Hajj: Its Virtues and Benefits
Praise be to Allaah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah.
This is a brief discussion of Hajj – its virtues, benefits and a little about its rulings.
1. When Hajj was prescribed
According to the correct view, Hajj was made obligatory in 9AH, the year of the Delegations (al-Wufood), in which Soorat Aal ‘Imraan was revealed, in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]
2. The ruling on Hajj
Hajj is a fareedah (obligatory duty), one of the pillars of Islam. The evidence (daleel) for this is the aayah mentioned above, and there is also evidence in the Sunnah which indicates the same thing.
Ibn ‘Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam
is built upon five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but
Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establishing
regular prayer, paying zakaah, Hajj and fasting Ramadaan.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16).
3. Is Hajj obligatory straight away?
Yes, it should be done straight away. The evidence for this is the aayah referred to above. This (doing things straight away) is the guiding principle concerning the commands of sharee’ah. The evidence in the Sunnah which indicates this is as follows:
a.
Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger
of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah)
and said: “O people, Allaah has
enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” (Narrated by
Muslim, 1337).
b.
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
wants to go for Hajj, let him hasten to do it, because he may
fall ill or some other problems may arise.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1732, without the phrase “because
he may…”’ also narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2883 and
Ahmad, 1836).
According to a report narrated by Ahmad “Hasten to do Hajj –i.e., the obligatory Hajj – for none of you knows what may happen to him.”
These two reports strengthen one another. (See Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel by al-Albaani, 4/168).
The
Shaafa’is say that Hajj may be delayed, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delayed his Hajj until 10
AH. But the answer to this is as follows:
a. He only delayed it for one year, but they say it may be delayed indefinitely!
b.
He
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to purify the House
(the Ka’bah) of the Mushrikeen and those who performed Hajj
naked.
c. He was kept busy with the delegations who had started to come to Madeenah one after another to announce their Islam.
(See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 7/17, 18)
4. It is obligatory to do Hajj once in one's lifetime
Abu
Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah)
and said: “O people, Allaah has
enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” A man said, Is
it every year, O Messenger of Allaah? He remained silent
until the man had said it three times, then he said, “If
I say yes, it will become obligatory and you will not be able to
do it.” Then he said, “Do
not push me to tell you more than what I have left you with, for
those who came before you were destroyed because they asked too
many questions and argued with their Prophets. If I command you
to do a thing, do as much of it as you can, and if I forbid you
to do something, then avoid it.” (Narrated by
Muslim, 1337)
5. The virtues of Hajj
There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtues of Hajj, including the following:
a.
From Abu Hurayrah, that the
Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked which deed is
best. He said, “Belief in Allaah
and His Messenger.” He was asked, then what? He said,
“Jihaad for the sake of Allaah.”
He was asked, then what? He said, “An
accepted Hajj.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 26;
Muslim, 83).
An accepted Hajj means:
1. It must be paid for with halaal money
2. One should keep away from evil, sin and unjust disputes during Hajj.
3. One should observe all the rituals according to the Sunnah.
4. One should not show off by doing Hajj; it should be purely and sincerely for the sake of Allaah.
5. One should not follow it with acts of disobedience and sin.
b.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: I heard the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever
does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and does not have sexual
relations (with his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly during
the Hajj, will come back like the day his mother gave birth to
him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim,
1350)
c.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “‘Umrah
is an expiation for the time between it and the previous ‘Umrah,
and an accepted hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1683; Muslim, 1349).
d.
‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of
the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I
said, O Messenger of Allaah, can we not go out on campaigns and
fight in jihaad with you? He said, “But
the best and most beautiful of jihaad is Hajj, an accepted
pilgrimage.” ‘Aa’ishah said, I never
stopped going for Hajj after I heard that from the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1762).
e.
‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hajj
wipes out whatever (sins) came before it.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 121).
f.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood
said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Keep
on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin
just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and
silver.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 810;
al-Nasaa’i, 2631. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani – may Allaah have mercy on him – in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1200).
g.
Ibn ‘Umar reported that the
Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
one who fights for the sake of Allaah and the pilgrim who goes
for Hajj or ‘Umrah are all guests of Allaah. He called them
and they responded; they ask of Him and He will give them.”
