The Excellence of the days of Dhul Hijjah

The Excellence of the days of Dhul Hijjah

Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al ‘Uthaimeen

Translated by Abu Afnaan Muhammad


All praise is due to the Lord of all worlds. I send prayers, blessings and salutations upon the best of mankind, the Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.

Indeed, from the blessings of Allah and His favor upon His righteous servants is that he made specific times (seasons) during which they may increase their righteous actions. And from these special times are (first ten) days of Dhul Hijja.

The excellence of these days:
There are many textual evidences from the Quran and sunnah attesting to the excellence of these days, including:
1. Allah the Most High’s saying, {Wal Fajr (By the sunrise) and the ten nights} (Al Fajr,1-2). Ibn Katheer mentioned in his tafseer, “What is meant by these ayahs (verses) are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah like what Ibn ‘Abbas, Az Zubayr, Mujahid, and others have said.”
2. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) said, “There aren’t actions (performed) during the days of the year better than actions (performed) in these ten (1st ten days of Dhul Hijjah).” The sahabah asked, “Not even Jihad?” Then he (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) replied, “Not even Jihad, except for the person who risked his life and all his wealth (in Jihad) and did not return with anything.” Related by Al Bukhari.
3. Allah the Most High says, {and they remember Allah on known days..} (Hajj,28) In regards to this verse, Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn katheer said that the days mentioned in this verse are the ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
4. Ibn ‘Umar related that the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) said, “There aren’t any days greater to Allah the Most High, nor are the actions performed in those days more beloved to Him than these ten. Therefore increase your saying ‘La ilaha ill Allah (tahleel), Allah Akbar (takbeer) and al Hamdulillah (Tahmeed). Related by At Tabarani in Al Mu’jam Al Kabeer.
5. From the onset of the month of Dhul Hijjah, Sa’eed Ibn Jubair used to strive in doing good deeds to the point of not being able to do them (alluding to their amount).
6. Ibn Hajr stated in Fath Al Baari, “It appears that the reason for the distinction of these days is the fact that the greatest acts of worship are performed during these days like the prayer, fasting, charity and Hajj. And this (all of these acts being performed at the same time) doesn’t happen at any other time (of the year).

That which is recommended (Mutstahabb) during these days
1. The prayer (As salat): It is recommended to arrive early for the obligatory congregational prayer and increasing the nawaafil (supererogatory) prayers because these are from the best forms of worship that bring one closer to Allah. Thauban (Radiya Allahu ‘anhu) related that he heard the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) say, “You must increase your sajdah (alluding to praying more) to Allah, because indeed you don’t make sajdah (prostration) to Allah, except that Allah raises with it (prostration) your rank and erases sins. Related by Muslim. And this is general for anytime (and because of this it is Mustahabb during the days of Dhul Hijjah).
2. Fasting (As Siyam): Because it is considered to be a form of righteous actions. Hani’ah related from his wife who related from some of the wives of the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi was salam) that, “The Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) used to fast the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah, the day of ‘Aashura, and three days from every month (the white days). Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An Nisaa’i and others.
3. Takbeer, Tahleel and Tahmeed: This is understood from what has been related in the previous hadith of Ibn ‘Umar, “Increase your saying ‘La ilaha ill Allah (tahleel), Allah Akbar (takbeer) and al Hamdulillah (Tahmeed).” Related by At Tabarani in Al Mu’jam Al Kabeer. Imam Al Bukhari (May Allah have mercy on him) said, “Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with them) used to go to the marketplace during the days of Dhul Hijjah making the takbeer and then the people would also make takbeer with theirs.” He also said, “Umar used to make takbeer in his tent while in Mina, hence the people in the masjid and in the markets would hear him and then make takbeer as well until Mina would tremble with takbeers.”

Ibn ‘Umar used to make takbeer in Mina during these days (the entire 10), after the prayers, in his bed, his tent, his sitting area, and in the places he walked. It is recommended (Mustahabb) to say the takbeer aloud because of the action of ‘Umar, his son, and Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with all of them).
It is befitting for us Muslims to revive this sunnah which has been lost during these times. It has been forgotten by even the virtuous people despite the fact that it was an action of our righteous predecessors (as salaf as Saalih).

The manner of the Takbeer
There are many narrations which relate the various manners of the takbeer from the sahabah and the taabi’een, from them:

• “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Kabeeran”
• “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaaha ill Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, wa Allah Akbar, wa lillahi al hamd”
• “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaaha ill Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lillahi Al Hamd”

Fasting the Day of ‘Arafah
It is strongly recommended to fast on the day of ‘Arafah because of what has been authentically related from the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) that he said in regards to fasting on ‘Arafah, “I trust from Allah that He will forgive (a person) for the previous year and the next year.” Related by Muslim.

But as for the person who is at ‘Arafah performing Hajj, then it is not recommended for him to fast because the Prophet (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam” stood on ‘Arafah while making Hajj and he (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam) was not fasting.

The excellence of the day of An Nahr (Day of sacrifice)
Many Muslims are negligent of the importance, status and greatness of this day. This is despite the fact that some of the ‘ulamah regard this day as being undoubtedly the best day of the year, even being better than the day of ‘Arafah. Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, “The best day with Allah is the day of sacrifice (yaum An Nahr) and it’s the day of hajj Al Akbar. Like what has been narrated in the Sunan of Abi Dawood, “Indeed the best day with Allah is yaum An Nahr, then yaum al Qar.” The day of Qar (yaum al qar) is the day (where the pilgrims) stay in Mina on the 11th day of Dhil Hijjah. And it is said (by some ‘ulamah) that yaum Al ‘Arafah is better because fasting during it expiates sins for two years and there is not a day where Allah saves more people from going to the hell fire than on yuam Al ‘Arafah. Also (on Al ‘Arafah) Allah approaches his servants and then boasts (in a manner befitting to Allah) to the angels about the people standing on ‘Arafah. The correct opinion is the first one because there is nothing (from the texts) that opposes this hadith.

Whether or not this day is better than ‘Arafah, it is essential that the Muslim, who may be on Hajj or not, seizes the opportunity of the blessing and excellence of this day.

I ask Allah to send prayers and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu ‘alaihi wa salam), his family and his companions.