بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
Today is the 7th of Dhul Hijjah. Tomorrow (8th Dhul Hijjah) is the first day of Hajj 2025.
In recent years, more Muslims have started to realise the importance of Dhul Hijjah, alhamdulillah. However, most Muslims still do not seem as enthusiastic about Dhul Hijjah as they are about Ramadan. One reason for this is that most people are still unaware of the virtues of Dhul Hijjah. That’s surprising, given that the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah have virtues that not even Ramadan has.
The virtues of both were already covered in this earlier post so I won’t repeat it here.
This post is just a reflection of the similarities and differences between Ramadan and the first 13 days of Dhul Hijjah. Yes, 13, as the three days after Eid Al-Adha also have some virtues.
Please note that these are just my thoughts on the matter. The relevant ayaat and ahaadeeth can be found elsewhere on my website. [I did not add them to this post.]
A look at Ramadan
Let’s start with Ramadan. It is the greatest month and has a multitude of virtues. The Quran was revealed in this month. The devils are locked up during this month, which make it easier for people to practice because they can just focus on battling their souls instead of battling the devils.
Also, Ramadan is very famous. Even non-Muslims know the importance of this month. This contributes to making Ramadan easier for Muslims to practice in, as other people (both Muslims and non-Muslims) will be more understanding with regards to fasting and the night prayer.
Ramadan is also a month of companionship due to iftar gatherings, night prayer and itikaf (staying at the masjid). This can really boost many a Muslim’s confidence because so many Muslims struggle with practicing Islam due to a lack of support from others. In Ramadan, practicing Islam doesn’t make you the odd one out – it makes you part of the crowd, because other Muslims are also striving in this blessed month.
For many, Ramadan is a month of iftar parties, sadly. Many people wish they didn’t have those – and they got their wish during covid! Iftar parties just add to one’s workload in an already busy month and cause people to get distracted from the purpose of this month – which is worship.
Ramadan has two main acts of worship: fasting in the day and voluntary prayer at night. This means the person is occupied the whole day in the worship of Allah. This also means that Ramadan is a very busy month. We break our fasts and then rush to the masjid, pray and rush back to sleep because suhoor is just a few hours away!
Ramadan is a month long. Given that the goal of this month is to make a person have taqwa (righteousness), 29-30 days is a long time – enough for a person to cultivate Islamic habits.
Taraweeh and Qiyam Al-Layl motivate one to spend more time with the Quran and also to learn Arabic so they can understand what is being recited in prayer.
Ramadan can be split into two parts: the first 20 days and the last 10 days. People start out Ramadan with full vigour – only to collapse in a few days. However, due to Laylatul Qadr, a lot of Muslims stay up the last ten nights (or at least some of them) in order to catch this great night. That really helps with motivation – which is what many Muslims lack with regards to practicing Islam.
The night of Laylatul Qadr is unknown to us. We just know that it can be in any of the last 10 nights of Ramadan (the best nights of the year), with the odd nights being more likely and the 27th being the likeliest one. I don’t know about you but I love the fact that Laylatul Qadr is not known to us and might change from year to year (as in which night it falls on although there is a dispute over this). We can strive each night and watch out for the signs, then check with our masjid friends to see if they “felt” it too. We end up worshipping Allah more and also get more companionship.
Zakatul fitr is one more act sanctioned in Ramadan – at the end of this month in fact. It is a purification for the fasting person and food for the poor Muslim.
Eid Al-Fitr falls right after Ramadan. It is the first day of Shawwal. One is forbidden to fast on this day. From the second of Shawwal onwards, one may fast the 6 days of this month. This is a good opportunity to get that Ramadan feeling again and keep one’s iman (faith) high.
Ramadan is preceded by Shaban (a month of voluntary fasting to prepare for Ramadan) and Rajab (a sacred month) before that. After it comes Shawwal (a month of voluntary fasting due to the 6 fasts) and then Dhul Qadah (a sacred month) right after it. Then come two more sacred months, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram – both of which have sanctioned fasts (the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah and the 9th and 10th of Muharram). From Safar until Jumada Al-Akhirah (a total of 5 months) there are no special days as such, nor are there any sacred months.
So 7 months of the year (Rajab to Muharram) have virtues, whereas the 5 months after that do not. That’s something to ponder over.
What usually happens to people after Ramadan
A lot of people tend to forget the lessons of Ramadan really fast. For some, it was because they did not intend to worship Allah beyond Ramadan.
For others, it is because they did not have any appropriate system in place to keep them going. For example, seeking knowledge is a great way to maintain one’s motivation and also have righteous companionship.
A look at Dhul Hijjah
The month of Dhul Hijjah starts exactly two months after Ramadan ends. It is a sacred month so it is worse to sin in it. The first ten days are the best days of the year. The 3 days after these 10 days also have virtues and are referred to as the Days of Tashreeq.