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2893. The hadeeth is hasan and was
classed as such by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilat
al-Saheehah, 1820).
6. The benefits of Hajj
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them” [al-Hajj 22:28]
The benefits are both worldly and religious (spiritual).
With regard to the religious benefits, the one who goes for Hajj earns the pleasure of his Lord, and comes back with all his sins forgiven. He also earns the immense reward which he cannot earn anywhere else than in these places. One prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam, for example, is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere, and Tawaaf and Saa’ee cannot be done anywhere except in these places.
Other benefits include meeting other Muslims and discussing their circumstances, and meeting scholars, learning from them and asking them about one’s problems.
Worldly benefits include trade and business, and other kinds of earnings that have to do with Hajj.
7. The ruling on Hajj and its spiritual effects on a person
There are many virtues of the rituals of Hajj, and much wisdom behind them. Whoever is blessed with proper understanding of them is blessed with much goodness. For example:
a. When a person travels to carry out the rituals of Hajj, he is reminded of his journey to Allaah and the Hereafter. When he travels, he leaves behind his dear friends, wife, children and homeland, and the journey to the Hereafter is like that.
b. The one who goes on this journey equips himself with enough provision to help him reach the sacred land, so let him remember that for his journey to his Lord, he needs to have sufficient provision to help him get there safely. Concerning this, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwaa (piety, righteousness, etc.).” [al-Baqarah 2:197]
c. Travelling is a kind of torment, and the same is true of the journey to the Hereafter, only much more so. Ahead of man there is his dying, death, the grave, the gathering, the accounting, the scales and al-Siraat, followed by either Paradise or Hell. The blessed one will be the one whom Allaah saves.
d. When the pilgrim puts on the two garments of his ihraam, he cannot help but be reminded of the shroud in which he will be wrapped [after he dies]. This prompts him to give up disobedience and sin. Just as he has given up his regular clothing [for Hajj], so he has to give up sin. Just as he has put on two clean, white garments, he has to make his heart clean and white [pure], and keep his faculties clean and pure, uncontaminated by the stain of sin and disobedience.
e. When he says “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk” at the Meeqaat [station of entering ihraam], he means that he has responded to his Lord, so how can he insist on still sinning and not respond to his Lord’s call to give it up? When he says “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk”, he means, “I am responding to Your prohibition of it and this is the time I am giving it up.”
f. When he gives up haraam things during his ihraam, and keeps himself busy with the talbiyah and dhikr, this shows him how the Muslim should be. He trains himself to give up some things which in principle are halaal, but Allaah has forbidden them to him at this time [during his ihraam], so how can he violate the prohibitions of Allaah by doing things which are haraam at all times and in all places?
g. When he enters the Sacred House of Allaah, which Allaah has made a sanctuary for mankind, he remembers the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection, which no one can reach without striving hard and making a concerted effort. The greatest thing which will keep a person safe on the Day of Resurrection is Tawheed and avoiding Shirk (associating others with Allaah). Concerning this, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their Belief with Zulm (wrong, i.e. by worshipping others besides Allaah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.” [al-An’aam 6:81].
Kissing
the Black Stone, which is the first ritual to be undertaken,
teaches the visitor to honour the Sunnah and not to oppose the
laws of Allaah with his feeble reasoning. He recognizes that
there is wisdom and goodness behind the laws and rituals which
Allaah has prescribed for mankind, and he trains himself to
submit himself totally to his Lord, may He be exalted. Concerning
this, ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, after he
kissed the Black Stone: “I know that you are only a
stone and that you can neither benefit nor harm. If I had not
seen the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kiss you, I would not have
kissed you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1520; Muslim,
1720).
h.
When he does Tawaaf, he is reminded
of his father Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), who built the House
to be a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety, and
that he called them to perform pilgrimage to this House. And our
Prophet Muhammad
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also called them to perform
pilgrimage to this House. Moosa, Yoonus and ‘Eesaa (peace be
upon them) also performed pilgrimage to this House. This House
was a symbol and a meeting place for these Prophets; how could it
be otherwise, when Allaah had commanded Ibraheem (peace be upon
him) to build it and venerate it?
i.
