Category Archives: Prophets
The Light of Sight (Tr. of Nur al-Uyun)
Translation of Nur al-Uyun – A Concise Biography of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam)
Author’s Introduction:
Thus said the meticulous research scholar, the imÄm, shaykh Fat’ĥuddÄ«n Abu’l Fat’ĥ MuÄ¥ammad ibn MuÄ¥ammad ibn MuÄ¥ammad ibn Sayyidi’n NÄs
al-YámurÄ«y ar-Rabýiy – may AllÄh táÄlÄ sanctify his secret:
Praise be to AllÄh táÄlÄ who opens the doors [of Grace] when He is called upon; and He, who bestows means for guidance; Salutations and blessings
upon His Prophet MuÄ¥ammad , whom AllÄh táÄlÄ sent as a guide to those who accepted guidance; and a proof 3 upon those who turned away;
and [salutations be] upon his descendants and his companions who loved and cherished his tradition all their lives.
ÚyÅ«n al-Athar fÄ« FunÅ«n al-MaghÄzÄ« wa’sh ShamÄyil wa’s Siyar,  is a comprehensive biography that I have compiled, which is a copious and
sufficient resource for seekers of this knowledge. After completing it, I felt that it should be abridged to facilitate quick reference, easy to read and to
carry; that which imparts knowledge to the beginner and serves as a review for the master. Hence, I have summarised in these pages, and
named it, The Light of the Sight – A Concise Biography of the Trustworthy, the Vouchsafed.
Thus we begin, with a prayer for aid and guidance from AllÄh táÄlÄ and beseech Him to steer our essay and ease the path to goodness.
The Light of Sight (Tr. of Nur al-Uyun)
Courtesy: Ridawi Press
History of the Mawlid / Milad Shareef and its Importance in the Contemporary World
 In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
Prayers and Salutations upon the Holy Prophet  Muhammad
“Wa dhakkirhum bi ayyamiLlah†i.e. “And remind them [O Beloved sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam] of the Days of Allah†[The Holy Quran, Surah Ibrahim, 14:5]
What are the “Days of Allah?†According to Hazrat Maulana Ismail Haqqi rahmatullah alayh in his 350 year old commentary of the Holy Quran called “Roohul Bayan,†the Days of Allah mean “the blessings of Allah.†These blessings of Allah include the air we breathe, the water we drink, our health, our family, our friends. However, none of these would be in existence if it wasn’t for the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam as is clear from the Hadith Qudsi where Allah Almighty says:
“If it was not for you [O Prophet] I would not have revealed My Lordship.â€
In other words Allah Ta’ala would not have created had it not been for the sake of His Beloved sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.
Another Hadeeth related by Hazrat Salman Farsi written in the famous Mawahibe Laduniyah of Imam Qastallani rahmatullah alayh, a 500 year old foundational text states that:
“Gabriel alayhis salaam descended on the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and said, ‘Your Lord says, ‘If I have taken Abraham as a beloved, intimate friend, I have taken you for the same. I have never created any creation more precious to Me than you, and I have created this world and its inhabitants for the purpose of letting them know your honor and what you mean to Me; and if it were not for you I would not have created this world.’â€
Imam Qastallani rahmatullah alayh has written commentaries on both the Sahih al-Bukhari as well as Sahih Muslim. Any Hadeeth related by him must be accepted beyond the shadow of a doubt.
