- Details
File: Download (pdf) for 1439/2018 | Related: Is Eid-ul Adha Connected with Hajj? | [YouTube]
Did you know the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are better than the last 10 days of Ramadan? Amongst the great days of Ibadah (worship) are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, which Allah has favoured over other days.
Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it." (Bukhari, Book 9, Hadith 259)
This year [1445H], the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are likely to start on Saturday, 8th June 2024, thus Eid-ul Adha is expected to be on Monday, 17th June 2024 (based on UK Moon Sightings), inshaAllah.
The above hadith and others indicate that these ten days are better than all other days of the year, with no exception. They are even better than the last ten days of Ramadan, but the last ten nights of Ramadan are better than the first ten nights of Dhul Hijjah because they include Laylat ul-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months (Quran 97:3)
Virtues of these ten days include:
- Allah swears by things to signify their importance, and Allah has sworn by these ten days in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Al-Fajr, where He says: “By the Fajr, And the ten nights” (Quran 89:1-2). Early scholars which include Ibn Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) have stated that these 10 nights mentioned in the Qur’an are indeed the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) has said that these 10 days are the best 10 days of the year, as mentioned in the hadith above (and in others).
- They are the best days to make remembrance of Allah. It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him than these 10 days, so recite a great deal of Tahleel (Laa ilaaha illallaah), Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar) and Tahmeed (Alhumdulillaah) during them.” (Reported by Ahmad 7/224)
- They include the Day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah), in which Allah completed this religion of Islam. Fasting this day erases the sins of the previous year and the following year (minor sins only; as major sins require repentance too). The Day of Arafah fasting [this year] is likely to fall on Sunday, 16th June 2024 so make sure to fast on that day too, InshaAllah.
- They include the day of “The big Hajj”, which is Eid-ul Adha day (10th Dhul Hijjah), and this day is the greatest day of the whole year.
So, the Muslims should start these days with sincere repentance to Allah, then he should do a lot of righteous deeds in general, and he should pay attention to doing the following deeds:
Fasting the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah
It is recommended for Muslims to fast on the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah, because the Prophet (ﷺ) encouraged us to do righteous deeds in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah and fasting is one of the best of deeds as mentioned in the hadith Qudsi: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "(Allah said), 'Every good deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk". (Bukhari, Book 77, Hadith 142)
Furthermore, fasting on the Day of Arafah caries specific rewards as stated in the following hadith: Abu Qatadah (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah). He said, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year." (Muslim, Book 9, Hadith 260)
Reciting Tahleel, Takbeer and Tahmeed a lot
As mentioned previously, it is from the sunnah to recite tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (There is none worthy of worship but Allah)), takbeer (saying Allahu akbar (Allah is most great)), tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah)), and tasbeeh (saying Subhan-Allah (Glory be to Allah)), during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. We should say these words out loud in the mosques, homes, streets and every place in which it is permissible to remember Allah so that we can perform this act of worship openly and proclaim the greatness of Allah.
Allah says in surah Al-Hajj: “That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days ...”. (Quran 22:28)
The majority of scholars are of the view that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah because it was narrated from Ibn Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) that the appointed days are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
It was proven that Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنهما) used to go out to the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, reciting the takbeer out loud and the people would recite takbeer when they heard them, i.e., the people would remember the takbeer and each one would recite it by himself. This does not mean that they recited in unison – that is not prescribed in Islam.
Reviving sunnah that have been forgotten brings a great deal of reward, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (ﷺ): “Whoever revives one of my sunnah that has died out after I am gone, will have a reward like that of everyone who does it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.” (Tirmidhi)
Performing Hajj and Umrah
One of the greatest deeds that can be done during these ten days is the Hajj to the sacred House of Allah.
Allah says, “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses;” (Quran 3:97).
Whoever Allah helps to go on Hajj to His House and do the rituals in the required manner will – inshaAllah – be included in the words of the Prophet (ﷺ): "(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise." (Bukhari, Book 26, Hadith 1)
Sacrifice (Udhiyah/Qurbani)
One of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allah in these ten days is to slaughter the sacrifice and to look for a good, fat animal and to spend money on it for the sake of Allah. Remember that if you intend to slaughter, then you should not clip your nails or cut your hair during the first ten days so hurry up and do so before Tuesday, 20th June 2023) Maghrib! One of the reasons for such is that we are resembling the people in Hajj by sacrificing an animal so we are allowed to share one of their conditions of not being allowed to cut their hair or nails.
