21/07/2020
Aminu Tahir Tinau
THE FORGOTTEN SUNNAH IN THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF ZUL HIJJA
By
Aminu Tahir Tinau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious Most Merciful. May the most sublime benediction of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his household and companions.
From all indications Wednesday 22nd July 2020 is going to be the first day of Zul Hajja 1441AH as the new crescent of Zul Hajj was not sighted today in Saudi Arabia. What this signify is that as from Wednesday 22nd July, the blessed days of the month of Zul Hajj will commence. Allah directed that we keep these days holy and to utilize them judiciously in doing good and avoiding evil.
There are some recommended deeds we are expected to observe during the first ten days of Zul Hajj which a lot of our scholars have been enlightening us about in the past few days. However, there two very strong Sunnas recommended within the days which people are neglecting gradually. It is my aim here, to restate these Sunnah acts as a matter of emphasis, bearing in mind that our erudite scholars have done well in talking about all the other commendable we expected to carry out in the fast approaching holy days.
(1) Preserving the body hair and nails. It is part of honour and respect for the first ten days of Zul Hajj, according to the Sunnah that whoever wants to offer sacrifice on Eid day, must not cut his hair and nails and must not remove anything from his skin for any reason, from the first day of Zul Hajj until after he has offered his sacrifice, because the Prophet (SAW) says:
“When you see the new moon of Zul Hajj, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, then he must stop cutting hair and nails until he has offered his sacrifice”.
According to the soundest opinion, these command and prohibition are unconditional and inexcusable. However, if a person does any of the stated things deliberately, he must seek Allah’s forgiveness, but is not required to offer any extra sacrifice in expiation for this negligence; his sacrifice will be acceptable. Whoever needs to remove some hair or nails from his body because of any harm it causes him or on medical advice, there is nothing wrong with that. There is also nothing wrong with men or women washing or combing their hair in the first ten days of Zul Hajj even if by doing so part of it will cut off, because the Prophet (SAW) only forbade cutting the hair, not washing it. Military personnel and those that do related work who also have to shave their beard and have hair cut at all times as required by the ethics of their job are also free of any blame even if they have the intention of offering the sacrifice, for that is not of their own accord.
The wisdom behind the prohibition of those who want to offer sacrificial animal from cutting their hair, nails etc. is that by refraining from cutting it, they act in the same way with pilgrims at Mecca, because they too are not allowed to do any of such things until after the completion of their Hajj rituals. Like any other act of obedience, this endeared one to Allah and saves one from the punishment of Hell.
In case you cut your hair and nails during the first ten days we are talking about because you were not planning to offer any sacrifice, then you change your decision later or the opportunity to offer the sacrifice presents itself, from that moment on, you must refrain from cutting the hair or nail until after the sacrifice on Eid day. As for women or any other person who delegates others to make the sacrifice on their behalf, they too must not tamper with their nails and hair, because the ruling applies only to the person who is offering the sacrifice, regardless of whether or not he/she delegates another person to carry out the actual slaughter. This prohibition applies only to the one who is offering the sacrifice not to their wives and children, unless any of them is offering sacrifice in his or her own right, because the Prophet (SAW) used to sacrifice ‘on behalf of his family’ and he never forbade members of his family from cutting their hair or nails at that time.
(2) At Takbir – It is a Sunnah to be saying the Takbir loudly at regular intervals, be it in the mosque, at home, in the office, in the street, while driving and at every other place where it is permitted to mention the Names of Allah. The Takbir is to be said as an act of worship and as a proclamation of the greatness of Allah, may He be exalted. Men should recite it in a moderate voice while women are to say it in the same manner they make their recitation in prayers. Remembering Allah by means of glorification is of utmost benefit as Allah says concerning this:
وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ
الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآَصَالِ وَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
“And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words, in the morning and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful. (Q7: 205)
Allah also says regarding the days of the glorification and the benefits of doing so:
لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي
أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ
“That they might witness (ie attend) benefits for themselves and mention the names of Allah on known (specific) days over what He has provided for them of (sacrificial) animals”(Q22: 28)
Ibn Abbas said ‘The appointed days’ mentioned in the above verse are the first ten days of Zul Hajj. Additionally, there are a number of ways one can make the Takbir that have been narrated by the companions and their followers, among them are:
(i) Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Kabeera.
(ii) Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La’ilaha illallahu, wallahu Akbar, wallahu Akbar, walillahil hamd.
(iii) Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La’ilaha illallahu, wallahu Akbar, wallahu Akbar, walillahil hamd.
The Takbir at this our time is an aspect of the Sunnah that has been forgotten by a good number of Muslims during the first ten days of Zul Hajj except for a very few. Those of us who remember to pronounce them should say them a bit loudly in order to revive the Sunnah and as a reminder to the negligent ones. It was narrated that Abu Huraira and Ibn Umar used to go out to the market places during the first ten days of Zul Hajj, reciting the Takbir and the people would be reciting after them. Reviving aspect of the Sunnah that have been virtually neglected is a deed that will bring immense reward as indicated by the words of the Prophet (SAW): “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, will have a reward equivalent to that of all the people who follow him without reducing anything from the reward of the people”. So we should hasten in gaining this reward.
May Allah grant us peace and His blessings through this Holy Season and beyond.
Aminu Tahir Tinau
Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
20 July 2020
