The Virtue of the Tenth Day:
1. This day is ‘Yawm al-Hajj al-Akbar,’ meaning the Day of the Great Hajj. Allah Most High says,
﴿وَأَذَٰنٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحَجِّ ٱلۡأَكۡبَرِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَرِيٓءٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُۥۚ﴾ [التوبة: ٣]
‘And on the Day of the Great Hajj, a proclamation is being made to the people from Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that Allah is free from obligation to the polytheists, and so is His Messenger.’[1]
It is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said on the Day of Sacrifice,
«أَىُّ يَوْمٍ هَذَا، قَالُوا يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ. قَالَ هَذَا يَوْمُ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ».
‘What day is this?’ They said, ‘The Day of Sacrifice.’ He said, ‘This is the Day of the Great Hajj.’[2] This is because four fundamental rites of Hajj must be performed on this day. They are: stoning the major Jamrah, offering the sacrifice, performing halq or qasr, and performing the obligatory tawaf of the House of Allah.
2. This day is the greatest and most magnificent day of the year. It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Qurt (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
«إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الأَيَّامِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ»
‘The greatest day in the sight of Allah Most High is the Day of Sacrifice, followed by the eleventh day.’[3]
This is because prayer and sacrifice are combined on this day. These two deeds are superior to prayer and charity. For this reason, Allah Most High instructed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying, ‘I have granted you Kawthar,[4] so, in gratitude and to attain the pleasure of your Lord, perform prayer and offer sacrifice.’[5]
[1]. Surah At-Tawbah: 3.
[2]. Abu Dawud: 1945.
[3]. Abu Dawud: 1765; Musnad Ahmad: 19098.
[4]. Abundant goodness and a special fountain in Paradise. (The explanation of Surah Al-Kawthar in the tafsir Adwa’ al-Bayan).
[5]. Lata’if al-Ma‘arif: 282–283.