The same reality of the causality of creation is beautifully versified by Hazrat Imam Busiri rahmatullah alayh:
Wa kayfa tad’u ilad dunya darooratu man
Laulaahu lam tukhrajid dunya minal ‘adami
How can the necessities of such a noble personality incline him towards this world
For had it not been for him this world would not have come out of non existence
[Qasidah al-Burdah, Chapter 3, verse 5]
Maulaya salli wa sallim daiman Abadan
ala Habeebika khayril khalqi kullihimi (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)
It is then clear that Allah Ta’ala created all the blessings of the world for the sake of the Greatest Blessing – The Ni’matul Kubra – The Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. This greatest Blessing is a Mercy to the worlds “Rahmatal lil alameen†as Allah Ta’ala says:
“And We have sent thee not but as Mercy to Worlds.†[The Holy Quran, Surah Al-Ambiya, 21:107]
Let us further examine what Allah Ta’ala has commanded for  us in regards to His blessings. Allah Ta’ala says:
“Say, ‘Upon Allah’s munificence and upon His mercy – upon these should the people rejoice …’â€Â [The Holy Quran, Surah Yunus 10:58]
Imam Jalaaluddeen Suyuti rahmatullah alayh says in his famous Tafseer Durr al Manthoor, which is a Tafseer of the verses of the Holy Quran based on the Ahaadeeth of our Beloved Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam:
وأخرج أبو الشيخ عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ÙÙŠ الآية قال: Ùضل الله العلم، ورØمته Ù…Øمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال الله تعالى
{ وما أرسلناك إلا رØمة للعالمين }
[الأنبياء: 107].
Abu Sheikh rahmatullah alayh narrated from Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma:
That “Bounty of Allah†[in this verse] means Knowledge, whereas â€Mercy†means Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam.Â
Allah Ta’ala said: And We have sent thee not but as Mercy to Worlds [As-Suyuti in Durr al Manthoor (4/330)]
The above verses make it clear that it is Allah Almighty’s command for us to express happiness at His Blessings; and therefore we must express the greatest happiness at His Greatest Blessing. The night when this Greatest Blessing was sent from the world of Spirits to this earthly life as a mercy for us must indeed be the Night of Greatest Happiness and one that must be remembered and celebrated over and over again. This is the Milad Shareef or the Mawlid or the Maulud. The word Milad comes from the Arabic root “walada†which means to be born.
In the Holy Quran, Syedna Isa alayhis salaam sends peace upon himself on the day that he was born:
“Was Salaamu ‘alayya yauma wulidtu…†i.e. “And peace is upon me the day I was born …†[The Holy Quran, Surah Maryam, 19:33]Â
If peace descends upon Syedna Isa alayhis salaam on the day that he was born, would peace not descend on the day that the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, who is Syedul Mursaleen – the Leader of the Prophets, was born?
Indeed this night was so great that Allah Almighty Himself celebrated it by showing His Great Signs:
Transferred through generations of purity
Arrived into Aamina’s womb with complete security
No labor or birth pains did she have in the slight
What she saw coming from her was nothing but light
The castles of Qaiser and Kisra crumbled in the distance
The millennium old burning Magian light blew out in an instance
The winds of change were blowing in their finest
The scent of Madinah was arriving, at the Merciful’s behest
Maryam, Hawa, and Asiya were sent as nursemaids
To welcome this Mercy to the worlds, never to fade
A bright light shone from His  gentle, tender face
The joy of seeing which nothing could replace
Clouds covered the Ka’ba, stars bent in humility and awe
Ecstatic with Allah’s Greatest Blessing, which the world now saw
Food was at Abdul Muttalib’s for three whole days
Even Abu Lahab freed a slave on that blessed Monday
The first Milad however one must remember was conducted by Allah Ta’ala Himself in the pre-earthly spiritual realm before He even sent the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam to this earth. This Milad of the Spirits included in its audience the souls of all the Prophets where Allah Almighty praised the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and took a covenant “The Meethaq†with the rest of the Prophets that they would support the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. This blessed gathering is mentioned in Surah Aale Imran of the Holy Quran [3:81]:
And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, [saying], “Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.†[ Allah ] said, “Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?†They said, “We have acknowledged it.†He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.â€
This covenant was the first blessed gathering of the Mawlid as it mentions the coming of Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam to this world which is the definition of the Mawlid.
Another beautiful Hadeeth elucidates the great blessings Allah Almighty bestows on even His enemies due to the birth of our Beloved Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam.
