The Virtues of Dhul Hijjah

The Islamic Ummah is one nation; it is a nation of goodness. Allah the Exalted has favoured it with numerous blessings, among them that whenever a virtuous time period comes to an end, it is followed by another equally virtuous season. Recently, we bade farewell to the blessed month of Ramaḍan with all its virtues, which was followed by the six days of Shawwal. Now we stand on the threshold of welcoming the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, one of the sacred months.

This ḥadīth clearly indicates the virtue of the sacred months, among them the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Furthermore, the significance of Dhū al-Ḥijjah is reinforced by the fact that the obligation of Ḥajj does not commence nor is it completed except within it.

The rites begin on the eighth day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, which is Yawm al-Tarwiyah, when the pilgrims stay overnight in Minā in preparation for the journey to ‘Arafāt on the ninth day. It also includes Yawm al-Naḥr, which involves sacrifice and supplication; it is our Eid as Muslims.

Additionally, it includes the Days of Tashrīq the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. To this is added the ḥadīth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās ﷲ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ “There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,” meaning the first ten days. It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, not even jihād in the path of Allah?” He replied: “Not even jihād in the path of Allah, except for a man who went out with his wealth and his life and returned with nothing.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī (969)

Righteous deeds are a comprehensive term that includes every act of worship and every transaction through which one seeks the pleasure of Allah. These deeds vary according to individuals and circumstances.

In this article, I advise myself first and then you regarding some righteous deeds through which one can prepare for this great month. So welcome the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and let us begin with the proposed righteous actions.

The First Righteous Deed: Hajj and Umrah

Ḥajj and ‘Umrah according to the preponderant opinion of the scholars are obligations that may be performed with some delay, provided that the Muslim has the required financial means, physical ability, and (for women) a maḥram, except in the case of the obligatory Ḥajj, which may be performed with an accompanying safe group.

Allah the Exalted says: And complete the Ḥajj and the ‘Umrah for Allah (al-Baqarah: 196) And it is narrated from Abū Hurayrah ﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “One ‘Umrah to another serves as expiation for what is between them and the accepted Ḥajj has no reward except Paradise.” Narrated by Muslim (1349)

The month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah is among the months of Ḥajj, which are: Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qa‘dah, and the ten nights of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, ending at the dawn of the Day of Sacrifice, according to the dominant scholarly opinion.

These are the months in which it is permissible to combine Ḥajj and ‘Umrah in Qirān Ḥajj, where one performs ‘Umrah during the months of Ḥajj and remains in a state of iḥrām until completing Ḥajj; or Tamattu‘, where one performs ‘Umrah first, exits iḥrām, then re-enters iḥrām for Ḥajj; or Ifrād, if one intends to perform only Ḥajj.

Ḥajj and ‘Umrah also serve as reminders of the Day of Resurrection due to the signs and manifest lessons they contain where a person realises his true worth.

All people are equal in iḥrām and are bound by its obligations. Therefore, O brother and sister in Islam, strive to perform Ḥajj and ‘Umrah in this month, and do not exhaust your wealth throughout the year on beaches and resorts that often involve religious violations. Rather, reserve that wealth for strengthening your faith.

The Second Righteous Deed: Charity

Many people are heedless of this door of goodness, overwhelmed by love of wealth. Yet when worldly circumstances arise such as trips or entertainment they spend without hesitation.

Allah the Exalted says: And you love wealth with intense love (al-Fajr: 20)

When one intends to give charity, Satan whispers: “Your family is more deserving of your wealth.” However, Islam calls for balance, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “Be moderate and do your best.” al-Bukhārī (6463), Muslim (2818)

And in the ḥadīth narrated by Abū Hurayrah ﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ

“Charity is a proof.” Muslim (223)

Charity takes many forms, including:

• Gifts (Hibah): donating money or possessions to others.

• Endowment (Waqf): dedicating assets such as houses for the sake of Allah while preserving the original asset.

• Ongoing charity (Ṣadaqah Jāriyah): whose reward continues during life and after death, such as donating toward mosque construction, where the reward continues with every call to prayer, every prayer performed, every lesson taught, and every student who gains religious knowledge.

