Virtues of Dhul Hijjah

Praise be to Allah, Who has created time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him.

After the holy month of Ramadhan, many of us perhaps feel that we could have done so much more throughout the sacred month? Perhaps we’ve since let go of that wonderful spiritual Ramadhan feeling?

Well, these beloved ten days offer another chance to gain immense rewards, have our sins forgiven and reach great levels of piety.

This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Each of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which people may draw closer to Allah, and some kind of blessing through which Allah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He, the Almighty, wills.

The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allah Almighty says:

وَٱعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ ٱلْيَقِينُ

“And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).” [Qur’an 15:99]

The commentators say: “’The ‘certainty’ means death.”

Among the special seasons of worship are the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah, which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet ﷺ, said:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ‏ مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ ‏.‏ يَعْنِي الْعَشْرَ ‏.‏ قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ:‏ وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ. إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَىْءٍ

“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these 10 days.” The people (the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) asked: “O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the path of Allah?” He ﷺ said: “Not even Jihad in the path of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing (lost both his property and life).” [Ibn Majah]

This indicates that these 10 days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last 10 days of Ramadhan. But the last 10 nights of Ramadan are better, because they include the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree), which is better than a thousand months. Thus, the various reports may be reconciled. [See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412]