The Month of Hajj: Dhul-Hijjah
The twelfth and last
month of the Islamic calendar is the month of the pilgrimage (Hajj), commonly known as ‘Dhul Hijjah’. It is a month full of
blessings and as the name indicates, it is in this holy month that we, Muslims
perform the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam. In this blessed month, one must make maximum of acts of worship (Ibaadat), such as: supererogatory (Nafil) prayers (Salaat), Tilawat-ul-Quran, fasting, reciting the Takbir and Tasbih and giving Sadaqaat etc. because there are many blessings and rewards in these works, especially during its first 10 days.
Hadhrat Hafsa (ra) said
that there were four things that the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) never missed,
and these include:
1. To fast the Day of
Ashura (10th of Muharram);
2. To fast from 1st
to 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah;
3. To fast three days
(13th, 14th and 15th) every month (except the
13th Dhul-Hijjah which is prohibited);
4. To perform before
the mandatory Fajr Salaat two cycles
of Sunnah prayers (Salaat).
The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) demonstrated the virtues of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.