Compiled by Bint-e-Hamed
There are no days in which the righteous actions are more beloved to Allah than these ten days…
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. 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. 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… 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) and tahmeed (Alhamdulillah).
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.
