The First Ten Days
ZUL- HIJJAH
Publish Date: Dec 2 2008 12:00PM
If you are not amongst those, who by Allah's grace have been able to attend Hajj pilgrimage this year, then do not worry, first ten days of Zul-Hijjah offer a great opportunity for you to bag home the blessings, writes Dr. Fiaz Fazili.
The first ten days of Zul-Hijjah are full of virtues and great blessings. For those not performing the Hajj, it is a time for increased reflection, seeking Allah's forgiveness, doing good and various other forms of worship which Allah has preferred over all the other days of the year. Prophet (SAW) said, "On no other days are good deeds more liked by Allah than on these ten days (i.e. the first ten days of Zul- Hijjah)." (Bukhari). For Hajj pilgrims the actual Hajj rites take place during the 8th to 12th days of this month, but for non pilgrims this is a special time (desirable /mustahabb ) to remember Allah and spend extra time in devotion and other good deeds like offering supererogatory prayers(Nawafil), reading Quran, making Dua (supplication), giving in charity and being good to our families. For those not performing Hajj, it is desirable to fast on these nine days. The verbal remembrance of Allah is another meritorious act during these first ten days of Zul Hijjah. The Prophet (SAW) encouraged Muslims to recite a lot of takbeer (Allahu Akbar)), tahmeed (Al-hamdu Lillah),tahleel (Laa ilaaha ill-Allah) and tasbeeh (Subhan-Allah ),or Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, laa ilaha ill-Allah, wallahu Akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no God but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise).
Nowadays this recitation of takbeer has become a forsaken Sunnah especially during these days. You can hardly hear it except from a few. Men should recite these words loudly and women should recite quietly, at all places in which it is permissible. As per the Saudi calendar this year the 9th day of Zul-Hijjah 1429H ,the day of Arafat corresponds to 7th December2008 Sunday.(*unless modified)The pilgrims shall stay in Arafat until sunset for glorifying Allah and for supplication asking forgiveness. Staying at Arafat is mandatory pillar of Hajj rites without which the Hajj is invalid. The Prophet(SAW)said: "The Hajj is Arafat".(Abu Dawood,Tirmidhi). Millions of pilgrims all in that place wrapped in two white seamless cloths gather in the plain of Arafat to seek the promised forgiveness from Allah the merciful. Pilgrims are all equal, leaders and followers, rich and poor, black and white, eminent and common people. On this day Allah Almighty boast of them to His angels .Aishah(RA) another mother of believers reported that, the Prophet(SAW) said: "There is no day which Allah frees as many of His servants from the fire as on the day of Arafat." This day tears are shed, sins are washed and faults are redressed for those who ask Allah for forgiveness and offer sincere repentance for their wrong doings in the past. Talhah (RA)reports that Prophet (SAW) said, "Apart from the day of the Battle of Badr there is no day on which the Satan is seen to be more humiliated, more rejected, more depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafat, and indeed all this is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on the day) and Allah's forgiveness of the great sins of the servants." (Mishkat).
For people like us who are out of plain of Arafat on this day, besides supplication and reciting Quran it is desired to fast on the day of Arafat.. Abu Qataadah (RA) reported that Prophet(SAW) said: " I have hope in Allah Ta'ala that the fast on the day of Arafat will be atonement for the sins of the past and the forthcoming year." (Tirmizi). Let us hope this fasting becomes a cause of forgiveness for sins committed in past .Regarding the frequently asked question ,ruling of not cutting the hair or nails if you have the intention to offer an udhiyah(sacrifice) , the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayri answered. " Refraining from clipping one's fingernails and hair is only a Sunnah for one who intends to perform an udhiyah (sacrifice). Cutting them is disliked for such a person, but not forbidden.
