Fatwas on the first ten days of Dhul-Hijja

• Is it preferable (mstahabb) to fast the first eight days of Dhu’l-Hijja for pilgrims and others?

Question: What is the ruling on fasting on the first eight days of Dhu’l-Hijja for the pilgrims? I know that it is makrooh for them to fast on the Day of ‘Arafah.

Answer: Fasting on the first eight days of Dhu’l-Hijjah is preferable (mustahabb) for pilgrims and others, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days in which good deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days.” They said: O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad for the sake of Allaah? The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah, unless a man goes out with his self and his wealth and comes back with neither.” (Bukhari)

It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (28/91): The fuqaha’ (Muslim scholars) are unanimously agreed that it ispreferable ( mustahabb) to fast during the first eight days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, before the day of ‘Arafah. The Maalikis and Shaafa’is stated that it is Sunnah to fast on these days for the pilgrim too. End quote. 

It says in Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj (3/207): It is a Sunnah to fast the eight days before the day of Arafah, as is stated in al-Rawdah, and that applies equally to pilgrims and others, but it is not Sunnah for the pilgrim to fast on the day of Arafah, rather it is preferable (mustahabb) for him not to fast then, even if he is able for it, following the example of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and so that he will have more strength for du’aa’ and supplications. End quote. 

• Is it recommended to fast ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah including the day of Eid?

Question: Please could you answer my questions regarding this month of Dhul Hijjah. is it recommended to fast on the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah ? If it is then can you confirm if in total there will be 9 not ten fasts as the tenth day is the Day of Eid.

Answer: Fasting nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah is preferable (mustahabb). This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as narrated in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah then these ten days – i.e., ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah).” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah, unless a man goes out himself with his wealth and does not come back with anything (i.e., he expends all his wealth and is martyred.” (Bukhari) . 

And it was narrated from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid from his wife that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’ and three days of each month – the first Monday and two Thursdays.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 21829; Abu Dawood, 2437.

With regard to fasting on the day of Eid, this is haram, as is indicated by the marfoo’ hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): “He [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] forbade fasting on the day of (Eid) al-Fitr and the day of al-Nahr (the day of sacrifice, i.e., Eid al-Adha).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1992; Muslim, 827. The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to fast on these days. 

Righteous deeds on these ten days are better than on others. With regard to fasting, that should only be done on nine of them; the tenth day is the day of Eid and it is haraam to fast it. 

• his hair cut after the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah began

Question: I had my hair cut after the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah began, when I had already intended to offer a sacrifice (udhiyah). Do I have to offer kafaarah (expiation)?.

Answer: Whoever wants to offer a sacrifice should not remove anything from his hair, nails or skin once Dhu’l-Hijjah begins, until after he has offered his sacrifice, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade that. It was narrated from Umm Salamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When the first ten days (of Dhu’l-Hijjah) have begun, if any one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, he should not touch (i.e., remove anything from) his hair or skin.” Narrated by Muslim… But whoever removes something from his hair, nails or skin during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah out of forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling, when he has resolved to offer a sacrifice, does not have to do anything, because Allah has forgiven His slaves for mistakes and forgetfulness in this and similar matters. But whoever does that deliberately has to repent to Allah, but he does not have to do anything (i.e., he does not have to offer a fidyah or kafaarah – expiation).

 Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz

Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/316

• If he cuts his hair during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, he has done something wrong but his sacrifice is still valid

Question: If a person cuts his hair after the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah has begun, and he intends to offer a sacrifice, is his sacrifice valid and will it be accepted?.

Answer: Yes, his sacrifice will be accepted but he will be a sinner. With regard to a widespread belief among the common people that if a man removes anything from his hair, nails or skin during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, his sacrifice is not valid, this is not correct, because there is no connection between the validity of his sacrifice and his removing anything from these three things. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/533 

• Mistakes and hastening on the eleventh day of Dhu’l-Hijjah

Question: If a person does not stone the Jamaraat on the twelfth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, thinking that this is what is meant by hastening, and he leaves without doing the farewell tawaaf, what is the ruling in this case?.

Answer: His Hajj is valid, because he did not omit any of the essential parts of Hajj, but he has omitted three of the obligatory duties of Hajj if he did not spend the night of the twelfth in Mina. 

The first duty he omitted is spending the night of the twelfth in Mina 

The second is stoning the Jamaraat on the twelfth day. 

The third is the farewell tawaaf. 

For each of these he has to offer a sacrifice to be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat should be distributed to the poor. 

Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 566 

Because whoever misses one of the obligatory duties of Hajj has to offer a sacrifice to be slaughtered in Mecca and its meat should be distributed to the poor.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

• He traveled and did not stone the Jamaraat on the 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah

Question:  I booked to travel after Hajj at 4.oo p.m. on the 12th of Dhu’l-Hijjah. I thought that I would be able to stone the jamaraat that day, but I was afraid that if I did it after the sun had passed its zenith I would be late for my travel arrangements, so I did it in the morning and did the farewell tawaf and left. What should I do?.

Answer: It is not permissible to stone the jamaraat before the sun passes its zenith, but we may waive the obligation in your case because of necessity, and we say: you have to offer a fidyah (sacrifice) to be slaughtered in Mina or Mecca, or you can delegate someone to slaughter it on your behalf, and its meat should be distributed to the poor. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthyameen

Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 564.