Like Ramadan, the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah have a lot of virtues. In fact, they have some virtues that Ramadan does not, as mentioned in the beginning of this post. One being the fact that Hajj takes place during these days (and continues in the Days of Tashreeq). Another virtue is that good deeds during these 10 days is superior to those done at any other time of the year – including Ramadan.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ : مَا الْعَمَلُ فِي أَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ فِي هَذِهِ ”قَالُوا وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ قَالَ ” وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ، إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ يُخَاطِرُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ بِشَىْءٍ
Narrated Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhuma): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijjah).” Then some companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Not even Jihad?” He 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.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadeeth No. 86]
It’s fascinating that it is Dhul Hijjah that has this virtue, and not Ramadan. That helps in giving Dhul Hijjah more importance in our eyes whereas Ramadan is already important in everyone’s eyes.
Another issue is Hajj. Everyone wants to go for Hajj but only a few get that chance. Those who stay back have something to look forward to as well due to the acts sanctioned in Dhul Hijjah, which is a great mercy from Allah.
Unlike in Ramadan, the devils are not locked up in Dhul Hijjah. We had that help in Ramadan, but now we have to prove ourselves in these ten days. It doesn’t matter because the help comes from Allah, no matter what time of year it is. That’s the important thing – not whether the devils are chained or not.
While Hajj is very famous, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are really not that famous amongst the Muslims, let alone the non-Muslims. That makes it more difficult for an average Muslim to practice, but the serious ones will not have a problem. So perhaps this is a way to differentiate the great from the not-so-great.
I recall a lecturer mentioning how we have people with us in Ramadan but in Dhul Hijjah, we are alone. Subhan Allah, maybe that is one of the wisdoms – so that we rely on Allah alone rather than on created beings like ourselves. Ramadan is made so easy with all the companionship. Now in Dhul Hijjah, perhaps we need to realise that the help of Allah is what is really essential – and that it is sufficient for us.
There are also no iftar parties as such in Dhul Hijjah, which is great for those who hate them. They can focus on their ibaadah instead of cooking a lot.
The two main sanctioned acts in the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah are fasting and the takbeerat. The latter is also sanctioned for the 4 days after that – for a total of 13 days. The takbeerat is supposed to be said in a loud voice. The Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to go to the market places and say it in a loud voice. Sadly, we don’t do that now. However, I have seen the malls and shops in the UAE play the takbeerat which is great, alhamdulillah. People don’t realise the effects that this has on the hearts of people, just like they don’t realise that effects of the adhan and the Quran.
A lot of Muslims complain about the “loud” adhan or the “loud” recitation of Quran in prayer but they don’t understand that it is just the devils who are making them dislike these things, because the devils themselves hate this as they are overcome by the adhan and the Quran. This is even more reason to keep them at a loud voice and also to have an adhan at each masjid and not have a unified adhan (as is the case in some cities). A unified adhan in a city is not from the sunnah.
The “loud” talbiyah (in Hajj and Umrah) along with the “loud” takbeerat/adhan/Quran recitation in prayer shows that we are not ashamed of our religion and, on the contrary, we are proud of it. We should not be hiding this beautiful religion. Let the world know about it so that they too can research it and then become Muslim.
The takbeerat of Dhul Hijjah are also interesting because the Hajj pilgrims have the talbiyah (in the first few days and then they too start the takbeerat). So this calms the heart of those who are anxious to go to Hajj because even though they are at home, they have something that they can constantly say throughout these days just the way the pilgrim does.
Because Dhul Hijjah does not have night prayer in congregation, it is relatively less rushed than Ramadan (no rushing to Taraweeh or Qiyam Al-Layl) and also allows a person to get some more sleep, meaning that they are well rested. So it is easier to be more active throughout the day and get more ibaadah (worship) done. So whilst the companionship might be lacking in Dhul Hijjah, the sleep definitely isn’t.
There’s another issue. Because night prayer is not in congregation, it means we have to push ourselves to do it in Dhul Hijjah compared to Ramadan, where it was far easier. That causes us to improve in the long run.
Ramadan ends with the ten most important nights whereas Dhul Hijjah starts with the ten most important days so there is no “warm up” time. You have to be ready from the get go.
Ten days is also one third of a month, so the time is significantly shorter. That makes it a bit harder to “get trained” but it also helps for those who have short bursts of enthusiasm.
In Ramadan, the focus was on the last ten nights but in Dhul Hijjah the focus is on the first ten days. That alone makes for a very different experience. Some people excel in day worship whereas others excel in night worship. In Islam, there is something for everyone. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who has blessed us with the complete religion.
As soon as the new moon of Dhul Hijjah is spotted, the ones who want to slaughter have to refrain from cutting their hair or nails. This allows them to “emulate” the Hajj pilgrim in refraining from some acts (the way they do during ihram). It also is a further restraint to their fasting (which involves restraining oneself from food, drink and intercourse with one’s spouse). This helps a person attain taqwa (righteousness) and helps them be stronger in iman in the long run.
