July 23, 2020 – Jumauah Khutbah by Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah
الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلاَ رَفَثَ وَلاَ فُسُوقَ وَلاَ جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُوْلِي الأَلْبَابِ
The Hajj is (in) the well-known months. So whosoever intends to perform Hajj then he should not have spousal relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.). So fear Me, O men of understanding!
Introduction
- Allah SWT chooses out of the months: The Blessed Month of Ramadhan to give extra reward to his servants.
- By the same token, He chooses the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah to be the best days of the year.
- Rasoolullah SAS said:
((مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ)) .
“There are no days in which righteous deeds done in them are more beloved to Allah than these days, i.e. the ten days (of Zul-Hijjah).”
- These periods are known as موسم العبادة season of worship. Life is short to work for Jannah and these moments help to accelerate our journey towards it.
- It gives us the opportunity to gain much blessings and rewards from Allah SWT
- And to correct our faults and make up for any shortcomings.
- In this “MAUSIM”- season of good we should be busy in our homes and feel the blessings of these days
- Every one of these special occasions involves some acts of worship through which
- the servants may draw closer to Allah SWT and
- To His Pleasure and to Jannatul Firdous
- So happy is the Believer who takes full opportunity of these precious moments and may Allah SWT make us amongst them!
What are the ten days of Dhul Hijjah ?
- These ten day begin with the first of Zhil Hijjah and end on the tenth which is The Day of Eidul Adha and we are now in these ten days of Zhil Hijjah
- It is also be the time when pilgrims would normally make the momentous journey to Makkah to perform Hajj.
- This year millions will be deprived this opportunity due to the pandemic and it would be a sad sight to see the emptiness at the Ka’bah , between Safa and Marwa, at Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah
- But let us cheer up! Allah SWT The Merciful has given this Ummah a lot to do to benefit from these ten days even if going for Hajj is not possible.
- It is narrated from some of the Salaf As-Saleh (Pious Predecessors) that when the first ten days arrived they used to take advantage and worship in them as much as they could to the point that they could not do any more.
- Can we make one day like that, just to spend an entire day in the Ibaadah and Zhikr of Allah SWT.
Why are these days so special?
Ibn Hajar RA said: The apparent reason they are so special is because the major acts of worship of Allah occur in them which does not happen in any other days (meaning Salah (prayer), Charity, Fasting, and Hajj).
What do I do in these ten days?
1- Dhikr praising Allah SWT
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ الْعَمَلُ فِيهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهِنَّ مِنْ التَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّحْمِيدِ. [ رواه الإمام أحمد والطبراني ].
There are no days greater and more loved by Allah SWT wherein good deeds are done than these ten days so increase in Tahlil, Takbeer and Tahmeed
- a) Say tahlil– La ilaaha illalallah لا إله إلا الله
b) Takbir-Allahu akbar الله أكبر
c) Tahmid– Alhamdu lillah الحمد لله
“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah ; Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar wa Lillahil-hamd”
(Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise),”
Some of the Companions used to say this Zhikr from the beginning of Zhil Hijjah and intensify from the 9th until the 13th (before Maghrib)
- d) Tasbeeh– Subhan Allah سبحان الله
- e) Istighfar– “Astaghfirulllah”أستغفر الله and also seek forgiveness for the Ummah those alive and for those who passed away by saying.
اللهم اغفر للمؤمنين و المؤمنات و المسلمين و المسلمت الأحياء منهم و الأموا ت
So when someone asked: Did you make Du’a for me? The answer is yes!
f)Making Salaah and Salam on Rasoolullah SAS
اللهم صل على محمد…
- g) General tasbeeh that we know of in the authentic Sunnah
These should always be on our minds and tongues, but more importantly in these days.
Abu Hamzah Albaghdady said “It is impossible for you to claim you love Allah and not praise him continuously, and it’s impossible that you praise Allah continuously and not see the sweetness of that in this life; and its impossible you see the sweetness of praising Allah and then be preoccupied with other than him.”
2- Fast in these days what you can:
وعن بعض أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قالت: كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ ، وَتِسْعًا مِنْ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ، وَثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ ”
Some of The Mothers of the believers, report that Rasoolullah SAS used to fast the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, Ashura’ and three days of every month.
3- Give charity:
These are things we should all do throughout the year more so during these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
4- Recitation of Qur’an :
This should be a daily habit more so during these days.
5- Making Continuous and Consistent Du’a:
Imam Ash-Shawkani (RA) said “To know your Du’a is accepted is to have your heart ready, cry and shed tears to Allah, being persistent, and after that feeling, a burden is taken off your shoulders.”
