Since the creation of the heavens and the earth, Allah divided the year into twelve months. This is Allah's rule from the creation of the earth. Out of them, Allah has made four months honorable and glorious. Allah says:

اِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُوْرِ عِنْدَ اللهِ ثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِيْ كِتٰبِ اللهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاْرضَ مِنْهَاۤ ارْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ.

From the day Allah created the heavens and the earth, the number of the months is twelve according to His law. Among them, four months are honorable. - Surah Tawbah (9): 36

It is mentioned in the Hadith

إِنّ الزّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلقَ اللهُ السّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ, السّنَةُ ثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا, مِنهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ, ثَلَثٌ م ُتَوَالِيَاتٌ: ذُو القَعْدَةِ, وَذُو الحِجّةِ, وَالمُحَرّمُ, وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى, وَشَعْبَانَ.

Surely, the reckoning of time has returned to its proper place, as it was at the time of the creation of the heavens and the earth (for the Arabs had made the reckoning of months and years more or less). Twelve months are a year. Out of them, four months are honored. Three are consecutiv– Zilqad, Zilhajj, Muharram. Another is Rajab, which is the month between Jumadal Akhirah and Sha'ban. —Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 4662

Dhul Hajj: The best month of the four honorable months

Among these four months, Dhul Hajj is more meritorious. In this month, Hajj, one of main pillars of Islam is performed. Qurbani is also performed in this month.

This month is honored by Allah. It contains ten days that Allah swore by. In the Farewell Hajj speech, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, referred to the month of Dhul Hajj as the best month. He said—

أَلَا وَإِنّ أَحْرَمَ الشُّهُورِ شَهْرُكُمْ هَذَا.

Know! The most honorable month is this month (Dhul Hajj). —Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3931; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 11762

Month of competition in good deeds

Allah Ta'ala has blessed His servants with various meritorious days and nights. By utilizing these days and nights, the servants can obtain forgiveness and love from Allah. The month of Dhul Hajj is one of the most meritorious months.

Allah has made the first ten days of this month special. On these days, the basic acts of Hajj are performed. Muslims around the world perform sacrifices on the 10nth day of Zil-Hajj. The good deeds of these days are dearer to Allah Ta'ala. It is mentioned in the Hadith-

مَا مِنْ أَيّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصّالِحُ فِيهَا أَحَبّ إِلَى اللهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيّامِ يَعنِي أَيّامَ الْعَشْرِ, قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ, وَلَا الْجِحَادُ فِي سَ بِيلِ اللهِ? قَالَ: وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ, إِلّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ, فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ.

Good deeds are dearer to Allah in the ten days of Dhul Hajj. Sahaba asked, O Messenger of Allah! Isn't jihad in the way of Allah better than this? He said, No, not Jihad in the way of Allah. Yes, if a person goes out for Jihad in the way of Allah with his life and property and then he did not return home with anything, his jihad is better than the good acts of these days —Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 2438; Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 969

Do not dishonor these Months by sins

A believer takes advantage of opportunities given by Allah. He enriches the account of his deeds through good deeds in these fruitful seasons. He will do good deeds as much as possible. He cannot dishonor these honorable days through sins. Through sins, actually he is disrespecting himself.

And at the end of the verse in which Allah Almighty declared the four months honorable, Allah Almighty says:

فَلَا تَظْلِمُوْا فِيْهِنَّ اَنْفُسَكُمْ.

...so do not wrong yourselves in these months. — Surah Tawbah (9): 36

Do dhikr in abundance in the first ten days of dhul Hajj

Dhikr has been specially mentioned as the main act of these days. Abdullah Ibn Omar r.a. narrated, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

مَا مِنْ أَيّامٍ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَلَا أَحَبّ إِلَيْهِ الْعَمَلُ فِيهِنّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيّامِ الْاشْرِ, فَأَكْثِروا فِيهِنّ مِنَ التّهْلِيلِ وَالت ّكْبِيرِ وَالتّحْمِيدِ.

There is no prayer that is more noble and dearer to Allah Ta'ala than the prayer of Dhul Hajj. So read La-Ilaha Illallah, Allahu Akbar and Alhamdu Lillah more and more during these days. —Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 5446; Addaawatul Kabir, Tabrani, Hadith 534

 Do not cut nails and hair, be like the pilgrims

After performing Ihram, some other things including cutting nails and hair are prohibited for the pilgrims. But there is no prohibition for those who have not gone to Hajj. However, by not cutting nails and hair during the first ten of Dhul Hajj, others can also emulate the pilgrims and gain special merit. The merits of this era are described in the Hadith-

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ, أَنّ النّبِيّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلّمَ قَالَ: إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجّةِ, وَأَرَادَ اَحَدُكُمْ انَن يُضَحِّيَ, لْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِهِ.