Narrated ‘Ursa; Thuwaiba was the freed slave girl of Abu Lahab whom he had manumitted, and then she suckled the Prophet. When Abu Lahb died, one of his relatives saw him in a dream in a very bad state and asked him, “What have you encountered?†Abu Lahab said, “I have not found any rest since I left you,except that I have been given water to drink in this (the space between his thumb and other fingers) and that is because of my manumitting Thuwaiba.†[Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 38]
Abu Lahab freed Thuwaiba out of joy at the birth of our Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam, who was his own nephew. Even the worst of Kuffaar and greatest of enemies is given relaxation in his punishment due to freeing Thuwaiba by pointing with his finger, so one can only imagine the situation of a believer who rejoices on the Mawlid.
So it is clear then that Allah Ta’ala celebrated the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam’s Blessed Birth, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Did the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam perform the Milad Shareef? Yes indeed he did.
Abu Qatada Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Massenger (may peace be upon him) was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me. [Sahih Muslim, Book 006, Number 2606]
This Hadith is also reported by Imam al-Bahayqi in his “Sunnan ul Kubra†(Vol. 4, pg. 300 Hadith no 8182, 8259), in the “Sunan†of Imam Nisai and the “Musnad†of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal.
Therefore, performing an act of worship or many acts of worship on the day that he alayhi salatu wa salaam was born is proven from the Sahih Hadeeth. It is a good practice to initiate any good deed on this blessed day whether one holds Naat khwaani or arranges a Mehfil of Dhikr or a Conference because another Sahih Muslim Hadeeth says that “He who inaugurates a good practice in Islam earns the reward of it, and of all who perform it after him, without diminishing their own rewards in the least.†Of course one must be careful when performing these good deeds that they be free from all spiritual ailments such as riya (showing off), takabbur (arrogance) etc as well be within the bounds of the Shari’ah in terms of modesty, clothing and other etiquette.
There is another narration by Hazrat Anas  that the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam performed his own aqiqah and slaughtered an animal 40 years after his Blessed Birth to remember it even though it had been done for him by his grandfather Hazrat Abdul Muttalib. This is related by Al-Bayhaqi, and Imam Suyuti rahmatullah alayhim ajmaeen.
So it is clear then that the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam celebrated His own Milad, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Let us now turn to the Sahaba Kiram radi Allahu anhum ajmaeen – did they celebrate the Milad Shareef? Yes indeed they did as is proven from authentic texts. In the famous book “Al Tanwir fil Maulood Al-Basheer wan-Nazeer†it is related that Hazrat Abu Darda said that he was passing the home of Hazrat Amir Ansari in the company of the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. He said that we saw that he was mentioning the Blessed Birth events and saying, “This was that day! This was that day that he sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam came to this earth.†The Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam upon seeing this said, “Allah has opened the doors of mercy and all the angels pray for your forgiveness and deliverance. Whoever does this will receive success.†(aw kama qal)
Additionally, in the famous book Ni’matul Kubra, Shaykhul Islam Allama Ibn Hajar Makki rahamtullah alayh writes:
Hazrat Abubakr Siddeeq radi Allahu says: “Whoever spends even one dirham on the recitation of the Milad Shareef of Huzoor sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam will be with me in Jannah.â€
Hazrat Umar Farooq radi Allahu anhu says: “Whoever honors the Milad Shareef of Huzoor sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam has essentially revived Islam.â€
Hazrat Uthman Ghani radi Allahu anhu says: “Whoever spends even one dirham on the recitation of the Milad Shareef of Huzoor sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam is as if he or she was present at the battles of Badr and Hunayn.â€
Hazrat Ali  Murtaza radi Allahu anhu wa karrama Allahu wajhu says: “Whoever honors the Milad Shareef of Huzoor sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam and became the cause of Miladkhwani, he or she will leave the world with the wealth of Iman and will enter Jannah without any accounting.â€
So it is clear then that the Sahaba Kiram celebrated and promoted The Blessed Milad Shareef, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Did the Tabi’een celebrate the Maulid? Yes indeed they did. Hazrat Imam Abubakr Qastallani writes that Imam Hasan Basri said, “If I had gold equal to the mountain of Uhud I would give it away in the way of the Milad.â€
So it is clear then that the Tabi’een celebrated The Blessed Milad Shareef, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Did the 4 Imams of Fiqh celebrate the Milad Shareef. Yes indeed they did. It is a well known narration that Hazrat Ahmed ibn Hanbal used to distribute dates on the 9th and 12th of Rabiul Awwal in the happiness of the Blessed Birth. Similarly, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Muhammad Baqir, and Imam Jafar Sadiq used to distribute dates and gram flour (sattu). May Allah Almighty have mercy on them all.