Laylatul Qadr is unknown to us but the day of Arafah is known, so we need to focus on just one day. This day and the day after it are the two most important days of Hajj. For those staying back, we have fasting sanctioned for us on the day of Arafah (the pilgrim is not meant to fast) and also the remembrance recited by all the Prophets (alaihimissalaam), in addition to the takbeerat. On the day of Arafah and for the next 4 days, the takbeerat is also recited following the obligatory prayers. For the one whose soul longs to get close to Allah, these are all precious gifts.
When we had companionship, we had to strive for ten nights to find Laylatul Qadr. When we have no companionship and are at home dying to go for Hajj, we get to focus on the Day of Arafah and emulate the pilgrims in spending time remembering Allah throughout this day.
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And indeed, Allah is to you Kind and Merciful. [Surah Al-Hadeed (57) : 9]
After Arafah comes the greatest day in the sight of Allah- the day of Eid Al-Adha.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قُرْطٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الأَيَّامِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ
Narrated Abdullah ibn Qurt (radiallahu anhu): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “The greatest day in Allah’s sight is the day of sacrifice (10th of Dhul Hijjah) and next the day of resting “, which Isa said on the authority of Thawr is the second day. [Sunan Abee Dawood, Hadeeth No. 1765. Graded “sahih” (authentic) by Al-Albani.]
Eid Al-Fitr has the Eid prayer but no other sanctioned acts. Eid Al-Adha, on the other hand, has the Eid prayer along with the takbeerat (said as much as possible and also after every obligatory prayer) as well as the udhiyah (sacrifice). The sacrifice can be done on this day or the three days after it.
In Hajj, the pilgrim has a very busy 10th of Dhul Hijjah and he too has a sacrifice (if doing Hajj Tamattu or Qiran) which he can do on 10th or the 3 days after it.
This way, the one who stays back once again imitates the Hajj pilgrim to some degree, thereby soothing his heart. And he also continues the remembrance of Allah with the takbeerat. So that helps him keep his iman high in an easy manner.
Zakatul fitr ensures that the poor have something to eat on the day of Eid Al-Fitr – their staple diet in fact. The udhiyah ensures that the poor also have something to eat on the day of Eid Al-Adha – meat this time. Truly, Allah is so merciful. Poor Muslims get food on both Eids – and different types of food to boot!!!
Fasting is forbidden on Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr. However, it is also forbidden on the three days after Eid Al-Adha – unlike in Shawwal.
The 11th, 12th and 13th days of Dhul Hijjah also have two acts sanctioned in them – the udhiyah for those who did not sacrifice on Eid Al-Adha and also the takbeerat at all times including after the obligatory prayers.
The Hajj pilgrim has only stoning to do on these last three days – but the walking to and from the jamaraat can tire a person out. So they only have that plus the takbeerat. Those who stay back don’t have stoning of course but they have the takbeerat. Once again, this is soothing to the soul and it also is an easy way to keep one’s iman high.
So, one can see that Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah are so beautifully similar and also so beautifully different.
A look at the Islamic calendar
Dhul Hijjah is both preceded and followed by sacred months and as mentioned earlier, it too is a sacred month. After Dhul Hijjah comes Muharram. Ashura falls on this month and it is sanctioned to fast on it as well as the day before it. This is yet another chance to turn back to Allah.
So let’s think about this:
- Rajab is a sacred month so it is worse to sin in this month. That allows a person to have more taqwa of Allah.
- Shaban is a month of voluntary fasting in preparation for Ramadan. This allows a person to get close to Allah before Ramadan.
- Ramadan is the greatest month and it contains the ten greatest nights. The Muslim Ummah (nation) as a whole strives to get closer to Allah in this month – a goal that they usually attain, alhamdulillah.
- Shawwal has 6 fasts which help keep us afloat after Ramadan and decreases the amount of “Post Ramadan dip”.
- Dhul Qaddah is a sacred month. So this helps us keep afloat as well.
- Dhul Hijjah is a sacred month and it contains the best ten days and three more days with virtues. It is also the month of Hajj. This results in an amazing “Post-Ramadan boost”.
- Muharram is a sacred month and contain Ashura. This is one final change to regain the “Ramadan glory”.
After this, we have 5 quiet months. We can strive to maintain our level rather than keep pushing ourselves – as that is not easy for everyone.
Subhan Allah, look at the Islamic calendar and then ponder over the purpose of creation:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [Adh-Dhaariyat (51):56]
We have chance after chance of worshipping Allah and getting close to Him. So why aren’t we taking these chances?
Anyone who ponders over Ramadan and then Dhul Hijjah, will realise how merciful Allah is to His slaves. We need to take advantage of these opportunities and make a permanent change in our lives, rather than being seasonal Muslims.
Submission to Allah is done daily, not just yearly, and we have to strive to do that until death.
وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ
And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death). [Surah Al-Hijr (15) : 99]