However, do realise the difference between the Plane of Arafah, which is a location in Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and the Day of Arafah, which is a date of a lunar month (9th Dhul Hijjah) based on moon sighting in your own country. Therefore, fasting on the Day of Arafah is on 9th Dhul Hijjah and the sacrifice (Udhiyah/Qurbani) on 10th-12th Dhul Hijjah is based on local moon sighting, which may be different from the lunar date of Saudi Arabia!
The other acts of Ibadah in these ten days are: (a) read more Quran; (b) perform all the sunnah and the night prayers; (c) give charity; (d) spread knowledge; (e) repent to Allah and seek forgiveness from previous sins; (f) increase in asking for forgiveness by saying, “Astaghfirullah”; (g) fast with your body too, i.e don’t look at haram, don’t speak haram, don’t listen to haram, etc; (h) make dua’a for all the Muslims worldwide, InshaAllah.
Let us hasten to make the most of these great days before we miss the opportunity to do so!
Checked by Mufti Sajid Patel (8/2018)
- Details
Related: Importance of Moon Sighting | First day's moon on UK horizon | Winning Crescent Moon Photos
Looking at the predicted crescent visibility maps for a whole year, it can be seen that from the start of 1439 AH (2017/2018), the first day's crescent moon (Hilal) appears in the northern hemisphere almost every month. [Read more]
Therefore, to encourage more Hilal sighting participation in the UK, we have decided to run a "Spot the Moon Photo Competition" every month from the UK and whoever is judged to submit the best photo of the Hilal will be the winner, InShaAllah.
If you wish to support the prize by purchasing any of the ICOUK Merchandise, please click: Donate.
Terms and Conditions (T&C)
The photo(s) will be published on our ICOUK website and the winner may be asked to select the next month's winning photo of the Hilal (with or without landscape). The photo(s) submitted must be original (with date/time stamp meta data) and the report must be submitted within 1 hour of the observer’s sunset time (so it can be taken into consideration for decision making when to start the month).
If the photo is not ready to be submitted within the above timescale (e.g. due to technical delays of downloading the files from the camera), then a note must be added to the report that it will be sent as soon as possible.
The ICOUK website photo upload may not accept photo sizes greater than 5 MB each, in which case you may submit the report without the photo and email it (or a Google/One Drive shared link) to the address stated on our online Contact Us form. Please contact us via SMS/WhatsApp if any problems ASAP.
The winning prize for any monthly Hilal Photo will be either a "Collins Moongazing: Beginner’s guide to exploring the Moon (Royal Observatory Greenwich)" book (or one of the ICOUK Merchandise on the Donate page) and for the Holy month of Ramadan, it will be a pair of high-quality (7x50) Astronomy Binoculars (or alternative competition prizes), InShaAllah.
The runners-up may claim an ICOUK keyring on the Donate page. We reserve the right to provide an alternative/equivalent value of the prize in unforeseen circumstances.
The winner will be notified within 3 days of sending the Observation Report and the prize will be sent to the observer’s address on the registration form or the equivalent value as a Gift Voucher.
Anyone wishing to take part in the competition must have prior Membership Registration on the ICOUK website to minimise any potential delays in the submission of the Observation Report photos.
The Judges who will assess the winning photos will include (1) Eng. Qamar Uddin (York), (2) Br Juned Patel (Bolton) and (3) one other (e.g. previous winner of the photo competition).
Credits/Acknowledgements
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah”, (Abu Dawud, Book 43, Hadith 39).
Any observation photos submitted to our website are published under the observer’s name to thank them for their efforts. However, we reserve the right to add our website address/logo to the photos to help our visitors acknowledge the source under the relevant copyright laws. If someone else has permitted you to use their photos, please mention their name in the comment section of the report (e.g. Photo by: <full name>). If you wish to add some details to the photo (e.g. name, date/time, location etc), please do so on the top-left corner only and leave the rest of the photo blank (which may be watermarked by our website automatically).
If you have any comments or questions regarding this competition, please do not hesitate to email us via our online Contact Us form.
- Details
In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful.
The month of Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. It is regarded as one of the four sacred months (الأشھر الحرم)
Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) says:
“The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of them four are sacred.” (Quran 9:36).
