Assalamu alaikum. How are you all? I hope you are all well by the infinite grace of Allah.
Allah Almighty created us to worship Him. We should just worship Him. Allah prefers the worship of certain special moments. The first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah are very important. Dhulhijjah is the last month of the Hijri year. The deeds of the first ten days of this month are most dear to Allah. The deeds of these ten days are dearer to Allah than Zihad. The reason why these ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah are more pleasing to Allah is that He has combined all the basic acts of worship in the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah. The basic acts of worship of these ten days are Salat, Nafl fasting, Sadaqa, Qurbani, Hajj, the combination of which is not found in any other month.
The Prophet (sm.) encouraged us to do the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah:
- The Prophet Muhammad (sm.) encouraged us to perform more and more supererogatory acts of worship in the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah. Therefore, in the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah, we have to perform more and more supererogatory acts of worship in addition to the obligatory acts of worship.
- He has commanded us to recite the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah with Tahmid, Tahlil, Takbeer. So we have to recite these tasbeehs more and more in these ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah, Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar.
- The Prophet Muhammad (sm.) encouraged people to observe the nafal fast on the 9th of the month of Dhulhijjahl, that is, the fast of 'Arafah. The Prophet (sm.) promised that through this fast of 'Arafah, Allah will forgive all the sins of the past one year and the next one (Subhanallah). Therefore, each of us should fast on the 9th of the month of Dhulhijjah. However, if a person wants, he can observe nafal fast for the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah.
- From the Fajr prayer on the 9th of the month of Jilhaj to the Asr prayer on the 13th of the month of Jilhaj, we have to give the obligatory takbeer. These days we have to give obligatory takbeer after every prayer.
- During the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah, the Prophet (sm.) forbade us to cut our hair and nails.
- In the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah, the Prophet (sm.) encouraged people to recite the Qur'aan more and more.
- The Prophet (sm.) encouraged us to pray more and more to Allaah during these ten days.
Since the first ten days of the month of Dhulhijjah are more dear to Allah, we should perform more supererogatory acts of worship in these ten days, give more thanks to Allah and do the deeds directed by the Prophet (sm.). We should not miss this opportunity to Allah.