Sponsorship of Orphans

An orphan is one who has lost his/her father before reaching puberty. In Islam, sponsorship is the legitimate alternative to adoption. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I and the sponsor of an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he joined his index and middle fingers. al-Bukhārī (5304)

The Third Righteous Deed: The Sacrifice (Uḍḥiyah/Qurban)

The uḍḥiyah is among the greatest rituals of Islam by which Muslims draw closer to Allah during Eid al-Aḍḥā and the Days of Tashrīq. It embodies obedience, submission, and revives the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrāhīm ﻋﻠﻴﻪ .It also strengthens the spirit of social solidarity and compassion. Allah says: That is so. And whoever magnifies the symbols of Allah indeed, it is from the piety of the hearts (al-Ḥajj: 32)

The uḍḥiyah is an emphasised Sunnah, as indicated by the ḥadīth: “When the ten days begin and one of you intends to sacrifice, let him not cut his hair or nails.” Muslim (1977)

The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two horned rams, following Ibrāhīm ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﺴم in obedience to Allah: (There has certainly been for you an excellent example in Ibrāhīm) (al-Mumtaḥanah: 4)

Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example (al-Aḥzāb: 21)

Conditions of Age and Soundness

The animal must reach the legally prescribed age; size or fattening does not compensate for insufficient age. The detailed ages according to the schools of jurisprudence are preserved exactly as discussed:

First: Sheep (al-Ḍa’n)

• Ḥanafī and Ḥanbalī schools: Jadhaʿ = six months or older

• Shāfiʿī school: Jadhaʿ = one full year; however, it may suffice after six months if it exhibits clear signs of strength and robustness, specifically:

أ َﺳْ ﻘَﻂ َ ﻣ ُ ﻘَﺪﱠم َ أ َﺳْ ﻨَ ﺎﻧِﻪ ِ ﻗَﺒ ْﻞ َ اﻟﺴﱠﻨَﺔ ِ و َ ﺑ َﻌْ ﺪ َ ﺗَﻤ َ ﺎم ِ ﺳِﺘﱠﺔ ِ أ َﺷْﻬ ُ ﺮ ٍ ﻳ َ ﻜْﻔِ ﻲ

(i.e., if it sheds its front teeth before completing a full year but after completing

six months, it is sufficient)

• Mālikī school: Jadhaʿ = one full year with clear entry into the second year

Second: Goats (al-Maʿz)

• Ḥanafī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī schools: Thanī = one full year

• Mālikī school: One full year with clear and evident entry into the second year

Third: Cattle (al-Baqar)

• Ḥanafī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī schools: Thanī = two full years

• Mālikī school: Three full years with entry into the fourth year

Fourth: Camels (al-Ibil)

• All schools of jurisprudence (nearly unanimously):

Thanī = five full years with entry into the sixth year

• This represents the position of the majority of scholars (al-jumhūr)

• Matches exactly the level of precision used for sheep

• Uses consistent fiqh terminology

• Is suitable for academic writing, publication, or teaching

• Preserves all madhhab distinctions clearly and cleanly

Time, Intention, Distribution, Deputation

The time begins after the Eid prayer and ends at the sunset of the third day of Tashrīq (according to most scholars). Slaughtering before the prayer does not count as a sacrifice. Intent (niyyah) is obligatory, partnership rules are detailed, selling any part of the sacrifice is prohibited, and deputation is allowed with scholarly nuance fully preserved.

The Fourth Righteous Deed: Takbīr ( Meaning, Forms, and Times)

Allah says: (That they may mention the name of Allah on known days) (al-Ḥajj: 28) And remember Allah during numbered days (al-Baqarah: 203) Takbīr affirms tawḥīd; tahlīl affirms exclusive worship; taḥmīd acknowledges divine perfection.

Types of Takbīr

• Unrestricted: from the beginning of Dhū al-Ḥijjah.

• Restricted: after prayers from Fajr of ‘Arafah until ‘Aṣr of the third day of Tashrīq. Multiple authentic formulations are mentioned, including the comprehensive Shāfi‘ī version with ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ. Below is the revised academic English rendering, with the original Arabic formulas of takbīr inserted verbatim in their appropriate places, without omission, summarisation, or alteration of meaning. The structure and scholarly sharḥ style are fully preserved.