So it is clear then that the Imams of our Deen celebrated The Blessed Milad Shareef, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Did the Awilya Kiram celebrate the Milad Shareef? Yes indeed they did. It is written in Abu Muhammad Siyal Naqshbandi’s famous Tazkirah Ghause Azam that the Sultanul Awliya Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani radia Allahu anhu celebrated the 11th day of every lunar month because inevitably it would go into the 12th doing a Mawlid every month.
So it is clear then that the greatest Awliya of our Deen celebrated The Blessed Milad Shareef, so isn’t it incumbent upon us to do so?
Was the Milad Shareef celebrated in the actual birth place of the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam – the Holy City of Makkah? Yes indeed it was.
Early Commemoration of Mawlid in Makkah:
Ibn Jubayr (540-614) writes in his Rihal (“Travelsâ€), wherein he describes his observation of Mawlid in Makkah Al-Mukarramah:
“This blessed place [the house of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam] is opened, and all enter to derive blessing from it (mutabarrikeen bihi), on every Monday of the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal, for on that day and in that month was born the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.â€
The famous 8th-century historian Ibn Batuta relates in his Rihla: “On every Friday, after the Jumu’ah prayers and on the birthday of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam, the door of the Kaba is opened by the head of the Banu Shayba, the doorkeepers of the Kaba, and that on the Mawlid, the Shafi’I qadi (head judge) of Makkah, Najmuddin Muhammad ibn al-Imam Muhyiddin al-Tabari, distributes food to the shurafaa (descendants) of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam and to all the other peope of Makkah.â€
“Each year on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, after the evening prayer, the four qadis of Makkah (representing the four Sunni Schools) and large groups of people including the scholars (fuqahaa) and notables (fudalaa) of Makkah, shaykhs, zawiya teachers and their students, magistrates (ru’asaa), and scholars (muta’ammameen) leave the mosque and set out collectively for a visit to the birthplace of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam, shouting out dhikr and tahlil (laa ilaaha illa Allah).â€
“The houses on the route are illuminated with numerous lanterns and large candles, and a great many people are out and about. They all wear special clothes and they take their children with them. Having reached the birthplace, inside a special sermon for the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam is delivered, mentioning the miracles that took place on that occasion.â€
Similar events are recorded as having taken place in Makkah and Madinah up to the year 1917. Only then did these traditions and practices cease in these two holiest cities, though they are still held in the homes of many Hijazi families, attended by many Muslims who come from around the world. [taken from “Mawlid: Its Necessity†by Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani]
Until today in Muslim countries around the globe such as Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, just to name a few, government offices, universities and businesses are closed on that day.
