The First Ten of Dhul-Hijjah

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are very important and virtuous days, as evidenced in the Quran and Sunnah. Amongst these ten days is the day of 'Arafah, and the last day of these ten is Eid Al-Adha itself, the second Eid in Islam.

The Fiqh of these ten days, and overall knowledge pertaining to them, will be discussed here Insha'Allah.

Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan mentions that there are actually 3 sets of 10 days which are considered important in Islam:

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are very virtuous. These are ten days that Allah Himself swears by in the Quran, in Surat Al-Fajr, where He says:

Tafsir of Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him)

Ibn Kathir رحمه الله, in his Tafsir for these two Ayat, writes the following (English translation):

Meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They said: "Not even fighting Jihad in the way of Allah?" He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied:

The translation of his Tafsir ends here.

The Words of Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)

As said in a recorded lecture, and as stated by Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan.

Fasting the First Nine Days

Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan tells us (in the video referenced below) that it is highly recommended to fast the first 9 days of these 10, but excluding the 10th day since that is Eid Al-Adha, and we are not permitted to fast that day.

He also said that his Sheikhs said that fasting on the day of 'Arafah is highly recommended, and fasting on this day is emphasized more greatly than other days.

Dates of 'Arafah and Eid Al-Adha

During the time of writing this in 2024, 'Arafah has been declared to be on the 15th of June, and Al-Adha is on the 16th of June, according to the announcement of the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, as stated by FatwaOnline.

The Virtue of Fasting on 'Arafah

Mohammed صلى الله عليه وسلم, as reported by Muslim¹, also taught us that fasting on 'Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the next year. Another similar Hadith is also reported by Muslim, and these are both referenced by Ibn Hajr in Bulugh Al-Maram.

The Sacrifice on Eid

Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan also says that the Scholars say (based on a Hadith by Mohammed صلى الله عليه وسلم) that it is highly recommended to offer a sacrifice, such as that of the sheep on Eid for example.

Virtuous Deeds During These Days

In terms of virtuous deeds, there are many that are recommended to be done during these ten days. I have already mentioned the saying of Ibn Uthaymeen, which is also referenced by Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan, where the following are all recommended acts:

These are recommended and very easy to do:

Regarding the Quran, this is quite straightforward. Simply read.

Regarding Dhikr, I will discuss it below Insha'Allah.

Regarding Charity, I suggest studying the Fiqh of Charity, as many things are considered charity in Islam. There is no shortage of poor to support, and no shortage of ways to reach these poor, via platforms like GoFundMe, or charity organizations like in Kuwait.

Fasting is also quite self-explanatory.

Dhikr and the Types of Adhkar

Regarding Dhikr (plural is Adhkar), what is highly recommended is:

These are, respectively (transliterated):

Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan also said that the best supplication (Dua) is on the day of 'Arafah. Thus it is advisable to generously make Dua on this day.

Comparing These Ten Days to Other Sets of Ten

Regarding the virtue of these Ten of Dhul-Hijjah compared to the other sets of 10, Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله explains it as follows:

In summary: the last 10 nights of Ramadan are better than the 10 nights of Dhul-Hijjah, whilst the last 10 days of Ramadan are lower than the first 10 of Dhul-Hijjah.

This is as stated by Ustadh Abdulaziz Al-Haqqan.

For Additional Reading

For additional reading, seek lectures regarding this, and books of Fiqh. A small booklet that goes into slightly more depth on this topic can be accessed here:

Bibliography