The Companion Abu Bakra (رضي الله عنه) reported that in the farewell address the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “Time has completed a cycle and come to the state of the day when Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred; three of them consecutive; Dhul-Qaida (ذوالقعدۃ), Dhul-Hijjah (ذوالحجّۃ) and Muharram (محرّم), and also Rajab (رجب), the month of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban…” (Sahih al-Bukhari).
It is said that these months are sanctified for two reasons. Firstly, fighting and battles were prohibited in these months – though this is considered abrogated by the majority of scholars (see: The Islamic Months by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali). And, secondly, rewards from worshipping Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) are increased multi-fold in these months, more so than in other months.
Similarly, only the month of Sha’ban separates the month of Rajab from Ramadhan. For this reason, when the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) sighted the moon of Rajab, he frequently made the following dua’:
“O Allah! Make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan” (Tabrani and Ahmad).
The month of Rajab is therefore considered sacred, and the Sunnah is to make use of this month together with Sha’ban to prepare for even greater rewards in the month of Ramadhan. Some scholars say that Rajab and Sha’ban are great months for making up missed (qadha) prayers and fasts of the previous year, and especially for sisters who may be looking to make up for their missed fasts. Whatever the case, these months are amongst the best to increase in our good deeds, charity and worshipping Allah (سبحانه و تعالى).
To determine the correct start of these months, let us revive the Sunnah of moon sightings in the UK, InshaAllah
Checked by: Mufti Amjad Mohammed (3/2016)
- Details
The Crescent Moon (Hilal) observation process comprise of a number of stages, as explained below:
Stage 1: On the 29th day of each lunar month, people go out to look for the Hilal from a good location, which is away from inner-city light pollutions and high enough to see the sunset position down to the horizon/sea level. See “First day's moon on UK horizon” for more details.
Stage 2: The result of the Hilal observation (positive or negative) is then submitted to the ICOUK website with all the necessary details. To save precious time, it is highly recommended to complete the Membership Registration beforehand and then send the Observation Report on the day. Registered members will also receive regular reminders by email when to look for the Hilal.
Stage 3: Once the observation report has been successfully submitted on the ICOUK website, it will be automatically forwarded to (a) the ICOUK Moderator and (b) the local Hilal Committee (or a representative). From this point, the report is dealt with separately and independently, as explained in the next stage.
Stage 4: This is the final stage where the verified and moderated reports are published/announced as explained below:
- The Moderator will check the technical accuracy of the report (e.g. after conjunction and before moon set) and if found satisfactory, will publish it on the ICOUK website, under the relevant lunar month of the Observation Results page.
- The local Hilal Committee (or a representative) will verify the report for Shariah purposes (e.g. adult, good character etc) and pass it on to the Central Hilal Committee, who will make a final decision and announce the start date of the lunar month. The decision may be announced via the Hilal Committee website and/or Masjid Committees as well as the ICOUK website.
It is possible that an observation report is accepted by the ICOUK Moderator, but may not be sufficient for the Hilal Committees to base their decision on it (e.g. not enough sighting reports in clear-sky condition). It is also possible that the ICOUK Moderator may reject a local report, but the Hilal Committee make an announcement based on foreign news (e.g. Morocco). The above procedures are shown in the processes diagram below, which have to be completed within 1.5 - 2.0 hrs of UK sunset times (i.e. before Isha prayers).
The ICOUK website will publish both the observation reports and the decision of the UK Ulama (Hilal Committees) on the relevant page for the UK Muslims to make an informed decision regarding the start of the Hijri lunar months for Ibadah purposes. See “View Observation Results” for more details.
Checked by: Mufti Amjad Mohammed
If you have any comments or questions (or wish to nominate a local Hilal Committee for verifying observation reports), please do not hesitate to email us via our on-line Contact Us form.
- Details
The table below shows the observation report for each Hijri year/month, which usually overlaps across two Gregorian years/months, but for brevity only the start year/month is shown. Website-submitted reports are listed below, but historical records have existed since 1430/2008.
