Dhul Hijjah: Important Dates, Events and Significance

This month is also one of the sacred months in Islam. In this month, the Hajj the Fifth Pillar of Islam is performed. Not only that, but the Festival of Sacrifice also took place this month.

Dhul Hijjah ذُو ٱلْحِجَّة means “The month of Pilgrimage or “Processor of the pilgrimage.” This month, Muslims from all around the world visit Makkah to perform Hajj. The pilgrimage will perform the Hajj on the eighth, ninth, and tenth of this month. The Day of Arafah happens on the ninth day of this month.

This sacred month was also blessed by Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of the Sacrifice,” which begins on the tenth day and ends on the sunset of the 13th day.

In Islamic traditions, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the most blessed days of the year. As Muslims, we are told to do good deeds this month. Rasulullah ﷺ once said: “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days” (Bukhari)

Important Dates of Dhul Hijjah

• 1 Dhul Hijjah: Marriage (Nikah) of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA) and Fatima bint Muhammad (RA)
• 7 Dhul Hijjah: The martyrdom of Muhammad al-Baqir
• 8, 9 and 10 Dhul Hijjah: Days of Hajj
• 8 Dhul Hijjah: Hussain Ibn Ali (RA) started traveling to Karbala from Makkah
• 9 Dhul Hijjah: Day of Arafah
• 9 Dhul Hijjah: Martyrdom of Muslim Ibn Aqil and Hani Ibn Urwah in Kufah
• 10 Dhul Hijjah: Eid al-Adha
• 19 Dhul Hijjah: Fatima bint Muhammad (RA) went to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA)’s house after marriage
• 25 Dhu Hijjah: Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA) becomes the Caliph of Islam – AH 35.

If you want to gain more rewards from Allah after the Holy month of Ramadan, then these special ten days are the right choices for you. These ten days offer Muslims another chance to gain an immense award, ask forgiveness for our sins, and reach significant levels of piety.

This month lets us witness two extraordinary events, all in devotion to Allah (SWT). As we know, one of them is Eid al-Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah. On this day, every one of us, who is able, offers Qurbani.

The Qurbani itself consists of slaughtering an animal, usually a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull, or camel, as a sacrifice. This occasion aims all in devotion to Allah (SWT) and also to help those who are less fortunate.

Those of us who are not performing the Hajj pilgrimage this year should use this time to complete even more righteous deeds than usual to immense rewards and blessings from Allah (SWT).