The Significance of Zulhijjah

 ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ 

“And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it.”  (Ali-Imran,3:97)

The Month of Zul-Hijjah

HIJJAH means: YEAR. “Zul-Hijjah ‘The Month of Hajj’ ” is the 12th& last month in the Islamic Calendar. It's called this because the Muslims complete the Greatest Annual Worship “HAJJ.” This is the way Allah rewards & honors the Muslims at the end of the year. This month is full of blessings.

Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) relates that The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi wassalam said: “The month of all the months is Ramadan and the month with the most honors is Zul-Hijjah.”

  

Significance of First 10 Days

• Allah (SWT) says:“وَالْفَجْرِ      , By the dawn. “وَلَيَالٍ عَشْر     , By the ten nights (i.e. first 10 of Zul-Hijjah {according to a narration}.)” (Al-Fajr,89:1,2).
• They are the most significant days, most beloved to Allah (SWT) & The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi wassalam testified to that. He has said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah (SWT) than these ten days.” (Bukhaari)
• Salmah (RA) Narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wassalam has said: "When the 1st-10th days of Zul-Hijjah start, one who intends to offer a sacrifice (of an animal) should not have his/ her hair/ nails trimmed until he/ she has offered his/ her sacrifice." (Muslim)
• So once the moon is sighted until the sacrifice is done of the animal (whether that be on the 10th,11th or 12th) it is MAKRUH to cut nails & hair.

  

 Fast all 9 days and stand in Prayers (Tahajjud,Nafl,Qiyamul-Layl,etc.)

•  It comes in a Hadith-e-Qudsi: "All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it."
•  Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wassalam said: “On no days is the worship of Allah desired more than in the first ten days of Zul-Hijjah. The fast of each of these days is equal to the fast of a whole year & the Ibaadah (worship) of each of these nights is equal to the Ibaadah of Laylatul-Qadr. (Tirmidhi & Ibne-Maajah).

The Holy Prophet (S) used to fast so therefore, it is a Sunnah to fast first 8 days & Mustahab on the 9th.

Increase in all good deeds

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it; And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it." [Al-Zalzalah, 99:7-8]

• Hazrat Ibne Abbas (RA) relates that The Holy Prophet (saw) said: “No days are as weighty with Allah and so liked by him for good deeds than the first ten days of Zul-Hijjah. So in these days increasingly read:
• Tasbeehسُبْحَانَ الّله)     ), Tahleel (لاَاِلٰهَ إلّا الّله    ), Tahmeed (اَلْحَمْدُلِلّه    ) and Takbeer  (  الّلهُاَكْبَرْ    )." (Tabraani)
• Send Salaam (Durood) on The Holy Prophet (saw) & The people of his family.
• Use these 10 days to pray the Qur’an, pray it with meaning, reflect on it, understand it, and then implement it in your daily life.
• We should repent sincerely to Allah (SWT) and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin right away.
• One of the best forms of worshipping Allah is to thank Him deeply and sincerely.
• Give charity, honour parents, uphold ties of kinship, enjoin good & forbid evil.

The fast of The 9th of Zul-Hijjah "Yaumal Arafah (The Day of Arafah)"

• Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari (RA) relates that The Holy Prophet (S) was asked about the sawm (fast) on the Day of Arafah (i.e. the 9th Zul-Hijjah). He (S) said: “It compensates for the minor sins of the past year and the coming year”. (Muslim)
• The fast of ‘Yaumal Arafah’ has been emphasized by the Holy Prophet as a Mustahabb (desirable act) for those not performing Hajj. Therefore, it is extremely important that one fast.
• On this day the Hajj pilgrims gather at Arafat, where they perform the most essential part of the prescribed duties of Hajj, namely, the ‘Wuqoof of Arafat’ (the stay in Arafat).
• Rasoolullah (S) has said: “The most acceptable Du’aa is that which is made on the day of Arafat, and the best dua which the Prophets before me and I have said is:

 لاَاِلٰهَ إلّا الّلهُ وَحْدَهٗلَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَ هُوَ عَليَ كُلِّ شَٸٍ قَدِيْر

“There is no God besides Allah. He is alone. He has no partner. His is the Kingdom and for Him is all praises. And He has power over everything.”  (Tirmidhi)

The Takbiraat of Tashreeq

• It is Waajib for every adult Muslim (male & female) to recite the “Takbiraaat of Tashreek” after every Fardh Salaah, from the Fajr of the 9th of Zul-Hijjah upto the Asr of the 13th of Zul-Hijjah (a total of 23 Salaahs).
• Males should recite it loudly and females should recite it softly.

The Takbiraat of Tashreeq are:

اللهُ اَكْبَرْ و لِلهِ الْحَمْدْ لاَاِلٰهَ إلّا اللهُ واللهُ اَكْبَرْ  اللهُ اَكْبَرْ  اللهُ اَكْبَرْ

Translation: “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, There is no God except Allah and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest and to Him belongs all praises. “

Eid-ul-Adha

• Rasoolullah (saw) said: “Whoever stays awake & makes Ibaadah on the nights of Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul-Adhaa his heart will not die on the day when all the hearts will be dead. (Targheeb)
• Muaaz (RA) relates that Rasoolullah (S) said: “Jannah is Waajib for those who stay awake with the intention of making Ibaadah on the following nights: 8th,9th,10th of Zul-Hijjah, the night of Eidul Fitr & the night of the 15th of Sha’baan. (Targheeb)

Sunnahs of Eid-ul-Adha

1.    Wake up earlier than usual

2.    Brush the teeth with Miswaak

3.    Have a Ghusal (bath)

4.    Be well dressed in an Islamic manner. Dress in ones best clothes, not necessarily new

5.    Avoid eating before Eid Salaat -- it is best on Eid ul Adha that the first thing eaten should be the animal that that person has slaughtered. However, if slaughtering is not being done at home, then one should just wait until after the Eid Salaat to eat anything in order to get the reward of the Sunnah Insha Allah.

6.    MEN should go to the place of Eid Salaat early, walking if possible. Recite the Takbeeraat (of Tashreeq) aloud on the way to the place of Eid Salaat. Use different routes to and from the place of Eid Salaat. Use athaar.

.~~> And Allah knows best!

So why do we miss this golden opportunity? Seize the chance NOW and expose ourselves to His Divine Generosity and Mercy, ask Him to forgive us and guide us and set things aright. He will surely listen.