Thirteen Blessed Days

Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem

With Allah's bounty, we are at the doors of very blessed days for both the hajeej (pilgrims) and the residents. So we should know the Sunnah regarding these days in order to make the best out of them.

I.The First Ten Days of Dthul-Hijjah:

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1. Ibn Abbas (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "There are no other days on which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than on these (Ten) Days" He was asked: "Not even Jihaad in Allah's way?" He replied: "Not even Jihaad in Allah's way; except for a person who went out (for Jihaad) with his self and wealth and came back with none (i.e., lost all for Allah)." [Al-Bukhaaree, ...]

2. Ibn Umar (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "There are no other days that are greater before Allah (T), or that good deeds are more beloved to Him in them, than these Ten Days, so say in plenty Tahleel (laa ilaaha illa 'Llaah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and Tahmeed (al-Hamdu lillaah)." [Ahamd & at-Tabarani; authentic]

3. In Tafseer of the aayah {And to mention and remember Allah's Name [plentifully] on known days} [al-Hajj 28], Ibn Abbas said: "These are the Ten Days." [Ibn Katheer]

4. Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah used to go out to the market places on the Ten Days making Takbeer. And people used to say Takbeer too based on their action. [al-Bukhaaree].

5. Hafsah (R) said: "There are four acts that the Messenger of Allah (S) never stopped to do: Fasting on Aashooraa, on the Ten Days, and three days of every month, and to pray two rak'aat before the morning prayer." [Ahmad & an-Nasaa'ee; authentic]

6. One of the wives of the Prophet (S) said: "Allah's Messenger (S) used to fast the (first) nine days of Dthil Hijjah, the Day of 'Aashooraa', and three days of each month." [Sahih Abi Dawud by al-Albaani]

7. Fasting on all these days, however, is not a waajib or a sunnah that the Messenger (S) was striclty constant in it. Aaishah (R) said: "I never saw the Messenger (S) fasting the Ten Days." [Muslim]

8. It is reported that once the Ten Days started, Sa'eed bin Jubair used to exert very excessively (in worshiping Allah) that it was almost beyond his capability.

II. The Day of 'Arafah:

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1. Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger (S) said: "Fasting the Day of 'Arafah expiates the sins of two years: past one and coming one. And fasting the Day of 'Aashooraa' expiates the sins of the past year." [Muslim, ...]

2. Aaishah (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "There is no day on which Allah (T) frees people from the Fire as He does on the Day of 'Arafah. He comes close and then He boasts to His angels: 'What are these people seeking?'" [Muslim, an-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Maajah]

III. The Ruling of the Udhiyah (Sacrifice):

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1. Suurat ul-Kawthar ((... For Your Lord Pray and offer Sacrifice ...))

2. ((Say: my salaah, sacrifice, life, and death are for Allah the Lord of the peoples. He has no Partners, with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the believers.)) [al-An`aam 6:162-163]

3. Abu Hurairah (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "He who has the capacity but chooses not to sacrifice may not approach our prayer place (on Eed)." [Ibn Maajah, Ahmad, ..; authentic]

4. Anas reported that the Messenger (S) said: "He who slaughtered before the prayer (of Eed) has only slaughtered for himself. But the one who did it after the prayer has indeed completed his sacrifice and conformed with the Sunnah of the Muslims." [Al-Bukhaaree]

5. Al-Baraa' reported that the Messenger (S) said: "The first thing that we do on this day (al-Adhaa) is to pray. Then we go back and slaughter. The one who does this has indeed complied with our Sunnah, but the one who slaughtered earlier had only gotten some (regular) meat for his household, which does not count as sacrifice in the least." [Al-Bukharee & Muslim]

6. The one who cannot afford to sacrifice has been covered by the Messenger (S) who sacrificed for those who did not sacrifice in his Ummah, as was reported by Jaabir. [abu Dawud, at-Tirmidthi, ...; authentic:Irwa ul-ghaleel]

IV. Some Sunan and Regulations:

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1. Umm Salamah (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "The one who has a slaughtering to slaughter (on Eed) then, once the hilaal of Dthil Hijjah is observed, he should not cut any of his hair or nails until he sacrifices." [Muslim, ...]

2. Anas (R) reported that the Messenger of Allah (S) sacrificed two rams of beautiful (dark) eyes and large horns. He slaughtered them himself, putting his foot on the side of the kneck, and saying: "Bismillah, wallahu Akbar." [Al-Bukharee and Muslim.]

3. Aaishah (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said to her: "Give me the knife." Then he said: "Sharpen it against a stone." Then He took it, laid down the ram, and slaughtered it saying: "Bismillaah. O Allah, accept from Muhammad, Muhammad's family, and Muhammad's Ummah." And thus he sacrificed it.

4. The Messenger (S) first prohibited saving any of the Sacrifice's meat, to benefit poor people. Then permitted it saying: "Eat (from the meat), save, and give as Sadagqh." [Al-Bukharee & Muslim]

5. It can be done on any of the three days (Days of Tashreeq) following the Eed. Jubair bin Mut'im (R) reported that the Messenger (S) said: "All the Days of Tashreeq are slaughtering days." [Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, etc. Good in its collective chains of narrators]

6. Ibn Umar said: "The days of slaughtering are the day of adhaa and the two days following it." [Al-Muwatta'; Authentic]

V. The Three Days of Tashreeq:

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1.'Uqbah bin Aamir said the the Messenger (S) said: "The day of 'Arafah, the day of slaughtering, and the days of Tashreeq are our Eed - Muslim people. They are days of eating and drinking." [Abu Dawud; authentic]

2. 'Amr bin al-'Aas said: "These days (the Days of Tashreeq) are the days that the Messenger (S) used to order us to eat on them and to prohibit us from fasting them." [Abu Dawud; authentic]

3. Nuhaishah al-Hudthali said that the Messenger (S) said: "The Days of Tashreeq are days of eating, drinking, and mentioning Allah." [Muslim, Ahmad]

4. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (S) said: "The Days of Minaa are days of eating and drinking." [At-Tahaawi & Ahmad; as-Saheehah 1282 by al-Albaani]

[Muhammad al-Jibaly]