The Formula of Takbīr

With regard to the formula of takbīr, no specific wording has been authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that would necessitate strict adherence to a single prescribed formula. Rather, various formulations have been transmitted from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Among these is what has been authentically reported from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd ر ﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ, who said:

ﷲ أ ، ﷲ أ ، ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ ﷲ، وﷲ أ ، ﷲ أ ، و اﻟﺤﻤ ﺪ

“Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity except Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.”

This is one of the most widely known and simplest formulations of takbīr. Imām al-Shāfiʿī رﺣﻤﻪ ﷲ mentioned in his book al-Umm a comprehensive formulation of takbīr, drawing upon what has been reported in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim concerning other forms of remembrance, and by analogy to the takbīr pronounced at Ṣafā and Marwah, due to the rich meanings of exaltation, monotheism, and praise that it encompasses.

The Shāfiʿī scholars considered this formulation to be among the most complete. Later scholars of the Shāfiʿī school added prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, his family, and his companions. As a result, the formulation came to be as follows:

، ﷲ أ ، ﷲ أ ، ﷲ أ

ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ ﷲ

، وﷲ أ ، ﷲ أ ، و اﻟﺤﻤﺪ

، ﺤﺎن ﷲ ﻜﺮة ً وأﺻ ً

،ﷲ أ ﻛﺒ ا، واﻟﺤﻤﺪ ﻛﺜ ا، و

ﺳ ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ ﷲ وﺣﺪە، ﺻﺪق وﻋﺪە، وﻧ ﻋﺪە، وأﻋﺰ ﺟﻨﺪە، وﻫﺰم اﻷﺣﺰاب وﺣﺪە،

ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ ﷲ وﻻ ﻧﻌﺪ إﻻ إ ﺎە، ﻣﺨﻠﺼ ﻟﻪ اﻟﺪﻳﻦ وﻟﻮ ﻛﺮە اﻟ ﺎﻓﺮون

، اﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﺻﻞ ﱢ ﻋ ﺳﺪﻧﺎ ﷴ، وﻋ آل ﺳﺪﻧﺎ ﷴ،

، وﻋ أﺻﺤﺎب ﺳﺪﻧﺎ ﷴ، وﻋ أﻧﺼﺎر ﺳﺪﻧﺎ

ﷴ وﻋ أزواج ﺳﺪﻧﺎ ﷴ، وﻋ ذرﺔ ﺳﺪﻧﺎ ﷴ،

.وﺳﻠﻢ ﺴﻠﻤﺎ ﻛﺜ

“Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity except Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise. Allah is the Greatest abundantly; all praise is for Allah in abundance; and glory be to Allah in the morning and the evening. There is no deity except Allah alone; He fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His servant, honored His soldiers, and defeated the confederates alone. There is no deity except Allah, and we worship none but Him, sincerely devoting the religion to Him, even if the disbelievers dislike it. O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muḥammad, upon the family of our master Muḥammad, upon the companions of our master Muḥammad, upon the supporters of our master Muḥammad, upon the wives of our master Muḥammad, and upon the descendants of our master Muḥammad, and grant them abundant peace.”

Although this formulation is not binding, it comprehensively encompasses the meanings of tawḥīd, exaltation, and praise. Therefore, it is legislated for the Muslim to pronounce takbīr using whatever wording is made easy from these formulations or others authentically transmitted from the early generations, without restricting oneself to a single fixed formula, for the objective is the revival of this great ritual and the magnification of Allah the Exalted.

Thus, takbīr during these days is not merely verbal remembrance; rather, it is a practical proclamation of the greatness of Allah within the hearts, a renewal of the meanings of faith, and a revival of a great Sunnah from among the Sunnahs of Islam during the greatest days of this worldly life.

The Fifth Righteous Deed: Maintaining Family Ties (Ṣilat al-Raḥim)

Allah the Exalted says: And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you show excellence to parents﴾ (al-Isrāʾ: 23) Thus, Allah the Exalted has coupled His Oneness with kindness toward parents, indicating the immense significance of maintaining family ties in Islam, and that it is among the most noble acts of devotion and the greatest forms of obedience. Al-Bukhārī (2067) and Muslim (2557) narrate from Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever is pleased to have his provision expanded for him and his lifespan extended, let him maintain his family ties.”

