked: “Which verse?”
He said: “This day I have perfected
your religion for you, completed My
favor upon you, and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion.” [Soorah
al-Maidah (5): 3] Umar (radhi allahu
anhu) said: “We know on which day
and in which place was this verse
revealed to Allah's Messenger (sallahu
alaihe wa-sallam). It was when he was
standing in Arafat on a Friday.”
Arafat is the day on which Allah took
the covenant from the progeny of Adam
(alaihis-salaam), it was reported that
Ibn Abbas (radhi allahu anhu) narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) related: “(When Allah
created Adam (alaihis-salaam) Allah
took covenant from him in a place
Na'maan on the day of Arafat, then He
extracted from him all the descendants
who would be born until the end of the
world, generation after generation, and
spread them out in front of Him in
order to take a covenant from them
also. He spoke to them face to face
saying: “Am I not your Lord?” and they
all replied: “Yes, we testify to it.”
Allah then explained why He had all of
mankind bear witness that He was
their Creator and only true God worthy
of worship. He said: “That was in case
you (mankind) should say on the Day
of Resurrection, 'Surely, we were
unaware of this. We had no idea that
You, Allah, were our Lord. No one told
us that we were only supposed to
worship You.” …” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh
al-Albanee in Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-
Saheehah vol: 4, no: 1623] Indeed, the
day of Arafat is a blessed day and there
is no other covenant greater than this
covenant!
Arafat is a day of Forgiveness from
sins, freedom from the Hell-Fire for the
people who are present in the plain of
Arafat. Aa'ishah (radhi allahu anha)
narrated the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) saying:
“There is no day on which Allah frees
more people from the Fire than the day
of Arafat. He comes close and
expresses His pride to the angels
saying, 'What do these people (the
Hajis) want?'” [Saheeh Muslim]
This Haadeeth mentions forgiveness for
the pilgrims. In addition to this, fasting
on the day of Arafat is a Sunnah and
an expiation of sins for the residents.
Hunaydah ibn Khaalid reported from his
wife that some of the wives of the
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)
said: “The Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used to
fast on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, on the
day of Aashoorah, on three days of
each month, and on the first two
Mondays and Thursdays of each
month.” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-
Albanee in Saheeh Abi Dawood vol: 2,
no: 462]
It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that
when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) was asked about the
fasting on the day of Arafat, he said:
“It expiates the sins of the previous
year and that of the following year.”
[Saheeh Muslim] This fasting is
Mustahabb only for the non-pilgrims
and not for the Hajis (the pilgrims)
because it was not the practice of
Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) to fast on the day of Arafat
during pilgrimage and in a narration he
also forbade doing so. Imaam at-
Tirmidhee (rahimahullah) (d. 275H)
said: “The People of Knowledge
consider it recommended (Mustahabb)
to fast on the day of Arafat, except for
those at Arafat." [Jaami'ut-Tirmidhee
(3/377)]
Yawm an-Nahr: The tenth day of Dhul-
Hijjah is the greatest day of Hajj. It is
known as Yawm an-Nahr (the day of
Sacrifice), since it marks the ending of
the major rite of Hajj - the Sacrifice.
And it is on this day that the Muslims
commemorate the bounties and
blessings of Allah. It was recorded in a
Hadeeth by Imaam Ahmad (in his
Musnad vol: 4, no: 350) that the day of
Nahr is the most virtuous day to Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The greatest
day of Hajj (Pilgrimage) is the Day of
an-Nahr (Slaughtering).” [(Saheeh) by
Shaikh al-Albanee in Irwa al-Ghaleel
(no: 1101). Abu Dawood no: 1945]
Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H) said:
“The most excellent day of the week is
the day of Jumuah (Friday), by the
agreement of the Scholars. And the
most excellent day of the year is the
day of an-Nahr. Some of them said
that it is the day of Arafat. However,
the first opinion is the correct one,
since it is related in the Sunan
collections that the Prophet (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The most
excellent days with Allah is the day of
an-Nahr, then the day of al-Qarr (the
day that the Muslims reside in
Mina).” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-Albanee
in Irwa al-Ghaleel (no: 2018). Related
by Abu Dawood no: 1765].” [Majmoo
al-Fatawa vol: 25, pp. 288]
The day of An-Nahr is also known as
'Eid al-Adhaa' meaning the festival of
Sacrifice and it is one of the two
festivals which Allah has granted to the
Ummah of Prophet (sallahu alaihe wa-
sallam). Anas (radhi allahu anhu)
narrated, “Allah's Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) came to Medina and
the people of Medina in the days of
Jahiliyyah had two days of play and
amusement. So, Allah's Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “I
came to you and you had in Jahiliyyah,
two days of play and amusement.
Allah has replaced something better for
you. The Day of an-Nahr and the day
of al-Fitr.” [(Saheeh) by Haafidh Ibn
Hajr in Buloogh al-Maraam. Related by
Musnad Ahmad vol: 3, no: 103]
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) said: “The day of al-
Fitr, and the day of an-Nahr, and the
days of at-Tashreeq (the three days
after an-Nahr) are our days of Eid
(festivity); and they are days of eating
and drinking.” [(Saheeh) by Shaikh al-
Albanee in Saheeh al-Jamee (no:
8192). Related by Musnad Ahmad (no:
1945)]

Maa-sha-Allah