Thirteen Blessed Days

With Allah's bounty, we are at the doors of very blessed days for both the Hajees (pilgrims) and the residents. So we should know the Sunnah regarding these days in order to make the best of them.

I. The First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah:

1. Ibn Abbas (Radhiallaahu Anhum) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There are no other days on which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than on these (Ten) Days" He was asked: "Not even Jihad in Allah's way?" He replied: "Not even Jihad in Allah's way; except for a person who went out (for Jihad) with his self and wealth and came back with none (i.e., lost all for Allah)." [Al-Bukhari]

2. Ibn Umar (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There are no other days that are greater before Allah (t), or that good deeds are more beloved to Him in them, than these Ten Days, so say in plenty Tahleel (laa ilaaha illa'Llaah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and Tahmeed (al-Hamdu lillaah)." [Ahmad & at-Tabarani; authentic]

3. In Tafseer of the aayah {And to mention and remember Allah's Name [plentifully] on known days} [al-Hajj 28], Ibn Abbas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said: "These are the Ten Days." [Ibn Katheer]

4. Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhum) used to go out to the market places on the Ten Days saying Takbeer. And people used to say Takbeer too based on their action. [al-Bukhari]

5. One of the wives of the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Allah's Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to fast the (first) nine days of Dhil Hijjah, the Day of Aashooraa', and three days of each month." [Sahih Abu Dawud]

6. Fasting on all these days, however, is not a waajib or a sunnah though the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was strictly constant in it. Aaishah (Radhiallaahu Anha) said: "I never saw the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) fasting the Ten Days." [Muslim]

7. It is reported that once the Ten Days started, Sa'eed bin Jubair (Radhiallaahu Anhum) used to exert very excessively (in worshipping Allah) that it was almost beyond his capability.

II. The Day of 'Arafah:

1. Abu Qatadah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Fasting the Day of 'Arafah expiates the sins of two years: past one and coming one. And fasting on the Day of 'Aashooraa' expiates the sins of the past year." [Muslim]

2. Aaishah (Radhiallaahu Anha) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There is no day on which Allah (t) frees people from the fire as He does on the Day of 'Arafah. He comes close and then He boasts to His angels: 'What are these people seeking?'" [Muslim, an-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Maajah]

III. The Ruling of the Udhiyah (Sacrifice):

1. Soorat ul-Kawthar (... For Your Lord Pray and offer Sacrifice ...)

2. (Say: my salaah, sacrifice, life, and death are for Allah the Lord of the peoples. He has no partners, with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the believers.) [al-An'aam 6:162-163]

3. Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "He who has the capacity but chooses not to sacrifice may not approach our prayer place (on Eid)." [Ibn Maajah, Ahmad; authentic]

4. Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "He who slaughtered before the prayer (of Eid) has only slaughtered for himself. But the one who did it after the prayer has indeed completed his sacrifice and conformed with the Sunnah of the Muslims." [Al-Bukhari]

5. The one who cannot afford to sacrifice has been covered by the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) who sacrificed for those who did not sacrifice in his Ummah, as was reported by Jaabir (Radhiallaahu Anhu). [abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi; authentic: Irwa ul-ghaleel]

IV. Some Sunnah and Regulations:

1. Umm Salamah (Radhiallaahu Anha) reported that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "The one who has a slaughtering to do (on Eid) then, once the hilaal of Dhil Hijjah is observed, he should not cut any of his hair or nails until he sacrifices." [Muslim]

2. Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) sacrificed two rams of beautiful (dark) eyes and large horns. He slaughtered them by himself, putting his foot on the side of the neck, and saying: "Bismillah, wallahu Akbar." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

3. The Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) first prohibited saving any of the sacrificial meat, to benefit poor people. Then permitted it saying: "Eat (from the meat), save, and give as Sadaqah." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

4. It can be done on any of the three days (Days of Tashreeq) following the Eid. Jubair bin Mut'im (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported that the Messenger (Pbuh) said: "All the Days of Tashreeq are slaughtering days." [Ahmad, Ibn Hibbal, etc. Good in its collective chains of narrators]

V. The Three Days of Tashreeq:

1.'Uqbah bin Aamir (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "The Day of'Arafah, the day of slaughtering, and the days of Tashreeq are our Eid - Muslim people. They are days of eating and drinking." [Abu Dawud; authentic]

2. 'Amr bin al-'Aas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said: "These days (the Days of Tashreeq) are the days that the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to order us to eat on them and to prohibit us from fasting them." [Abu Dawud; authentic]

Islamic Info

Source:  Jamiatul Ulama (Kwazulu-Natal)