Dear Islamic sisters! Zul-Hijjah is the 12^th month of the Islamic year and is included amongst the sacred months, meaning the months of reverence which are four (4): (1)Zul-Qa’dah (2) Zul-Hijjah (3) Muharram-ul-Haraam and (4) Rajab-al-Murajjab. The greatest of these is Zul-Hijjah, and the virtues of its first 10 days and nights in particular are abundant.

The Holy Quran has taken an oath by the first 10 days of this month. In verse 1-2 of Surah Al-Fajr in Part 30 Allah Almighty states:

وَ الْفَجْرِۙ(۱) وَ لَیَالٍ عَشْرٍۙ(۲)

By that dawn. And by the ten nights.

[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 30, Surah Al-Fajr, Verse 1-2)

Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما states: The ten (10) nights intended here are the first 10 nights of Zul-Hijjah as this is the time when the actions of Hajj are carried out. (Khaazin, Al-Fajr, Taht-al-Ayah, vol. 4, pp. 401)

اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه In  various places in the blessed Ahadees the virtues of these ten (10) days and nights have also been mentioned. Let’s hear 5 blessed sayings of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم for encouragement:

   ۔1No day is more Beloved to Allah Almighty than the 10 days of Zul-Hijjah, and no good deed performed on any other day is more beloved to Allah Almighty than the good deed performed in these days, therefore recite تہلیل (i.e. لَاۤاِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ), تکبیر (i.e. اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر) and تحمید (i.e. اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ) in abundance within these days. (Musnad Ahmad, vol. 2, pp. 365, Hadees 5447)

   ۔2No day is greater in the court of Allah Almighty then the ten days of Zul-Hijjah. (Ibn-e-Habbaan, vol. 6, pp. 62, Hadees 3842)

   ۔3Worship of Allah is more liked during the (first) ten days of Zul-Hijjah than any other day. The fast of each one of these days (excluding 10^th Zul-Hijjah) is equivalent to a year’s fasts and the standing for Salah during any one of these nights (including 10^th Zul-Hijjah) is equivalent to standing for Salah on Layla-tul-Qadr. (Tirmizi, vol. 2, pp. 192, Hadees 758)