When he drinks the water of Zamzam,
he is reminded of the blessing which Allaah has bestowed upon
mankind in the form of this blessed water, from which millions of
people have drunk throughout the long ages, but it has never
dried up. He is encouraged to make du’aa’ when he
drinks it by the hadeeth which has been reported from the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” “The
water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.”
(Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3062; Ahmad, 14435. This is a hasan
hadeeth; classed as hasan by Ibn al-Qayyim – may Allaah have
mercy on him – in Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/320).
j. When he does al-Saa’ee, running between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, he is reminded of the trial endured by Haajir, the mother of Ismaa’eel and the wife of al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem] (peace be upon him), and how she ran back and forth between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, searching for water which would save her from what she was suffering, and especially so that she could give her little son – Ismaa’eel – water to drink. Since this woman was patient in the face of this adversity and turned to her Lord, this teaches man that doing this is better and more appropriate. When a man remembers the struggle and patience of this woman, it makes it easier for him to bear his own problems, and a woman who is of her own kind will find her problems easier to bear.
k. The standing (wuqoof) in ‘Arafaah reminds the pilgrim of the throngs of people on the Day of Gathering. If the pilgrim feels tired from being in a crowd of thousands, how will it be in the crowds of barefoot, naked, uncircumcised people, standing for fifty thousand years?
l. When he throws the pebbles at the Jamaraat, the Muslim trains himself to obey Allaah unquestioningly. Even if he does not understand the reason and wisdom behind this throwing (ramy), and cannot make the connection between rulings and their purpose, this is a manifestation of complete submission (‘uboodiyyah) to Allaah.
m. When he slaughters his sacrifice (hady), he is reminded of the great event when our father Ibraaheem submitted to the command of Allaah to sacrifice his only son Ismaa’eel, after he had grown up and become a help to him. He is also reminded that there is no room for emotions which go against the commands and prohibitions of Allaah. This teaches him to respond to what Allaah commands, as Ismaa’eel said (interpretation of the meaning): “‘O my father! Do that which you are commanded. In shaa Allaah (if Allaah wills), you will find me of al-saabireen (the patient ones).’” [al-Saaffaat 37:102].
n. When he comes out of his ihraam and things that had been forbidden to him once again become permissible, this teaches him about the consequences of patience and that after hardship comes ease. The one who responds to the call of Allaah will have joy and happiness, and this joy cannot be known by anyone except those who have tasted the sweetness of obedience, such as the joy felt by the one who fasts when he breaks his fast, or by the one who prays Qiyaam during the last part of the night, after he has finished praying.
o.
When he has finished performing all
the rituals of Hajj as they were prescribed by Allaah and in the
manner that Allaah loves, he has the hope that his Lord will
forgive him all his sins, as the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) promised in the hadeeth,
“Whoever does Hajj for the sake of
Allaah and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), commit
sin, or dispute unjustly during the hajj, will come back like the
day his mother gave birth to him.” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350). This invites him to start a new
page in his life, free of sin.
p. When he comes back to his wife and children, and experiences the joy of meeting them again, this reminds him of the greater joy of meeting them in Paradise. This also teaches him that the greatest loss is losing oneself and one’s family on the Day of Resurrection, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!” [al-Zumar 39:15].
We ask Allaah to help us to obey Him and to reach His House and to do all that He has enjoined upon us. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/hajj/hajj.shtml
Virtues of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah
How do the first ten days of the Month of Dhul Hijjah differ from other days of the year?
The first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah: Days of virtue and righteous deeds
Praise be to Allaah Who has created Time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. This encourages them to do more righteous deeds and makes them more eager to worship Him, so that the Muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the Day of Judgement.
This season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one’s faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. Every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship through which the slaves may draw closer to Allaah, and some kind of blessing though which Allaah bestows His favour and mercy upon whomsoever He will. The happy person is the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours and draws nearer to his Lord during these times through acts of worship; he will most likely be touched by the blessing of Allaah and will feel the joy of knowing that he is safe from the flames of Hell. (Ibn Rajab, al-Lataa’if, p.8)
The Muslim must understand the value of his life, increase his worship of Allaah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty." [al-Hijr 15:99] The mufassireen (commentators) said: "‘The certainty’ means death."
