فضیلت عشرہ ذی الحجہ

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Worship on any other day is not more excellent than worship done in these ten days (the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)." The Companions asked: "Not even jihad?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Not even jihad — except a man who goes out (in jihad) putting his life and wealth at risk and returns with none of it (having sacrificed both his life and his wealth)."

Just as Allah gave a special excellence to Friday among the seven days of the week, to blessed Ramadan among the twelve months of the year, and to its last ten days among the three parts of Ramadan, so too the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah were made a special period of grace and mercy; that is why Hajj too was placed within these days. In any case, this is a special ten-day period of divine mercy, in which every righteous deed of the servant is greatly beloved to Allah and holds great value with Him.

These are blessed and mighty days, by which Allah, the Lord of Might, has sworn in the Noble Qur'an: "By the dawn, and by the ten nights." (Al-Fajr 89:1-2) According to most scholars and commentators, this refers to these very ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Lest people spend these days in heedlessness, worship in them has been declared of great merit; and this also shows that even a lesser deed, if done at the best time, gains still greater excellence. The high rank of these days means that whatever deed is done in them carries a very great reward.

It is established from the Qur'an and the noble ahadith that the days of Dhul-Hijjah and their nights are of great merit; among them the nights of the eighth, ninth and tenth are especially important, and among these the night of Eid al-Adha — the last night of the ten days — is more important still. Yet, sadly, we have deprived ourselves of all these blessings, and not only that, we waste this blessed night in idle talk, futile pursuits and all kinds of sins.

Many people busy themselves watching television programmes, though television is a collection of many evils and sins that make it impermissible to watch; falling into this affliction on this sacred night makes its sin even graver, so this wretched thing must be avoided. Some people go to the markets on this blessed night to enjoy the decorations and the crowds of shoppers, whereas the market is the worst and most detestable place on earth in the sight of Allah; so wasting this blessed night in the market instead of some worship is to deprive oneself entirely of Allah's mercy and forgiveness.

In short, these ten days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah are greatly blessed. A believer whose life's purpose is only the pleasure of Allah and the attainment of Paradise should regard this rare opportunity — granted by Allah purely out of His mercy — as a great prize. He should treasure these days and blessed nights, avoid innovations and other futile pursuits, and, according to his strength, devote himself as much as possible to worship and obedience, remembrance and recitation of the Qur'an, glorification and supplication, and repentance and seeking forgiveness.