That is, maintaining family ties is a means for increased provision, longevity, and blessing therein. This clearly indicates that maintaining family ties is obligatory, and that it is among the righteous deeds by which a servant draws nearer to Allah the Exalted.

The Prophet ﷺ also guided the believers in prioritising responsibilities when he said: “Start with yourself and those whom you support.” He further clarified that those most deserving of good companionship are the closest relatives. When he was asked, “Who is most deserving of my good companionship?” he replied: “Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father.” (Al-Bukhārī, 5971)

He ﷺ also said: “Begin with those whom you support: your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, then those closest to you after that.”(Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 2532).

From the grace of Allah is that charity given to relatives carries a double reward: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining family ties, as mentioned in the hadith. Some people may complain, saying: “I maintain ties with my relatives, but they respond with coldness or harm.” To such a person we say: do not base your maintaining of family ties on reciprocal treatment.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The one who truly maintains family ties is not the one who reciprocates, but rather the one who, when his ties are severed, continues to maintain them.” This means that the true essence of maintaining ties becomes manifest at the time of severance, not merely during times of goodwill.

In another hadith narrated by Muslim (2558), a man said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have relatives whom I maintain ties with, yet they cut me off; I treat them well, yet they treat me poorly; I show forbearance toward them, yet they act ignorantly toward me.” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “If you are as you have described, then it is as though you are feeding them hot ashes, and Allah will continue to support you against them so long as you remain upon that.”

That is, it is as if you are causing them severe discomfort due to the shame and remorse they experience, while Allah grants you aid and support so long as you remain steadfast in maintaining family ties.

The Sixth Righteous Deed: The Kind Word (al-Kalimah al-Ṭayyibah)

The kind word is a great gateway to good deeds, a means for reconciling hearts, repairing relationships, and a path toward salvation from the Fire.

ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Protect yourselves from the Fire.” Then he turned away and looked aside, and then said again: “Protect yourselves from the Fire.” He repeated this three times, until we thought he was looking directly at it, then he said: “Protect yourselves from the Fire, even with half of a date; and whoever cannot find that, then with a kind word.” (Agreed upon: al-Bukhārī 6540, Muslim 1016) This indicates that a kind word may elevate its speaker to great ranks, even becoming a means of salvation from the Fire especially for one who is unable to give charity. It has been said of old: “If speech is silver, then silence is gold,” meaning that controlling the tongue is among the greatest doors of wisdom.

The tongue carries immense danger. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Are people cast into the Fire upon their faces for anything other than the harvests of their tongues?”(al-Tirmidhī, 2616)

He ﷺ also said: “Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee for him Paradise.” (al-Bukhārī, 6474)

Safeguarding the tongue is therefore among the greatest causes for entering Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ established a comprehensive principle when he said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.”(Agreed upon: al-Bukhārī 6136, Muslim 47)

Thus, speech is either beneficial or silence is safer. He ﷺ also forbade offensive speech, saying:

“Insulting a Muslim is wickedness, and fighting him is disbelief.” (Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 4112) Therefore, a Muslim is neither abusive nor foul-mouthed, but rather possesses a pure tongue and gracious speech.

The kind word takes many forms, including:

• Spreading salām: greeting one’s brother with the Islamic greeting. Smiling and showing cheerfulness: the Prophet ﷺ said, “Your smile in the face of your brother is charity.”(al-Tirmidhī, 1956)

• Calling to Allah: with wisdom and good exhortation, as Allah says: Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction (al-Naḥl: 125)

Thus, the kind word is not merely a verbal expression, but an act of worship that softens hearts, mends relationships, and builds a society founded upon mercy and affection. Guard your speech, for its impact endures, its reward is immense, and a single word may change a heart, rectify a condition, or become a cause for a person’s guidance.

The Seventh Righteous Deed: Enjoining What Is Right and Forbidding What Is Wrong (al-Amr bi-l-Maʿrūf wa-l-Nahy ʿan al-Munkar)

This is among the causes of excellence (khayriyyah) that Allah has bestowed upon this Ummah. It is exercised in varying degrees, which differ according to one’s authority and the situation at hand. This is established by the well known hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable, then with his heart and that is the weakest level of faith.” Narrated by Muslim (49)

Therefore, one should strive to seek knowledge so as to call others to Allah, for this is the methodology of the Messengers and the refined conduct of the righteous. Calling to Allah falls under the broader obligation of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, so one should increase in it.