Therefore, there is no sin on a person who needs to cut them. A person may choose to observe this Sunnah even if he has someone else slaughter on his behalf, regardless of where that other person may be carrying out the slaughter. It would be good for the person paying for the slaughter to refrain from cutting his hair and nails until the slaughter is carried out on his behalf, especially if it is practical for him to do so and can easily find out when the sacrifice was completed out on him behalf. The person sponsoring the slaughter will be the one to refrain from cutting his hair and fingernails in that case. It is not Sunnah for the person carrying out the slaughter on the person's behalf to abstain from cutting his hair and nails, since he is merely acting the person's agent in this matter. Allah knows the best. So the Muslim start these days with sincere repentance to Allah, do a lot of righteous deeds in general, recite Quran and glorify Allah, and hope for the mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah. May Allah help all of us to be amongst those who reap the rewards of these blessed days. (Aameen...https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/gk-magazine/the-first-ten-days/43694.html
Nowadays this recitation of takbeer has become a forsaken Sunnah especially during these days. You can hardly hear it except from a few. Men should recite these words loudly and women should recite quietly, at all places in which it is permissible. As per the Saudi calendar this year the 9th day of Zul-Hijjah 1429H ,the day of Arafat corresponds to 7th December2008 Sunday.(*unless modified)The pilgrims shall stay in Arafat until sunset for glorifying Allah and for supplication asking forgiveness. Staying at Arafat is mandatory pillar of Hajj rites without which the Hajj is invalid. The Prophet(SAW)said: "The Hajj is Arafat".(Abu Dawood,Tirmidhi). Millions of pilgrims all in that place wrapped in two white seamless cloths gather in the plain of Arafat to seek the promised forgiveness from Allah the merciful. Pilgrims are all equal, leaders and followers, rich and poor, black and white, eminent and common people. On this day Allah Almighty boast of them to His angels .Aishah(RA) another mother of believers reported that, the Prophet(SAW) said: "There is no day which Allah frees as many of His servants from the fire as on the day of Arafat." This day tears are shed, sins are washed and faults are redressed for those who ask Allah for forgiveness and offer sincere repentance for their wrong doings in the past. Talhah (RA)reports that Prophet (SAW) said, "Apart from the day of the Battle of Badr there is no day on which the Satan is seen to be more humiliated, more rejected, more depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafat, and indeed all this is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on the day) and Allah's forgiveness of the great sins of the servants." (Mishkat).
For people like us who are out of plain of Arafat on this day, besides supplication and reciting Quran it is desired to fast on the day of Arafat.. Abu Qataadah (RA) reported that Prophet(SAW) said: " I have hope in Allah Ta'ala that the fast on the day of Arafat will be atonement for the sins of the past and the forthcoming year." (Tirmizi). Let us hope this fasting becomes a cause of forgiveness for sins committed in past .Regarding the frequently asked question ,ruling of not cutting the hair or nails if you have the intention to offer an udhiyah(sacrifice) , the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayri answered. " Refraining from clipping one's fingernails and hair is only a Sunnah for one who intends to perform an udhiyah (sacrifice). Cutting them is disliked for such a person, but not forbidden.
Therefore, there is no sin on a person who needs to cut them. A person may choose to observe this Sunnah even if he has someone else slaughter on his behalf, regardless of where that other person may be carrying out the slaughter. It would be good for the person paying for the slaughter to refrain from cutting his hair and nails until the slaughter is carried out on his behalf, especially if it is practical for him to do so and can easily find out when the sacrifice was completed out on him behalf. The person sponsoring the slaughter will be the one to refrain from cutting his hair and fingernails in that case. It is not Sunnah for the person carrying out the slaughter on the person's behalf to abstain from cutting his hair and nails, since he is merely acting the person's agent in this matter. Allah knows the best. So the Muslim start these days with sincere repentance to Allah, do a lot of righteous deeds in general, recite Quran and glorify Allah, and hope for the mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah. May Allah help all of us to be amongst those who reap the rewards of these blessed days. (Aameen...https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/gk-magazine/the-first-ten-days/43694.html
