Dhul HIjjah

Lessons of 'Dhul Hijjah 
by Shaykh Yaser Bijras

These ten days host one special day in which there are so many blessings. It is the day of Arafa, the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah and the day preceding the Eid day. Some of the blessings of Arafa are:

• Fasting that day expiates the sins of two years, the previous one and the coming year. (Muslim)
• It is a day in which Allah completed the revelation of the religion, perfected this bounty bestowed upon us and was satisfied with Islam as our religion. This was mentioned in surat al-Ma'edah 5:3. (Bukhari and Muslim)
• It is the day when Allah AlMighty descends, in a manner that suits His Majesty, to the closest heaven and shows his pride to the angels about the presence of the pilgrims. (Muslim)
• In this day Allah promises the pilgrims to bestow his mercy on them and forgive their sins so that when they return home they return free of sins just like the day when their mothers gave birth to them. (Bukhari and Muslim)
• It is a day when many people will be emancipated from the fire of Hell.

The season of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah is a festivity of worship. No other days of the year hold so many diverse acts of worship as done in such a short time, not even in Ramadan. And here is a list of some of what good deeds are done during these days in Makkah and elsewhere around the globe:

• Hajj and multiple Umrahs by millions of people.
• The sacrifice of the dunya and this world for the sake of attending the Hajj.
• The display of humility, humbleness and devotion in the actual rituals of Hajj.
• Tawaaf around the Ka'bah and Sai' between the two hills of Safa and Marwa.
• Abundance of Dhikr, the praise of Allah especially takbeer and tahleel and what other pilgrims say the most, Talbiyah.
• Fasting for the non-pilgrims.
• Being extra charitable.
• Offering the hadi'y and udhiyah or qur'ban the sacrifice of livestock and feeding the poor.
• The inclination towards repentance.
• The engagement in long du'a or supplications as a sign of humility and humbleness.
• Maintaining the prayers in the sacred sites al-Haram in Makkah and the Masjid of the Prophet in Madinah.
• The recitation of the Qur'an.

- Ziyad M. Karim