It should also be clear that the actual birth date of our Beloved Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam is the 12th of Rabiul Awwal as proven from the follow authentic references:
Opinion of Renowned Historians about the Authentic Date of Milad:
1. Imam Ibn-e-Ishaq (85-151 H): Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born on 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. (Ibn-e-Jawzi in Al-Wafa, Page 87)
2. Allama Ibn-e-Hisham (213 H): Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. (Ibn-e-Hisham in As-Sirat-un-Nabawiya, Vol. 1, Page 158)
3. Imam Ibn-e-Jareer Tabari (224-310 H): Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. (Tarikh-ul-Umam-wal-Muluk, Vol. 2, Page 125)
4. Allama Abu-ul-Hasan Ali Bin Muhammad Al-Mawardi (370-480 H): Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born 50 days after the event of Ashab-ul-Feel and after the death of His father on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal. (Ailam-un-Nabuwa, Page 192)
5. Imam Al-Hafiz Abu-ul-Fatah Al-Undalasi (671-734 H): Our leader and our Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), the Messenger of Allah, was born on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. (Aayun-al-Asr, Vol.1, Page 33)
6. Allama Ibn-e-Khaldun (732-808 H): Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born on 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. It was the 40th year of Emperor Kasra Noshairwan. (Ibn-e-Khaldun in At-Tarikh Vol. 2, Page 394)
7. Muhammad As-Sadiq Ibrahim Arjoon: From various turaq (chains) it has been established as true that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was born on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel in the reign of Kasara Noshairwan. (Muhammad Rasool Ullah, Vol. 1, Page 102)
8. Sheikh Abdul-Haq Muhadath Dehlvi (950-1052 H):Know it well, that over-whelming majority of the experts of sayar and tarikh (i.e. biographers and historians) hold the opinion that The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was born in Aam-ul-Feel. It is well known that the month was of Rabi-ul-Awal and its date was 12. Various scholars have shown their agreement with this (date). (Madarij-un-Nabuwa, Vol. 2, Page 14)
9. Nawab Muhammad Sadiq Hasan Khan Bohapalvi: The birth (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was happened in Mecca at the time of Fajar on Monday 12 Rabi-ul-Awal in Aam-ul-Feel. Majority of scholars holds this opinion. Ibn-e-Jawzi has narrated a consensus (of scholars) on it. (Ash-Shumama-tul-Anbariya Fi Mowlid Khair-al-Bariya, Page 7)
The historians / scholars from the first / second century of Hijri, as well as the scholars of later times, have accepted the 12th of Rabiul Awwal as the birth date of our Beloved Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa Aalihi wa sallam.
It is clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that the practice of celebrating the Milad Shareef was a practice with an unbroken chain which started with Allah Almighty in the pre-earthly Realm till about 100 years ago when the horns of Satan arose in the Najd as per the prophecy of the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam to cause confusion and doubt in the minds and hearts of people.
It is clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Eid Miladun Nabi sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam is not the 3rd most important Eid, but it is THE most important Eid because all the other Eids came from it. One must understand that “Eid†here is being used in the sense of a happy event that returns every year. The Blessed night of 12 Rabiul Awwal is not just an important night for Muslims, but it is THE most important night for all the worlds because all other nights and days were gifted to us because of this night.
Imam Qastallani further writes in his famous Mawahibul Ladunniya that there is no greater blessing for the world than that which was received on the day of the Holy Prophet’s sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam’s Blessed Birth. To express gratitude for this is obligatory. This can be done in the form of spiritual gatherings, feeding people, giving charity, reading the events of the Blessed Birth and teaching it to others. The year in which the Milad Shareef is read becomes a source of success and peace, and freedom from tribulations. Allah bestows His special blessings upon those who celebrate this day as Eid.
In our contemporary world where most people are victims of depression, stress and anxiety, it would be to our own selfish interests to celebrate the Mawlid so that its blessings help alleviate our individual and social problems. However, let us celebrate for the sake of celebrating because it is Allah’s command. Let us say, Ya Allah:
“Rula tu hamein bas ghame Musatafa mein
Na dunya ke gham me rula mere Maulaâ€
Let us celebrate to express our love for whom we honor, to honor whom we love, whom Allah loves, whom everyone and everything, every animal, every stone, every mountain, every cloud, every sky, every ocean knows and loves and honors. May Allah Almighty always keep up among such fortunate ones who are recipients of the prayers generosity of the Holy Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. Ameen.
Uthee nazar to Unke karam par thahar gaee
Dil kya badal gaya meri qismat sanwar gaee
Diyare Nabi mein aah bhi kabhi na be asar gaee
Tadpe jo ham yahan to Madeene khabar gaee
Shahon se mila hai na qalandar se mila hai
Allah ka irfan Tere Dar se mila hai
More information on the Mawlid can be found via audio lectures by IECRC’s Founding Director, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Qadri at https://www.iecrcna.org/site/tag/milad-shareef/.
Some references for this article were taken from www.ahlus-sunna.com.