Be mindful that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears something from us and conveys it exactly as he heard it.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī (2657) And he ﷺ also said: “Convey from me, even if it is only one verse.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī (3461)

The Eighth Righteous Deed: Fasting (al-Ṣiyām)

Fasting is among the greatest acts of devotion and the most eminent forms of worship. Numerous textual proofs have come clarifying its virtue and profound impact. Among these is what was narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever fasts one day in the path of Allah, Allah will distance his face from the Fire by seventy years.” Narrated by Muslim (1153)

In the sacred hadith, narrated by Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah the Exalted said: Every deed of the son of Ādam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward it. Fasting is a shield. When one of you is fasting, let him not engage in obscene speech nor raise his voice; if someone insults him or seeks to fight him, let him say: ‘Indeed, I am a fasting person.’ By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muḥammad, the odor of the mouth of a fasting person is more pleasing to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The fasting person has two moments of joy: when he breaks his fast he rejoices, and when he meets his Lord he rejoices in his fasting.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī (7538).

These texts indicate that fasting is a tremendous act of worship which Allah the Exalted has singled out with additional virtue and distinction, granting it reward without measure. It serves as protection for the servant from the Fire and is a means of purifying the soul and refining one’s character.

Fasting During the First Ten Days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah

Fasting is legislated and recommended during the first ten days of Dhū al Ḥijjah, which are among the best days of the year, based on the general statement of the Prophet ﷺ:

“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,” meaning the first ten days. Fasting falls under the general category of righteous deeds, and thus it is recommended for the Muslim to be keen upon fasting during them according to his ability.

Rulings Related to Fasting During These Days

• It is recommended to fast whatever is easy from the ten days, whether one fasts all of them or some of them.

• The Day of ʿArafah (for someone who is not performing Ḥajj): It is among the most virtuous days of fasting due to its expiation of sins, and it is recommended for the non-pilgrim.

• The Day of ʿArafah for the pilgrim: Fasting is disliked, so that the pilgrim may have strength for standing and supplication, and it has not been authentically established that the Prophet ﷺ fasted it during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

• The Day of Eid (Yawm al-Naḥr): Fasting is prohibited by scholarly consensus.

Although there is scholarly disagreement regarding some details of fasting during the ten days, there is no disagreement that fasting is among the best of deeds, and that taking advantage of these days through fasting is among the greatest avenues of goodness.

Thus, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to seize these blessed seasons by increasing in fasting with the intention of drawing closer to Allah the Exalted. These are virtuous days in which good deeds are multiplied and in which great reward is hoped for. Whoever fasts during them sincerely, seeking reward, attains both the virtue of the time and the virtue of the act of worship, and this becomes among the means of nearness to Allah and attainment of His pleasure.

The Ninth Righteous Deed: Recitation of the Qur’an

Among the greatest acts of worship by which a servant draws closer to Allah the Exalted is the recitation of the Noble Qur’an especially when the movement of the tongue is accompanied by the presence of the heart. Through this, the servant reflects and contemplates the signs of Allah in creation and His legislative rulings, thereby increasing in faith and humility. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to establish a daily portion (wird) of Qur’anic recitation during these blessed days, striving to complete a full recitation of the Qur’an or to increase abundantly in its reading, in order to seize the virtue of this sacred time. It is also recommended to accompany recitation with tafsīr (exegesis), among the most beneficial of which is the Tafsīr of Ibn Kathīr particularly with regard to verses related to Ḥajj so that one may live the meanings of this great rite and yearn for it.

Thus, recitation of the Qur’an during these days is not mere reading; rather, it is reflection and internalisation of the meanings of servitude especially through the verses of Ḥajj, which revive in the heart the meanings of tawḥīd and reverence for the symbols of Allah.

Be diligent in granting the Book of Allah a substantial portion of your time, for the Qur’an is the life of hearts, the illumination of chests, and the cause of success in this world and the Hereafter.