Among the
special seasons of worship are the first ten days of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allaah has preferred over all the other
days of the year. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him and his father) reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There
are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah
than these ten days." The people asked, "Not
even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?" He said, "Not
even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man
who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the
cause, and came back with nothing." (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 2/457).
Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) also
reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There
is no deed more precious in the sight of Allaah, nor greater in
reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice."
He was asked, "Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?"
He said, "Not even jihaad for the sake
of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight
giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back
with nothing." (Reported by al-Daarimi, 1/357;
its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwaa’,
3/398).
These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all the other days of the year, with no exceptions, not even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadaan are better, because they include Laylat al-Qadr ("the Night of Power"), which is better than a thousand months. Thus the various reports may be reconciled. (See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412).
You should know, my brother in Islaam, that the virtue of these ten days is based on many things:
1. Allaah swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "By the dawn; by the ten nights" [al-Fajr 89:1-2]. Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: "This is the correct opinion." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)
2.
The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) testified that these are the
best days of this world, as we have already quoted above from
saheeh ahaadeeth.
3.
The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged people to do
righteous deeds because of the virtue of this season for people
throughout the world, and also because of the virtue of the place
- for the Hujjaaj (pilgrims) to the Sacred House of
Allaah.
4.
The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to recite a lot
of Tasbeeh ("Subhan-Allaah"), Tahmeed
("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer
("Allaahu akbar") during this time. ‘Abdullaah
ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father)
reported that the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There
are no days greater in the sight of Allaah and in which righteous
deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this
time recite a great deal of Tahleel ("La ilaaha
ill-Allaah"), Takbeer and Tahmeed."
(Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shaakir stated that it is
saheeh).
5. These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allaah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.
6. These ten days include the days of sacrifice and of Hajj.
Question: What must the Muslim avoid during these ten days if he wants to offer a sacrifice?
The Sunnah
indicates that the one who wants to offer a sacrifice must stop
cutting his hair and nails and removing anything from his skin,
from the beginning of the ten days until after he has offered his
sacrifice, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When
you see the new moon of Dhu’l-Hijjah, if any one of you
wants to offer a sacrifice, then he should stop cutting his hair
and nails until he has offered his sacrifice."
According to another report he said: "He
should not remove (literally, touch) anything from his hair or
skin." (reported by Muslim with four isnaads,
13/146)
The
Prophet’s instruction here makes one thing obligatory and
his prohibition makes another haraam, according to the soundest
opinion, because these commands and prohibitions are
unconditional and unavoidable. However, if a person does any of
these things deliberately, he must seek Allaah’s forgiveness
but is not required to offer (an extra) sacrifice in expiation;
his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some
hair, nails, etc. because it is harming him, such as having a
broken nail or a wound in a site where there is hair, should do
so, and there is nothing wrong with that. The state of ihraam
is so important that it is permitted to cut one’s hair if
leaving it will cause harm. There is nothing wrong with men or
women washing their heads during the first ten days of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only forbade cutting the
hair, not washing it.
The wisdom behind this prohibition of the one who wants to offer a sacrifice from cutting his hair etc., is so that he may resemble those in ihraam in some aspects of the rituals performed, and so that he may draw closer to Allaah by offering the sacrifice. So he leaves his hair and nails alone until the time when he has offered his sacrifice, in the hope that Allaah will save him in his entirety from the Fire. And Allaah knows best.
If a person has cut his hair or nails during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah because he was not planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides later, during the ten days, to offer a sacrifice, then he must refrain from cutting his hair and nails from the moment he makes this decision.
Some women may delegate their brothers or sons to make the sacrifice on their behalf, then cut their hair during these ten days. This is not correct, because the ruling applies to the one who is offering the sacrifice, whether or not he (or she) delegates someone else to carry out the actual deed. The prohibition does not apply to the person delegated, only to the person who is making the sacrifice, as is indicated in the hadeeth. The person who is sacrificing on behalf of someone else, for whatever reason, does not have to adhere to this prohibition.
