10 Beautiful Acts for the Best Ten days
This day I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My favor upon you and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion. — Qur’an 5 verse 3
As the days of Dhul Qadah count to an end, the ecstasy of the udha feast comes with it. Allah has favored the Muslim nation with little deeds, yet enormous rewards. One of such season of shower is the succeeding month or Dhul Hijjah. In it, the first ten days are sacred and filled with bliss — they are the best ten days of the year. The virtues and importance of the month can’t be over emphasized. It’s mentioned in the Qur’an and as well buttressed in the hadith. These ten days are better than all other days of the year with no exception. It’s even better than the last ten days of Ramadan.
Narrated Ibn Abass (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) who said, Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: “there are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days (i.e. the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah). They (the companions) said: ‘Oh Messenger of Allah ﷺ not even jihad?’ The messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: ‘Not even jihad in the cause of Allah. Except for the one who went, taking himself and his wealth and never returned with either of them.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Among the virtues of these ten days is that Allah completed the religion of Islam during one of the days. This was the day in which the proud verse of Suratul Maida verse 3 was revealed:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My favor upon you and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
Here are ten praiseworthy acts to indulge in the coming days:
- Sincere Repentance: You’re encouraged to seek forgiveness of your Lord with sincere repentance. The conditions for repentance include:
- Immediately quit the act of disobedience without procrastinating.
- Feel remorseful about the previous sins
- Make a firm resolve never to return to the sinful ways.
2. Increasing the remembrance of Allah: The famous scholar Ibn Rajab said: “As for the preferability of increasing the remembrance of Allah during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, we find the proof in the statement of Allah the Almighty, the Majestic:
“…and mention the name of Allah on specific known days …” — Qur’an 24[Hajj]:28
3. Fasting during the days: Fasting is one of the most beloved good deeds to Allah. And this is the only deed which Allah claims to be for Him.
It was narrated from Hunaydah Ibn Khaalid from his wife, that one of the wives of the prophet ﷺ said: the prophet ﷺ used to fast on the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah and the day of Ashura’ and three days each month; the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays. (An-Nasai’)
4. Reciting Tahmeed, Tahleel and Takbeer: We learned from the sunnah to say Takbeer — Allahu Akbar! (Allah is Great). Tahleel — Lailaha illa Allah! (There’s no deity worthy of worship except Allah). Tahmeed — Alhamdulillah! (Praise be to Allah). And this was on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar — may Allah be please with him and his father. He said: ‘the prophet ﷺ said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these days. So recite a great deal of Tahleel, Takbeer and Tahmeed during them.” (Ahmad)
5. Spending the nights standing in prayer: The night prayer is one of the meedful deeds of the best ten days. Ibn Rajab said: “It is preferable to stand the nights in prayer during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Imam Ash Shafi’ee, as well as other scholars have mentioned the preference as well.
It has also been narrated upon Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: “Do not turn out your lamps during the nights of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. This is because he was especially fond of worship.
6. Fasting on the day of Arafah: So if you aren’t able to fast the eight preceding days before Arafah, do not miss the ninth. The reward is a bounty out of Allah’s generosity. The prophet ﷺsaid: “… fasting the day of Arafah is an end expiation for all the sins of the previous year and the coming year.” (Muslim)
This is only applicable to those who are not performing the hajj rites.
7. Going to the Eid praying ground: This is in fact a well stressed sunnah like an obligatory act. In fact, Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn-ul-Qayyim are of the opinion that it’s mandatory. Reasons being that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ always attended Eid prayers. He also encouraged others to do so as well. He even instructed women in menstruation to attend. Although they’d keep away from the prayer place.
8. Slaughtering the Qurbani and giving out the meat: The permissibility of this is well established in the Qur’an where Allah the Most High said:
“So, turn in prayer unto your Lord and make sacrifice” — Qur’an 108[Al-Kauthar]:2
Remember, Allah is not in need of the blood or the meat, but it’s your piety that reaches Him. So eat of it, give out to the needy and keep a part to entertain your guests in a lawful way.
9. Performing Hajj and Umrah: And this is the creme de la creme. For it is one of the most blissful deeds executed in the best ten days. In fact, even if you’ve performed hajj before, make an intention to renew it if you have the means.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud — may Allah be pleased with him and his father. He said: the messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “make the Hajj and Umrah follow eachother closely, for they remove poverty and sins; just as a blacksmith’s furnace removes impurities from iron, gold and silver. And there is no reward for a Hajj which is accepted except Jannah.” (At-Tirmidhi)
10. Give thanks to Allah: And above all, glorify the name of your Lord filled with Majesty and Bounty. For it’s out of His mercy that He spared your life to witness another season of blissful showers of reward. You never can tell if this will be your last, so maximize the benefits to reap rewards.
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