The Tenth Righteous Deed: Night Prayer (Qiyām al-Layl)

Many people assume that night prayer consists solely of prayer performed after the ‘Ishā’ prayer until dawn. However, the Islamic texts clarify that the matter is broader than that, and that night prayer has various forms and states which demonstrate the greatness of this act of worship and its immense virtue with Allah the Exalted. It is established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, from the narration of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them both), that he spent a night with the Prophet ﷺ. From his guidance during the night was that when he awoke from sleep, he would use the siwāk, then recite verses from the Qur’an, among them the statement of Allah the Exalted:

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth…﴾(Āl ‘Imrān: 190) Then he would perform ablution and pray two units, then return to his bed, and thereafter rise again to pray repeatedly, until he concluded his prayer with witr.

This indicates that night prayer is not restricted to a single pattern; rather, it is an act of worship that combines remembrance, Qur’anic recitation, prayer, and contemplation, across various portions of the night according to how Allah facilitates it for the servant.

It is also narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (1154) from ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever awakens during the night and says: ‘There is no deity except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things powerful. Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no deity except Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no power nor might except through Allah,’ then supplicates, his supplication will be answered. If he then rises, performs ablution, and prays, his prayer will be accepted.”

This demonstrates that night prayer begins with remembrance upon awakening, followed by ablution, prayer, and supplication a great gathering of diverse acts of worship. From these texts, it becomes clear that it is recommended for the Muslim to allocate for himself a portion of the night even if small in which he combines:

• remembrance upon awakening

• recitation of the Qur’an

• prayer

• supplication

It is also recommended to increase remembrance before supplication, for supplication is preceded by praising Allah the Exalted through mentioning His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes, and recalling His favors and blessings then concluded with praise and gratitude. This is a great etiquette in addressing Allah Almighty.

It is also understood from the Sunnah that remembrance and supplication are closely intertwined: remembrance softens the heart and prepares it, then supplication follows as a request from Allah the Exalted, making it more likely to be answered by His permission. Attention should also be drawn to the fact that among the greatest manifestations of worship during the blessed ten days is not merely eating and drinking as occurs during Eid and the Days of Tashrīq but also abundant remembrance of Allah the Exalted, in compliance with the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “The Days of Tashrīq are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah.” Thus, enjoyment of Allah’s blessings is combined with continual remembrance and gratitude to Him.

In summary, night prayer is a profound school of faith that trains the heart upon sincerity with Allah, combining remembrance, Qur’an, prayer, and supplication. It is among the greatest means of drawing near to Allah the Exalted and attaining elevated ranks.

Conclusion:

A Ḥadīth Encompassing All Righteous Deeds We conclude these righteous deeds with this great, comprehensive hadith which gathers multiple aspects of goodness within a single day and clarifies that their combination is a cause for entering Paradise.

Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Who among you began the day today fasting?” Abū Bakr said: “I did.” He said: “Who among you followed a funeral today?” Abū Bakr said: “I did.” He said: “Who among you fed a poor person today?” Abū Bakr said: “I did.” He said: “Who among you visited a sick person today?” Abū Bakr said: “I did.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “These deeds are not combined in a person except that he enters Paradise.” Narrated by Muslim (1028)

This hadith demonstrates the immense virtue of hastening toward good deeds, and that combining different forms of obedience in a single day is among the greatest causes of success in attaining Paradise. Allah granted Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) success in all of these deeds, making him a supreme example in initiative and competing in righteous works. From this hadith, several important meanings are derived:

• Diversity in righteous deeds is required; a Muslim should not restrict himself to a single act of worship.

• Hastening toward goodness is among the characteristics of those who precede others to Paradise.

• Combining acts of the heart, body, and wealth is the path to spiritual completeness.

• Seizing virtuous times such as the ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah is a tremendous opportunity to realize these meanings.

Therefore, may Allah have mercy upon you be keen to take a share in these deeds: prayer, fasting, remembrance, recitation of the Qur’an, maintaining family ties, kind speech, enjoining what is right, and other avenues of goodness so that you may attain this great virtue.

For the religion is not a single act; rather, it is a comprehensive system of obedience. The more a servant combines these acts, the closer he is to the pleasure of Allah and the more hopeful he is of entering His Paradise.

We ask Allah to make us among those who hasten to all forms of goodness, and to accept from us and from you righteous deeds.

And Allah knows best