6- Prayer of the night time:
The Day of Arafah
- This day that revelation came…
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.
- It is day Allah SWT descends to the lowest heaven to honor The Pilgrims:It was reported from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (SAS) said:
إنَّ اللهَ تعالى يُباهِي ملائِكتَهُ عشِيَّةَ عرَفةَ بأهلِ عرَفةَ ، يقولُ : انظُروا إلى عبادِي ، أتوْنِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا
“Allaah expresses His pride to His Angels at the time of ‘Ishaa’ on the Day of ‘Arafah, about the people of ‘Arafah. He says, ‘Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.’” Narrated by Ahmad
- The day Sins are forgiven Aishah (RA) reports that Rasoolullah (SAS) said,
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنْ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَدْنُو ثُمَّ يُبَاهِي بِهِمْ الْمَلَائِكَةَ فَيَقُولُ مَا أَرَادَ هَؤُلَاءِ
“ There is no day in which Allah sets free more souls from the fire of hell than on the day of Arafah. And on that day Allah draws near to the earth and by way of exhibiting His Pride remarks to the angels, ‘What is the desire of these (servants of mine) ? ” (Muslim)
- A day when Shaitaan is humiliated as he would be on the Day of Judgment more than any day of the year. Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet (SAS) said,
مَا رُئِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَوْمًا هُوَ فِيهِ أَصْغَرُ وَلَا أَدْحَرُ وَلَا أَحْقَرُ وَلَا أَغْيَظُ مِنْهُ فِي يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلَّا لِمَا رَأَى مِنْ تَنَزُّلِ الرَّحْمَةِ وَتَجَاوُزِ اللَّهِ عَنْ الذُّنُوبِ الْعِظَامِ
“There is no day on which the Shaitaan is seen to be more humiliated, more rejected, more depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafah, 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.”
- Fasting particularly on the Day of Arafah: On this day, Muslims all over the world who do not witness the annualHajjshould spend the day in fasting and doing Zhikr ,
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ إِنِّي أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ
I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years
- The Best Zhikr to say on The Day of Arafah
عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ خَيْرُ الدُّعَاءِ دُعَاءُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَخَيْرُ مَا قُلْتُ أَنَا وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ قَبْلِي: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“The best Du’a is the Du’a of the day of Arafah. And the best Zhikr that I, and the Prophets before me, have uttered is this:
There is no God but Allah alone. He hath no partner. His is the kingdom and unto Him belongs all praise. He gives life and death. And He has power over all things.
Sacrifice on The Day of Eid
Aisha (RA) reports that Rasoolullah SAS said,
مَا عَمِلَ آدَمِيٌّ مِنْ عَمَلٍ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ إِهْرَاقِ الدَّمِ إِنَّهَا لَتَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِقُرُونِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا وَأَظْلَافِهَا وَأَنَّ الدَّمَ لَيَقَعُ مِنْ اللَّهِ بِمَكَانٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ فَطِيبُوا بِهَا نَفْسًا
“The son of Adam does not perform any actions on the day of sacrifice which is more pleasing to Allah than the shedding of blood. He will come on the day of resurrection with its hair, horns and hooves, and the blood certainly will fall in a place near Allah before it falls on the ground. So, make yourselves purified there with. (Tirmizi, Ibn Majah)
- The inclusion of poor in our festivity must be done without which we cannot complete our service to Allah SWT.
- It is recommended that at least 1/3 of the meat should be given to the poor and needy. Allah SWT says:
فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ
Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time.
Indeed these are very hard times and so the poor should not be left out.
Finally these are the toughest times we are witnessing and while the doors of the Masaajid might be closed, while The Sacred House and Mina , Arafah and Muzdalifah might be closed and empty, the Door of Allah SWT is always open and full of His Mercy. We must pray sincerely to Allah SWT for removing this pandemic from all of humanity and help us to get closer to Him.
Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan is a graduate of the Islamic University in Madinah Munawwarah, in the faculty of Shari’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence) specializing in Islamic Inheritance. He was the Principal of the Guyana Islamic Institute and also of Al-Rahmah School, Baltimore, MD. He also served as the resident scholar and Imam at Masjid Tawheed in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. As the Resident Scholar and Khateeb at Islamic Foundation, Villa Park, Chicago, IL, he was outspoken and actively involved in the field of religious dialogue and social issues.
He is currently the chairman of the Shari’ah Council of ICNA and a member of the Fiqh Council of North America. He also is the Director of Programs in the Tarbiyah Department of ICNA.