This
prohibition appears to apply only to the one who is offering the
sacrifice, not to his wife and children, unless any of them is
offering a sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to sacrifice "on
behalf of the family of Muhammad," but there are no reports
that say he forbade them to cut their hair or nails at that time.
If a person was planning to offer a sacrifice, then he decides to go and perform Hajj, he should not cut his hair or nails if he wants to enter ihraam, because the Sunnah is only to cut hair and nails when necessary. But if he is performing Tamattu’ [whereby he performs ‘Umrah, comes out of ihraam and enters ihraam anew for Hajj], he should trim his hair at the end of his ‘Umrah because this is part of the ritual.
The things that are described above as being prohibited for the person who is planning to offer a sacrifice are reported in the hadeeth quoted above; the person is not forbidden to wear perfume, have marital relations, wear sewn garments, etc.
Concerning the types of worship to be performed during these ten days: one must understand that these days are a great blessing from Allaah to His slave, which is appreciated properly by the actively righteous. It is the Muslim’s duty to appreciate this blessing and make the most of the opportunity, by devoting these ten days to paying more attention to striving hard in worship. Among His blessings to His slaves, Allaah has given us many ways in which to do good and worship Him, so that the Muslim may be constantly active and consistent in his worship of his Lord.
Among the good deeds which the Muslim should strive to do during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah are:
1.
Fasting. It is Sunnah to fast on the
ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to do good deeds
during this time, and fasting is one of the best of deeds. Allaah
has chosen fasting for Himself, as is stated in the hadeeth
qudsi: "Allaah says: ‘All
the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except for fasting,
which is for Me and I am the One Who will reward him for it.’"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1805).
The
Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of
Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hunaydah ibn Khaalid reported from his wife
that some of the wives of the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the ninth of
Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, on three
days of each month, and on the first two Mondays and Thursdays of
each month." (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 4/205
and by Abu Dawud; classified by al-Albaani as saheeh in
Saheeh Abi Dawud, 2/462).
2. Takbeer. It is Sunnah to say Takbeer ("Allaahu akbar"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah"), Tahleel ("La ilaha ill-Allaah") and Tasbeeh ("Subhaan Allaah") during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and to say it loudly in the mosque, the home, the street and every place where it is permitted to remember Allaah and mention His name out loud, as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allaah, may He be exalted.
Men should recite these phrases out loud, and women should recite them quietly.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)..." [al-Hajj 22:28]
The majority of scholars agree that the "appointed days" are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father): "The ‘appointed days’ are the first ten days (of Dhu’l-Hijjah)."
The Takbeer may include the words "Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, la ilaaha ill-Allaah; wa Allaahu akbar wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise)," as well as other phrases.
Takbeer at this time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten, especially during the early part of this period, so much so that one hardly ever hears Takbeer, except from a few people. This Takbeer should be pronounced loudly, in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent. There is sound evidence that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting Takbeer, and the people would recite Takbeer when they heard them. The idea behind reminding the people to recite Takbeer is that each one should recite it individually, not in unison, as there is no basis in Sharee’ah for doing this.
Reviving
aspects of the Sunnah that have been virtually forgotten is a
deed that will bring an immense reward, as is indicated by the
words of the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Whoever
revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death,
he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow
him, without it detracting in the least from their reward."
(Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 7/443; this is a hasan hadeeth because
of corroborating asaaneed).
3.
Performing Hajj and ‘Umrah. One
of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days is to
perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allaah. The one whom Allaah
helps to go on Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals
properly is included in the words of the Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "An accepted Hajj
brings no less a reward than Paradise."
4. Doing more good deeds in general, because good deeds are beloved by Allaah and will bring a great reward from Him. Whoever is not able to go to Hajj should occupy himself at this blessed time by worshipping Allaah, praying (salaat), reading Qur’an, remembering Allaah, making supplication (du’aa’), giving charity, honouring his parents, upholding the ties of kinship, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and other good deeds and acts of worship.
5. Sacrifice. One of the good deeds that will bring a person closer to Allaah during these ten days is offering a sacrifice, by choosing a high-quality animal and fattening it, spending money for the sake of Allaah.
6. Sincere repentance. One of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allaah and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allaah and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allaah loves.