– Syeda Shagufta Ahmad Qadri
Big Nights and Days of Islam: Dhul Hijjah
In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
Prayers and Peace upon His Noble Messenger
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Dhul Hijjah is the 12th and last month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is one of the four sacred months, the other three being Muharram, Rajab Dhul Qa’dah. Only Rajab is on its own, the other three come together. Dhul Hijjah’s significance is enormous as related in the Holy Quran, and the sayings of the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and His Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Allah, Almighty and Glorious is He, says in the Holy Quran:
“And by oath of ten nights.â€
                                                                                   [Al-Fajr 89:2]
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), the great Companion of the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and illustrious exegete of the Holy Quran explained that the expression “and ten nights [wa layaalin ‘ashr]†refers to the ten special nights at the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijjah.
Hazrat Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), another great Companion of the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam reported that the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“The chieftain [sayyid] of the months is the month of Ramadan, and the mightiest of them in sanctity [hurma] is Dhul-Hijjah.â€
According to Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said that:
“Of all the days, there are none in which Allah, Exalted is He, more dearly loves to have worshipful service performed for His sake, other than the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah. To devote just one of the them to fasting is equivalent to fasting for one whole year, and keeping vigil on one of these nights is like keeping vigil for one whole year.â€
Narrated Hazrat Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma: The Prophet alayhi salatu wa salaam said,
“No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijjah).†Then some Companions radi Allahu anhum of the Prophet alayhi salatu wa salaam said, “Not even Jihad?†He alayhi salatu wa salaam replied, “Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things.†[Bukhari Shareef, Volume 2, Book 15, Number 86]
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu reported that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said,
“None of the days are dearer to Allah during which He is worshipped than the ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Fasting on each of these days is like fasting for a year and standing (in worship) on each of its nights is like standing on Laylatul Qadr.†[Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Hadeeth #758, Ibn Majah Hadeeth #1728]
***
Hazrat Ali (may Allah ennoble his face) reported that the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam once said:
“When the Ten [Days and Nights] of Dhul-Hijja come around, you must devote yourselves strenuously to worshipful obedience, for they are the days upon which Allah, Exalted is He, has bestowed His special favor, and He has made the sanctity of their nighttime equivalent to the sanctity of their daytime. So if a worshipper prays during any night of the Ten Nights, performing four cycles of ritual prayer [raka’at] in the last third [of the night], and including the following recitations from the Holy Quran in each cycle:
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- Surah Al-Fatiha [1:1-7] once
- Surah Al-Falaq [113:1-5] Surah An-Naas[114:1-6] once each
- Surah Al-Ikhlaas [112:1-4] 3 times and
- Ayat Al-Kursi [2:255] 3 times
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and if he raises his hands, as soon as he has completed this ritual prayer and says:
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Subhaana Dhil-‘Izzati wal-Jabaroot. Subhaana Dhil-Qudrati wal-Malakoot. Subhaanal-Hayyil-ladhee laa yamoot. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa yuhyee wa yumeetu wa Huwa Hayyun laa yamoot. Subhaanal-laahi Rabbil-‘ibaadi wal-bilaad. Al-hamdu lil-laahi katheeran wa tayyiban wa mubaarakan ‘alaa kulli haal. Allahu Akbaru kabeera Rabbanaa jalla Jalaaluhu wa Qudratuhu bi-kulli makaan.
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and if he then pleads for whatever he wishes, he will be entitled to the same reward as someone who perform the Pilgrimage to the Sacred House of Allah, visits the tomb of the Prophet y and strives in the cause of Allah. Whatever he asks of Allah, He will surely grant him his request.
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If he performs that same ritual prayer during every night of the Ten Nights, Allah, Exalted is He, will grant him lawful access to the Highest Paradise [al-Firdaws al-A’laa] and He will erase every bad deed from his record. ‘Now set about your work from a new beginning,’ he will be told.
