The best days of the year

The best 10 days of the year

أبو حنظلة محمد زهري

Many of us know the best 10 nights of the year, which are the last 10 nights of ramadhan. However many Muslims are not aware that the first 10 days of zulhijjah are the best days of the year.  ( 6th oct is first of zulhijjah) Some are aware of this but do not pay much attention to it as much as they do with last 10 nights of ramadhan and sadly let the blessed opportunity and blessings slip out of their fingers and hence missed the bounties that already been reserved for them.

So we must utilize the best days of these sacred days as these days will remind us that another precious year of ours drawing to an end and we are more closer to our death, and hence the best ways to evaluate our deeds and make sure our standings in front of Allah swt improved. 

Ibn hajar rah mentioned in his book fathul Bari that the apparent reason for these blessed days is " the ten days of zulhijjah being distinguished in excellence is due to the assembly of the greatest acts of worship in this period that is solat, fasting, charity and hajj. In no other period that these great deeds are combined"

Allah swt said in the Quran 

وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ

And the ten nights,

Many mufassirin such as Ibn Abbas , Ibn zubair and mujahid had explained that the ten here are the first ten days of zulhijjah, and Allah swt has taken oath of these ten in surah fajr. 

In a narration by Ibn Abbas in bukhari, 

"ما من أيام العمل الصالح أحب الى الله فيهن من هذه الأيام"- يعني عشر ذي الحجة- قالوا ولا الجهاد في سبيل الله؟ قال: " و لا الجهاد في سبيل الله الا رجلا خرج بنفسه و ماله ثم لم يرجع من ذلك بشيء"

The prophet saw said : there are no days which the good deeds are beloved to Allah swt than these days- that is the first ten days of zulhijjah - they said : not even jihad in the path of allah? He saw said:  not even jihad in the path if Allah swt except someone  goes out for jihad with his ownself and wealth and then returning with nothing.

There are so many ahadith on the virtues of these days.

So In these days best we increase our deeds especially

A) voluntary prayers during the days and nights of the these 10 days. 

B) fasting during these ten days except on the 10th of zulhijjah

And specially on the day of Arafah, 9th of zulhijjah in which the prophet saw said it abolish sins of two years, the past and the one coming! Subhannallah .

3) zikrullah

May Allah swt helps us and made us amongst the ones who receives His blessings and forgiveness during these days. so don't miss these precious days which start tomorrow and if you are kind enough, make doa for me and my family. Jazakallahu khairan