If a Muslim commits a sin, he must hasten to repent at once, without delay, firstly because he does not know when he will die, and secondly because one evil deed leads to another.
Repentance at special times is very important because in most cases people’s thoughts turn towards worship at these times, and they are keen to do good, which leads to them recognizing their sins and feeling regret for the past. Repentance is obligatory at all times, but when the Muslim combines sincere repentance with good deeds during the days of most virtue, this is a sign of success, in sha Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "But as for him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, then he will be among those who are successful." [al-Qasas 28:67]
The Muslim should make sure that he does not miss any of these important occasion, because time is passing quickly. Let him prepare himself by doing good deeds which will bring him reward when he is most in need of it, for no matter how much reward he earns, he will find it is less than he needs; the time of departure is at hand, the journey is frightening, delusions are widespread, and the road is long, but Allaah is ever watchful, and to Him will we return and render account. As the Qur’aan says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it, And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it." [al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]
There is much to be gained, so make the most of the opportunity afforded by these invaluable and irreplaceable ten days. Hasten to do good works, before death strikes, before one can regret one’s negligence and failure to act, before one is asked to return to a place where no prayers will be answered, before death intervenes between the hopeful one and the things he hopes for, before you are trapped with your deeds in the grave.
O you whose hard heart is as dark as the night, is it not time that your heart was filled with light and became soft? Expose yourself to the gentle breeze of your Lord’s mercy during these ten days, for Allaah will cause this breeze to touch whomever He wills, and whoever is touched by it will be happy on the Day of Judgement. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his Family and Companions.
Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/tenhajj/tenhajj.shtml
Please refer to http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&CR=299 to learn Hajj Jurisprudence.
The Virtues of the first Ten Days Of Dhu’l-Hijjah
Translated by Hazem Ragab
Slaves of Allaah! You are approaching virtuous days; they are the best days as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said in an authentic hadeeth: “The best days in this life are the (first) ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah”. Furthermore, Allaah swore by them in His Book, and when Allaah swears by something, it is a reflection of its great importance. Allaah says that which translates to: “By the dawn. And the nights of the ten days” (Al-Fajr: 1-2). These are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and they include the day of ‘Arafah, about which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “There is no day in which Allaah Frees more of His slaves from The Fire than the day of ‘Arafah” (Muslim). These ten days are concluded by the day of An-Nahr (sacrifice); then follows the day of Al-Qarr. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The greatest days in the scale of Allaah are the days of An-Nahr and Al-Qarr” (Abu Daawood). The day of An-Nahr is the major day of Hajj and the day of ‘Eid; the day of Al-Qarr is the following day. Virtuous deeds have a magnified position during these days. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than the (first) ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah” (Ad-Daarimi), in another narration the companions asked: “Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allaah?” he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Not even Jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except for a man who loses (sacrifices) both his wealth and life in a battle” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, At-Tirmidhi).
What great virtues and what a great season! What an opportunity this is to collect greater rewards than that of Jihaad, which is the best deed after sound belief and punctual Salaah. This season represents a wonderful opportunity for those who want to compete in collecting rewards and a miserable loss for the idle, who shun such opportunities.
Slaves of Allaah! Compete for and rush towards the forgiveness of Allaah and paradise which is as wide as the heavens and earth and do not slacken and be unhurried, because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Being laid-back is best in every matter except for good deeds” (Abu Daawood & Al-Haakim). One must compete and march forward when it comes to working for the hereafter as Allaah says that which translates as: “… So for this let the competitors compete” (Al-Mutaffifeen: 26) and also, “…So race to (all that is) good…” (Al-Baqarah: 148).
In this season, the roads leading to goodness are numerous, so do not miss out on any of them. The intelligent ones are those who exhaust themselves during this season to gain abundantly; you see many of them joining their days with their nights, continuously doing righteous deeds and hardly sleeping in order to get the most out of this season. On the other hand, you see those who put all their efforts into the attainment of worldly gains. The sad fact is that the result of all this effort would be, at most, the doubling of their capital - if indeed they do not actually lose it. As for the wise believers, nothing is dearer to them than increasing their efforts and righteous deeds that please the Lord, get them closer to Him and elevate their ranks; Allaah told us what pleases Him in His Book and through His messenger; Allaah will guide those who truly wish for goodness (if He Wills).