Umm Salama r.a. narrated, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, When the ten days of Dhul Hajj begin, the one among you who will sacrifice should not cut his hair and nails. —Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1977; Jame' Tirmidhi, Hadith 1523

Based on this hadith, the jurists have called it mustahab for the one, who will perform qurbani. So, we should prepare for Zil haj by cutting our hair and nails in the month of Zilqad, so that it does not become too long, which is contrary to the Sunnah.

Some scholars say, this practice of not cutting nails and hair is also for those who do not perform Qurbani. Abdullah Bin Amr Ibnul As r.a. narrated—

  أَنّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلّمَ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ: أُمِرْتُ بِيَوْمِ الْأَضْحَى عِيدً جَعَلَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلّ لِحَذِهِ الْأُمّةِ, فَقَالَ الر ّجُلُ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَجِدْ إِلّا مَنِيحَةً أُنْثَى أَفَأُضَحِّي بِهَا? قَالَ: لَا, وَلَكِنْ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ شَعْرِكَ, وَتُقَلِّمُ أَظْفَارَكَ, وَتَقُصّ شَارِبَكَ, وَتَحْلِقُ عَانَتَكَ, فَذَلِكَ تَمَامُ أُضْحِيَّتِكَ ِنْدَ اللهِ عَزّ وَجَلّ.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, I have been ordered to observe Eid on the Day of Sacrifice, which Allah has ordained for this Ummah. A companion requested, O Messenger of Allah! If I have only one maniha (i.e. a goat that is given to someone only for milking) should I sacrifice it? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, No, but you should cut your hair, nails and mustache and clean the hair below the navel. This will be considered as your sacrifice before Allah. —Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 2789; Sunan Nasa'i, Hadith 4365

In this hadith, since it is said to cut the hair and nails on the day of Qurbani, then it can be understood as a hint not to cut it before that.

2. Waleed bin Muslim said, I asked Muhammad bin Azlan about cutting hair in the ten days of Zil-Hajj. Then he said- Abdullah Ibn Omar r.a. was passing by a woman. The woman was cutting her child's hair during the ten days of Zil-Hajj. Then he said, it would have been better to wait until the day of Eid comes. —Mustadrake Hakim, Hadith 7520

Fasting for the first nine days of dhul hajj

Most of the jurists have said that it is better to fast these nine days.

It is mentioned in Hadith –

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلّمَ يَصُومُ تِسْعَ ذِي الْحِجّةِ.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam used to fast for nine days of Zil-Hajj. —Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 2437; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 22334; Sunan Kubra, Bayhaqi, Hadith 8393

Hafsa r.a. said—

أَرْبَعٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَدَعُهُنّ النّبِيّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلّمَ: صِيَامَ عَاشُورَاءَ, وَالْعَشْرَ, وَثَلَاثَةَ أَيّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ, وَرَكْع َتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never left four deeds. The fast of Ashura, the fast of the first nine days of Zil-Hajj, the three-day fast of every month, the two rakat sunnah prayers before Fajr. —Sunan Nasa'i, Hadith 2415; Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith 6422; Musnad Abu Yala, Hadith 7042; Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 26339

At least fast on 9^th of Dhul Hajj

If it is possible for someone to fast for the whole nine days, then he is blessed fully. But if it is not possible to complete nine days, then no one should be deprived of the benefits of fasting for 9^th day of Dhul Hajj. Because, about the virtues of fasting on this day, Abu Qatada RA. narrated, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ, أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السّنَةَ الّتِي قَبْلَهُ, وَالسّنَةَ الّتِي بَعْدَهُ.

Regarding fasting on the day of Arafah (9^th day of Dhul-Hajj), I expect Allah to forgive the sins of the previous year and the following year. —Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1162

 Tashriq: These days are for eating, drinking and dhikr

The 11th, 12th and 13^th day of the month of Dhul Hajj are termed as Ayame Tashriq. One of the most important acts during these days is dhikr and tashriq.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَيّامُ التّشْرِيقِ أَيّامُ أَكْلٍ, وَشُرْبٍ, وَذِكْرِ اللهِ.

Days of Tashriq is for eating and drinking and for remembrance of Allah. —Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 20722

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلهِ الْحَمْدُ.

It is wajib to say Takbir e Tashriq once in takbeer after a total of twenty-three prayers from 9 Dhul Hajj Fajr to 13 Dhul Hajj Asr. It is wajib on every male and female, whether he is muqim or musfir, whether he prays in congregation or alone. Men will say Takbir in a loud voice and women in a low voice.

Let's protect the honor of this month by avoiding sins and appreciate this month through good deeds. Let’s spend this month in Takbir-Tasbih-Dhikr. Let’s perform Hajj and Qurbani and other deeds only to please Allah. Through the fasting of Zilhajj, we can enrich the account of our good deeds. May Allah grant us Tawfiq- Amin.