Bismillāh wa-Alḥamdulillāh wa al-Ṣalātu wa al-Salām ʿalá Rasūl Allāh ʿamma baʿd
On Saturday 2nd of Dhul Ḥijjah, 1445 A.H. corresponding to 8th June, 2024 C.E. our Shaykh Abū Ḥakīm Bilāl ibn Aḥmad Davis (May Allāh preserve him) delivered an immensely beneficial and precise lecture for the sisters event in Trinidad organized by the Sisters Souq at Masjid ul Khaleefah. In this lecture our Shaykh covers a wide scope of many of the pertinent benefits of Dhul Ḥijjah and ʿEid al-Aḍḥa along with some common mistakes and misconceptions surrounding these auspicious days. With all the wealth of excellent lectures available by our salafī mashāyikh and students on this topic, this one is definitely a must listen.
May Allāh reward our Shaykh for this brilliantly informing lecture, and allow us all to benefit from these most blessed days of the year.
Scroll down to see the a summary of the points covered in this lecture
LISTEN [40:28 Mins]
Points Covered In This Lecture:
- We should approach these days of Dhul Ḥijjah with the same excitement we usually approach the days of Ramaḍān with.
- Similarly, we should make the same preparations – asking Allāh to reach these days, asking Allāh for tawfīq, seeking tawbah, buying groceries etc
- These days are the best days of the year and are better than the days of Ramaḍān.
- Allāh swears by these days in the Qurʿān in Sūrah al-Fajir – “وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ, وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡر”
- “By the dawn, By the 10 nights.” (89:1-2)
- Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr – the 10 nights mean the 10 days Dhul Ḥijjah.
- Allāh says in Sūrah Al-Ḥajj, “وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍۢ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ” – “..and mention the name of Allāh on the known days.” (22:28)
- Ibn ʿAbbās– the known days are the 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah
- It was narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days.” They said: “O Messenger of Allāh! Not even Jihād in the cause of Allāh?” He said: “Not even Jihād in the cause of Allāh, unless a man goes out with himself and his wealth and does not bring anything back.” [Sunan Ibn Mājah 1727]
- Ibn ʿUmar reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “There are no days greater and more beloved to Allāh than these ten days of Dhul Ḥijjah, so increase in Taḥlīl (lā ilāha illā–Allāh), Takbīr (Allāhu Akbar) and Taḥmīd (alḥamdulillāh).” [Musnad Aḥmad 5446]
- Make your tongues busy with this adhkār throughout the day.
- As small as these actions may be regarded, they are greater when performed on these 10 legislated days, than superior actions performed outside of these days. Eg. saying lā ilāha illā–Allāh on these days is more rewarding than giving large amounts of gold in charity outside these 10 days.
- Imām Ḥāfiẓ ibn Hājar – the main reason for the virtues of these days is the coming together of all the acts of worship, something that cannot occur outside the 10 days of Dhul Ḥijjah – ṣalāh, ṣiyām, ṣadaqah, ḥajj etc.
- Capitalise on these acts as the days go by quickly.
- Thawbān reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “You must perform abundant sujūd to Allāh, for you do not prostrate to Allāh except that Allāh will raise you one degree for it and erase one sin for it.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 488]
- Of the greatest acts one can perform on these days is fasting, particularly on the Day of ʿArafah.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about fasting the Day of ʿArafah and he said, “It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162]
- Of the greatest day is Yaumun Naḥr – The Day of Sacrifice. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The greatest day in Allāh’s sight is the day of sacrifice and next, the day of resting.” [Sunan Abī Dawūd 1765]
- The Day of ʿArafah is followed by the Day of Nahr (Day of ʿEid) which is followed by the Day of Qarr (Day of Rest). This day of rest is when the ḥujāj return to Mīnā.
- Other acts of worship one can perform on these days– recitation of Qurʿān, feeding people, being dutiful to one’s parents, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, bringing rectification between people, kindness to one’s neighbour, abundant duʿāʾ, attending the masjid, seeking and spreading knowledge, visiting the sick etc
- ʿEid Sunan:
- Plentiful Takbirāt – the companions would march through the marketplaces with loud Takbirāt encouraging others in its remembrance: “Allāhu Akbar Allāhu Akbar, lā ilāha illā -Allāh, Allāhu Akbar Allāhu Akbar, wa lilāhil ḥamd”.
- For the ones outside of Ḥajj, this Takbirāt begins from the Day of ʿArafah to the end of 13th Dhul Ḥijjah before Maghreb.
- This is the Takbirāt for the two ʿEids – ʿEid al-Aḍḥa and ʿEid al-Fiṭr.
- Slaughtering – wājib for the one who can afford to, so much so that The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever can afford it, but does not offer a sacrifice, let him not come near our prayer place.” [Sunan Ibn Mājah 3123]
- A man is responsible for slaughtering an animal on behalf of his family, despite if he has several wives, one sacrifice is sufficient. The Prophet (ﷺ) had 9 wives and one slaughtering covered them all.
- Making ghusl on the Day of ʿEid with men perfuming themselves before they leave the home.
- Eating from the sacrificial meat– different sunan between the two ʿEids. For ʿEid al-Fiṭr, the Prophet (ﷺ) would eat before he left the home while for ʿEid al-Aḍḥa he (ﷺ) would eat when he returned home from the slaughtered meat.
- Walking to the muṣallah – if one is able to, he should walk instead of ride and he should choose a different path on his return.
- Attending the ṣalāh and listening to the khuṭbah – the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded the women to bring out on ʿEid even the menstruating women and to provide a garment for the one who doesn’t have. [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 890]
- Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah establishes that the ʿEid Ṣalāh is wājib based on the verse in Sūrah at-Kawthar: “فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنۡحَرۡ” – “And pray to your lord and sacrifice” [108:2]. This prayer is in reference to the ʿEid Ṣalāh.
- To greet one another with the legislated greeting of: “Taqabbal Allāhu minna wa minkum”.
- Refraining from removing the nails and hair for the one doing the slaughtering – cannot be done once Dhul Ḥijjah has commenced but for the one who did not know of this ruling, he is to stop once he becomes aware of it.
- Meat distributed in 3 portions – one for the person slaughtering, one to be cooked and one to be given to the poor or one’s neighbour. Thus, the origin is for the slaughtering to be done in your country where you able to distribute.
- Common Errors/Misconceptions:
- Making the Takbirāt in congregation – never done by the Prophet (ﷺ) nor his companions. Misconception that when the companions encouraged the people in the marketplaces to say the Takbirāt, that they did so in unison.
- Wasting time in these days.
- Engaging in ḥarām on the days of ʿEid, wasting time and being extravagant. Allāh says in Sūrah Al-Isrāʾ: “إِنَّ ٱلۡمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓاْ إِخۡوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِۖ” – “Indeed the extravagant are brothers of the shayaṭīn” [17:27]
- Ensuring animal is fit for slaughtering – no defects.
- Expiation for Day of ʿArafah – 2 years are not 2023 and 2025 – it is one year backwards from the Day of ʿArafah and one year forward from the Day of ʿArafah.
We at Muwahhideen Publications are an Islaamic Organization founded in the Caribbean Island of Tobago, Trinidad &Tobago and dedicated to propagating the pure Islaamic creed, based on the correct and authentic teachings of the Qur'aan and the authentic Sunnah, according to the understanding of the pious predecessors i.e. the first three generations of Islaam and those who follow their way until the day of judgement.
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