Salaah is one of the ways leading to goodness and something that Allaah loves. The slave must be keen to perform it in congregation as Allaah says that which translates to: “…And bow (in rukoo’) with those who bow” (Al-Baqarah: 43), and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “He who hears the Adhaan (call for Salaah) and does not respond, his Salaah is not accepted, except with the congregation, unless he has a (valid) excuse” (Ibn Maajah) The excuse is either fear, sickness or rain.
A slave of Allaah who is guided would supply himself with optional Salaah in these ten days, because it is a path to goodness and something that Allaah loves. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Salaah is the best thing that one can do, so perform as many as you possibly can” (At-Tabaraani) and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “Two light rak’ahs which you may think as insignificant to add to you deeds, is better for you than possessing the whole world” (Ibn Al-Mubaarak) he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah, “The son of Aadam could not do anything more beneficial for himself than Salaah, reconciliation (between Muslims) and being well mannered” (Al-Bayhaqi and others).
These were three examples of good deeds that lead to righteousness, Salaah, reconciliation and being well mannered which are better than anything else that the son of Aadam can do, yet you see some people slight the performance of obligatory Salaah, let alone optional Salaah; you see them instigating disputes between people; and you see ill-mannered people who have lost out on the great reward for having a good character. So let us repent to Allaah from our sins, reform our situation and improve our manners.
A woman was praised in the presence of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam for her Salaah, fasting and other good deeds; her only flaw was that she harmed her neighbours. Upon hearing the praise, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “She is from the people of the Fire” (Ahmad). In reality, the guided ones are those who do all those things which please Allaah and refrain from all those things that cause His wrath, as some of the scholars said: “Wisdom is to perform what you are obliged to, in the correct manner and on time; he who is granted wisdom has attained a great deal of good.”
Some of the Ahaadeeth which mention the virtues of optional Salaah are as follows: “Prostrate as much as you can, because whenever you prostrate, Allaah elevates your rank by a degree and wipes out a sin from your record” (Muslim) and in another narration: “Whenever a slave prostrates to Allaah, Allaah writes a reward for him, wipes out one of his sins and elevates his rank by one degree; so prostrate as much as you can” (Ibn Maajah). The way to perform Salaah is as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam described: “The night Salaah is done two (rak’ah) at a time” (Al-Bukhaari) and in another narration: “The optional Salaah at night and during the day is done two Rak’ah at a time” (Ahmad, Ibn Maajah and others).
Slaves of Allaah! Another of the paths to righteousness and fields of competition is reciting the Qur’aan. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The best amongst you are those who learn the Qur’aan and then teach it” (Bukhaari) he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “He who recites a letter from the Book of Allaah will get a reward and each of these rewards will be multiplied ten times. I do not mean ‘Alif Laam Meem’ is one letter, but rather ‘Alif” is a letter, ‘Laam is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter ” (At-Tirmidhi) and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “If one of goes to the masjid and learns a verse or reads two verses from the Book of Allaah, is better for him than owning two she-camels, (reading) three are better than (owning) three, (reading) four are better than (owning) four and so on” (Muslim) and also, “Let him who wants to attain love for Allaah and His messenger read from The Book of Allaah.”
Another of the fields of goodness is fasting as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam encouraged us to “Fast on Mondays and Thursdays” (Ahmad & Nasaa’i) and “Fast the day of ‘Arafah” (Muslim) also: “Fast like the Prophet Daawood (who fasted every other day)” (Bukhaari & Muslim). I do not know of any specific reference that relates to any special virtue for fasting these ten days in particular, but, having said this I would add that one should still fast during these days because of the general texts encouraging good deeds during these ten days.