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If it happens to be the Day of ‘Arafa, and he devotes the daytime thereof to fasting and night thereof to ritual prayer, and he pronounces this invocation and he offers many a humble entreaty in the presence of Allah, Exalted is He, Allah will say: ‘O My angels, bear witness that I have granted him forgiveness, and that I have equated him with the Pilgrim of the House of Allah [al- Haajj ilaa Baitillah].’ The angels will be delighted to learn what Allah, Exalted is He, has bestowed upon that believing servant, as a reward for his ritual prayer and his invocation.â€
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Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said:
We were in the company of Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, when a group of people arrived from Yemen. They said: “May our mothers and fathers be our ransom! Will you tell us about the special merits of the Pilgrimage [Hajj]?†He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Yes! If any mans sets out from his home, as a Pilgrim or a Visitant, whenever he lifts a foot, or sets a foot down on the ground, sins are scattered from his feet, just as leaves are scattered from the trees. Then, when he reaches the city of Medina, shakes my hand, and salutes me with the greeting of peace [salaam], the angels will likewise salute him with the greeting of peace. Then when he reaches Dhul Haleefa (the miqat or meeting point for Pilgrims approaching Mecca from the direction of Medina), and performs the major ritual ablution, Allah will purify him of his sins. When he puts on two new pieces of clothing, Allah will renew his good deeds for him….†(Please refer to the source text for the entire Hadeeth, which is quite extensive.)
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Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said that he heard Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say:
“Allah, Exalted is He, inspects His servants on the Day of ‘Arafa, and if there is an atom’s weight of faith [imaan] in the heart of any one of them, He grants them forgiveness without fail.â€
Fasting on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah
Hazrat Abu Qatada al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may blessings and peace be upon him) … was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafa (9th of Dhu’I-Hijja), whereupon he said:
“It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year….†[Sahih Muslim, Book 006, Hadeeth #2603][1]
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Ritual Prayer to Be Recited on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“If someone performs four voluntary cycles of ritual prayer, on the Day of ‘Arafa, between the Dhuhr and ‘Asr reciting in each cycle Surah Al-Faatiha one time, and Surah Al-Ikhlaas 50 times, one million good deeds will be recorded in his credit column. For every letter in the Quran, he will be promoted by one level in the Garden of Paradise, the distance between each level and the next being a journey of fifty years…†(Please refer to the source text for the remaining benefits of performing this prayer.)
Also, in another traditional report, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Holy Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“If someone performs two voluntary cycles of ritual prayer on the Day of ‘Arafa, reciting in each cycle:
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- Surah Al-Faatiha 3 times, each beginning with the Basmala (Bismillaahir-rahmaanir-raheem) and ending with Aameen,
- Surah Al-Kaafiroon [109:1-6] 3 times, and
- Surah Al-Ikhlaas once, beginning each time with the Basmala,
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Allah (Exalted is He) will surely say [to the angels]: ‘Bear witness that I have granted him forgiveness for his sins.’â€
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In the ritual prayer of the Night of Sacrifice (i.e. the night preceding the day of Eid), the worshipper must perform two cycles of prayer, reciting in each cycle:
- Surah Al-Faatiha 15 times, and
- Surah Al-Ikhlaas 15 times, and
- Surah Al-Falaq 15 times, and
- Surah An-Naas 15 times
After concluding the prayer he should:
- recite Ayat-ul-Kursi 3 times
- seek forgiveness of Allah 15 times, and then:
- appeal for whatever he wishes from the good of this world and the Hereafter.
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When the believer sets out to attend the Festival prayer, following a particular route, he is recommended to return home by a different route. This advice is based on the report of Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) who said that the Holy Prophet y took one road [to the congregational prayer] on the Day of the Festival, and used a different road on His way back home.
Udhiyya (Qurbani)
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The animal sacrifice (udhiyya /qurbani) is a customary practice (Sunnah) in the Hanbali, Maliki, and Shafi madhhabs, the omission of which is not recommended for anyone who is capable of performing it. In the Hanafi it is strictly necessary (wajib) (technically same as Fard in terms of implementation).
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We pray that Allah, Most Glorified and Exalted is He, by the waseela (connection) of His Beloved Prophet (Prayers and Peace be upon Him) accepts the Hajj of all those who had the good fortune to go this year and may He grant the opportunity to those who desire the journey in future years. May He forgive our faults and accept our worship and make us true servants of His Noble Friends (Awliya Kiram). Aameen.
[1] Part of a larger Hadeeth text