In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The First Ten Days of

Thul-Hijjah & The Sacrifice

(Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC in 1986)

Imam Bukhari and others reported that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "There are no days of good deeds more loved by Allah (S.W.T.) than these days- meaning the first ten days of the month of Thul-Hijjah. Some of his companions asked: Not even jihad? (Fighting for the sake of Allah) The prophet (S.A.W.) replied: Not even jihad, except that of a man who went to (jihad) with all his wealth and never returned."

From the blessings and mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) upon His believing servants is that He made the many seasons of good and blessings available throughout the year during which the rewards for good and righteous deeds are multiplied, so that believers take the opportunity to increase their work and effort to do good deeds. This way we gain great rewards for a little good deed. Among these seasons of good and righteous deeds are these days that we are in the first ten days of the month of Thul-Hijjah. With these days Allah (S.W.T.) swore for their greatness and importance. He (S.W.T.) said in the beginning of surat Al-Fajr, what can be translated as, "By the dawn; By the ten nights…"

What is the good and righteous deed?

It is every deed that pleases Allah (S.W.T.), and the greatest of these deeds is performing the obligations (Al-Furud) followed by the recommended deeds from the sayings and actions like: Praying, fasting, giving charity, reciting Qur’an and thikr (remembering Allah), and also learning the branches of deen and teaching them, and also enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and also treating people with good manners and good words and so on.

The companions of the prophet (S.A.W.) realized that jihad the fighting for the sake of Allah is the best deed, so they asked the prophet (S.A.W.) when he said that the good in these ten days are the most loved by Allah. The prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) replied, and even the fighting for the sake of Allah is not better than these days, except for a man who went fighting for the sake of Allah with his soul and his wealth, and then he fought until he spent all his wealth and died for the sake of Allah. This is an indication of how great these blessed days are.

The underlying reason for the greatness of these days may be due to the fact that the pilgrims visit the sacred place, the house of Allah getting prepared to perform one of the pillars of Islam (Al-Hajj). Also, they get ready to gather in Arafat (a place southeast of Makkah about 25 km from it) on the ninth day of this month; the day of Arafah, that great day upon which Satan does not see a day that is worse and a day that he is utterly humiliated and belittled. This is because Satan sees the great forgiveness of Allah for His servants. This great day of Arafat, which the prophet (S.A.W.) was asked about its fasting, so he said, what was reported by Imam Muslim: "It wipes off the sins of the last year and this year."

Al-Hamdu-Lilah, We will welcome in a few days the blessed Eid of Al-Adha so I we’d like to mention briefly the rules of making sacrifice and its rewards.

Sacrifice was legislated in the second year of migration (from Makkah to Al-Madinah). It was authenticated that the prophet (S.A.W.) made sacrifice and so did his companions. Imam At-Tirmithi and Ibn Majah documented in a good hadith that the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "There is no good deed more lovable by Allah on the day of Eid than the deed of slaughtering-i.e. slaughtering an animal, it will come on the Day of Judgment with its horns, its paws and its hairs, and that its blood falls in a high great place- expressing how fast Allah accepts it- before it (the blood) falls on the ground, so be happy with your sacrifice."

The sacrifice is a strongly recommended sunnah according to the majority of the Muslim scholars, and it is obligatory according to the Imam Abu- Hanifah, for every one who possesses its price or value after they meet their basic necessities like food, clothes, shelter, and utility bills. So the man should make sacrifice for himself and his family. It is allowed that the sacrifice be made on a sheep that completed six months of age and on a goat that completed one year of age. And this is for only one family.

It can also be from cows that completed two years of age, and from the camels that completed five years of age. This is for seven families who share in it. It is conditional that the sacrifice is not sick or blind or lame or very weak.

The time of sacrifice starts when Eid prayer is over to the sunset of the third day of the days of At-Tash-Shriq (13^th day of Thul-Hijjah). It is recommended that whoever is making a sacrifice to slaughter it with his hand saying: "Bissmillah, Allahu Akbar, O Allah this is on my behalf and whoever wanted to be the sacrifice for." -(His family his relative…) - This is what the prophet (S.A.W.) did.

It is also allowed that you appoint a Muslim to initiate the process of sacrifice for you because the prophet (S.A.W.) said to his daughter Fatimah (R.A.): "Come Fatimah and witness your sacrifice because your sins will be wiped off at its first blood drop and say: "Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all worlds, there is no associate with Him, and of this I have been ordered, and I am the first of the Muslims." One of the companions said: O’ Messenger of Allah, is this special for you and for your family, or for all Muslims? The prophet (S.A.W.) replied: "It is for all Muslims." (Reported by Imam Al-Hakim, Al-Bayhaqi and At-Tabarani.)

It is also allowed that the person making the sacrifice to eat from his sacrifice, give away some of it to the needy and give some of it as a gift.

It is also highly recommended, and some scholars said is wajib obligatory, that whoever wanted to make sacrifice not to cut his hair and not to clip his nail from the first day of the month of Thul-Hijjah until he makes the sacrifice. This is from the saying of the prophet (S.A.W.) which reported by Imam Muslim: "If one of you has seen Hilal (the new crescent) of the month of Thul-Hijjah, and wanted to make sacrifice, then let him refrain from cutting his hair or clipping his nails." The order to abstain from cutting the hair or nails is directed to the person who makes sacrifice, and not to his wife or children unless they sacrifice for there own.

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