Another way is giving in charity; ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Saburah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “(Every day) An Angel calls out in the heavens saying, ‘O Allaah! Bless and compensate for the wealth of the one who spends (for your sake) and ruin the wealth of the one who holds back (from spending)’” (At-Tabaraani) Also he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said to Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with him: “Spend (charitably) O Bilaal! - and do not fear that Allaah will decrease your provision (due to your spending)” and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam addressed Asmaa’, may Allaah be pleased with her, saying: “Spend (charitably) and don’t count (i.e. don’t be cautious in spending in this manner) otherwise your provisions will become limited and don’t hold back (from spending in charity) otherwise your provisions will be held back” (Bukhaari & Muslim) The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “I swear that these three things are true: That giving in charity does not decrease the wealth of the slave …..…” (Ahmad & Tirmidhi). Giving in charity enables one to be among the seven categories of people who will be protected under the shade of the Throne of Allaah; regarding this, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “… and a man who gave charity so secretly that even his left hand would not know how much his right hand had spent” (Bukhaari & Muslim) also, “Charity given in secret extinguishes the wrath of Allaah”. One of the best forms of charitable giving is to give someone a drink of water as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The best form of charity is giving someone water (to drink)” (Ahmad, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah).
O slaves of Allaah! One of the best deeds in these days is to initiate Hajj as a way of drawing closer to Allaah and fasting the day of ‘Arafah for those who are not performing Hajj. Allaah willing we will talk about the virtues of Hajj in another Khutbah. Offering a sacrificial animal is also one of the most virtuous deeds that one can perform. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “He who does not offer a sacrifice while being financially able to, let him not come close to our masjid (i.e. pray with us)” and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “When the ten days (Dhu’l-Hijjah) have begun and one of you intends to offer a sacrifice, then let him not cut any of his hair or remove anything from his skin” (Muslim) in another narration he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Let him not cut anything from his hair or nails until he sacrifices” (Ad-Daarimi).
These are examples of virtuous deeds, so take advantage of them; beware of laziness and neglect and know that Allaah Has favoured certain seasons over others, so let us take advantage of these opportunities and increase our righteous deeds; perhaps Allaah will forgive us for our sins and shortcomings.
Source: http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/1002.htm
Links to Information on the Obligation of Hajj, How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah, Rites and Innovations of Hajj & Umrah, Virtues of the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah, Fatawaa on Hajj, Rulings of Udhiyah (Sacrifice), and More Information and Articles Concerning Hajj and Umrah:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/068.sbt.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/026.sbt.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/027.sbt.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/028.sbt.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/029.sbt.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/abudawud/010.sat.html
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muwatta/020.mmt.html
http://www.iad.org/books/HAJJ.html
http://www.islaam.net/display/display.php?part=full&category=7&id=57
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/hajj/0002.htm
http://www.qss.org/articles/hajjalb/rites.html
http://www.quraan.com/ManaasikUlHajjWalUmrah/Default.asp
http://www.iisca.org/knowledge/pillars/pilgrimage/hajj.htm
http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&CR=299
http://www.islam-qa.com/topics/al-udhiyah/al-udhiyah.shtml
http://www.islam-qa.com/Books/Whattodo/english.shtml
http://www.al-manhaj.com/Page1.cfm?ArticleID=103
http://www.alharamain.org/issue46/fatwaa.htm
http://www.alminbar.com/hajj.asp
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/sunnah/0006.htm
http://www.alharamain.org/issue21/points_to_remember.htm
http://www.alharamain.org/issue21/fatwas21.htm
http://www.islaam.net/display/display.php?part=full&category=7&id=556
http://www.islamworld.net/women_hajj.html
http://www.quraan.com/FiqhUsSunnah/5.asp
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/law/fiqhussunnah/fus5_69.html
http://www.qss.org/hudaa-articles/Eedoffer.html
http://www.qss.org/questions/data/Fundamentals_Haraam.html
http://www.al-manhaj.com/details.cfm?DetailID=64
http://www.al-manhaj.com/ebooks/Hajj.pdf
http://www.islaam.net/display/display.php?id=379&category=23
http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=532
http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=534
http://www.islaam.com/Article.asp?id=349
http://www.islamworld.net/ten.html
General Information on Hajj and Umrah:
http://www.islamworld.net/hajj1/hajj1.html
http://www.iad.org/Media/index.html
http://www.alharmain.com/English/religion_Culture/hajj/hajj_main.htm
http://www.islam.org/Hajj/default.htm
Source: http://www.fatwa-online.com