The Best Days and Nights

The Holy Qur’¡n attracts people’s attention to such nights as the Grand Night and the first ten nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah as well as such days as the Days of Allah to make themselves worthy of grand rewards by taking advantage of these unique opportunities.

The Grand Night

On the word of the valuable al-¯¡f¢ Exegesis (tafs¢r), Ibn `Abb¡s narrates that the Holy Prophet was told about a man from the children of Israel who carried arms on his shoulder for Jihad (holy war) in the way of Allah for a thousand months. The Holy Prophet was shocked at hearing it wishing that his community (Ummah) would undertake such rewarding task. So, he raised his hands in prayer, saying, “O Allah, You have set my ummah the shortest time in term of life and the minimum opportunity for deeds.” Allah granted him the Ground Night saying, “The Grand Night, while being short in terms of time and its little opportunity for deeds, is better for you and your ummah after you in each month of Rama¤¡n until the Judgment Day than a thousand months during which the believing man of the children of Israel carried arms for Jihad in the way of Allah.”

The First ten Nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah

The first ten nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah, as the Holy Qur’¡n describes, are among the well-known months. (2:197). They are the best times during which the Major °ajj is performed on Mount `Arafah; on the ninth day, the obligatory passing the night in Mash`ar; on the tenth night and the Feast of Sacrifice on the tenth day.

When the month of Dhu’l-°ijjah would arrive, the righteous of the ummah would make an extraordinary effort to worship and serve Allah. These days and night are excellent in terms of virtues and blessings. The Holy Prophet has been reported as saying:

Good deeds and prayers to Allah are not better in any time than in these days and nights.[1]

Days of Allah

The Days of Allah (ayy¡mull¡h) are the days of victory or failure, the sweet and bitter days, the days of manifestation of Allah’s mercy to the believing nations or Allah’s wrath on the unbelievers.

To pay attention to ayy¡mull¡h for learning lessons from the past events is praiseworthy. Allah has mentioned ayy¡mull¡h in the Holy Qur’¡n to awaken nations:

ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ.

And certainly We sent M£s¡ with Our communications, saying: Bring forth your people from utter darkness into light and remind them of the days of Allah. (14:5)

Besides this, ayy¡mull¡h are the best time for repentance, engaging in prayer and doing praiseworthy deeds.