| 1446 2024 |
Muharram Jul ✓ |
Safar Aug ✓ |
Rabi-I Sep ✕ |
Rabi-II Oct ✕* |
Jumada-I Nov ✕ |
Jumada-II Dec ✓ |
Rajab Jan-25 ✓ |
Shaban Jan ✓ |
Ramadan Feb ✓ |
Shawwal Mar ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Apr |
D.Hijjah May |
| 1445 2023 |
Muharram Jul ✓ |
Safar Aug ✓ |
Rabi-I Sep ✕* |
Rabi-II Oct ✕* |
Jumada-I Nov ✓ |
Jumada-II Dec ✓ |
Rajab Jan-24 ✓ |
Shaban Feb ✓ |
Ramadan Mar ✓ |
Shawwal Apr ✓ |
D.Qa'dah May ✓ |
D.Hijjah Jun ✓ |
| 1444 2022 |
Muharram Jul ✓ |
Safar Aug ✓ |
Rabi-I Sep ✓ |
Rabi-II Oct ✕ |
Jumada-I Nov ✓ |
Jumada-II Dec ✓ |
Rajab Jan-23 ✓ |
Shaban Feb ✓ |
Ramadan Mar ✓ |
Shawwal Apr ✓ |
D.Qa'dah May ✓ |
D.Hijjah Jun ✓ |
| 1443 2021 |
Muharram Aug ✓ |
Safar Sep ✓ |
Rabi-I Oct ✓ |
Rabi-II Nov ✕ |
Jumada-I Dec ✓ |
Jumada-II Jan-22 ✓ |
Rajab Feb ✓ |
Shaban Mar ✕ |
Ramadan Apr ✓ |
Shawwal May ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Jun ✓ |
D.Hijjah Jul ✓ |
| 1442 2020 |
Muharram Aug ✓ |
Safar Sep ✓ |
Rabi-I Oct ✓ |
Rabi-II Nov ✕ |
Jumada-I Dec ✓ |
Jumada-II Jan-21 ✓ |
Rajab Feb ✕ |
Shaban Mar ✓ |
Ramadan Apr ✓ |
Shawwal May ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Jun ✓ |
D.Hijjah Jul ✓ |
| 1441 2019 |
Muharram Sep ✓ |
Safar Sep ✓ |
Rabi-I Oct ✓ |
Rabi-II Nov ✓ |
Jumada-I Dec ✕ |
Jumada-II Jan-20 ✓ |
Rajab Feb ✓ |
Shaban Mar ✓ |
Ramadan Apr ✓ |
Shawwal May ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Jun ✓ |
D.Hijjah Jul ✓ |
| 1440 2018 |
Muharram Sep ✓ |
Safar Oct ✓ |
Rabi-I Nov ✕ |
Rabi-II Dec ✕ |
Jumada-I Jan-19 ✕ |
Jumada-II Feb ✓ |
Rajab Mar ✕ |
Shaban Apr ✓ |
Ramadan May ✓ |
Shawwal Jun ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Jul ✓ |
D.Hijjah Aug ✓ |
| 1439 2017 |
Muharram Sep ✓ |
Safar Oct ✕ |
Rabi-I Nov ✓ |
Rabi-II Dec ✓ |
Jumada-I Jan-18 ✓ |
Jumada-II Feb ✓ |
Rajab Mar ✕ |
Shaban Apr ✓ |
Ramadan May ✓ |
Shawwal Jun ✓ |
D.Qa'dah Jul ✓ |
D.Hijjah Aug ✓ |
| 1438 2016 |
Muharram Oct |
Safar Oct |
Rabi-I Nov |
Rabi-II Dec |
Jumada-I Jan-17 |
Jumada-II Feb |
Rajab Mar |
Shaban Apr |
Ramadan May |
Shawwal Jun |
D.Qa'dah Jul |
D.Hijjah Aug |
| 1437 2015 |
Muharram Oct |
Safar Nov |
Rabi-I Dec |
Rabi-II Jan-16 |
Jumada-I Feb |
Jumada-II Mar |
Rajab Apr |
Shaban May |
Ramadan Jun |
Shawwal Jul |
D.Qa'dah Aug |
D.Hijjah Sep |
Note that since mid-1439 (2/2018) we have advised our observers to look for the moon on both the 29th and the next day of the lunar month (for the UK to Morocco Region). This strategic improvisation makes it possible to have a future united Ramadan/Eid based on a UK-only Hijri calendar, subject to community consensus, InshaAllah. The tick (✓) shows positive (seen) and the cross (✕) shows negative (not seen) sighting reports for that month from any of the 2-days of monthly observations (from the UK). As of 1444/2023, the observation dates changed to UK 29th (and the next day). [Summary Fatawa] Observation before sunset is indicated by an asterisk ✕* (Major Lunar Standstills).
If you have any comments or questions regarding this website content, please do not hesitate to email us via our on-line Contact Us form.