The First Ten Nights of Dhul Hijja! Why are they sacred?

The first ten days and nights of the month of Dhul-Hijjah hold a special place in the Islamic tradition. Muslims around the world remember them as days of reflection, devotion, sacrifice, gratitude, and human unity. Many scholars connect this understanding to a passage in the Qur’an that reads: “Consider the daybreak, and the ten nights; consider the many and the One; consider the night as it passes away. In all this, is there not a profound sign for those who reflect?”— Qur’an 89:1–5

Classical Muslim scholars such as Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Ibn al-Zubayr, and Mujahid ibn Jabr understood “the ten nights” to refer to the opening days of Dhul-Hijjah, the sacred season during which the pilgrimage to Mecca takes place.

Muslim tradition further emphasizes the spiritual importance of these days through the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, who described righteous deeds performed during this period as especially beloved in God's sight. Because of this, Muslims are encouraged to devote themselves to prayer, charity, fasting, remembrance of God, repentance, and acts of kindness and generosity.

Among the practices commonly associated with these days are:

1. Performing the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

2. Fasting, especially on the Day of Arafah

3. Remembering God through prayer and meditation

4. Spending part of the night in worship and reflection

5. Seeking forgiveness and moral renewal

6. Reconnecting with the Qur’an and its ethical teachings

7. Increasing acts of compassion and service

8. Sharing food with others through the ritual sacrifice commemorating Abraham’s devotion to God

9. Joining the communal Eid prayer

10. Expressing gratitude for life and guidance

To fully appreciate the meaning of these days, however, one must understand the deeper moral and historical message connected to them.

Before Islam, the pilgrimage season in Arabia had often lost its spiritual purpose. Sacred gatherings that were meant to inspire humility, moral responsibility, and reverence for God had, in many cases, become occasions for tribal pride, social excess, gambling, drinking, and displays of status. The Qur’an reminds humanity that civilizations that abandon justice, compassion, and moral restraint ultimately harm themselves from within.

The chapter goes on to criticize societies that neglect the poor, the orphaned, the vulnerable, and the marginalized while becoming consumed by greed and selfishness. It reminds human beings that spiritual success cannot be separated from social responsibility. Faith is not merely ritual; it is expressed through justice, mercy, dignity, and care for others.

In this light, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are not simply “holy days” in a ceremonial sense. They are meant to become days of purification and transformation — a period during which individuals examine their lives, overcome selfishness, and renew their commitment to divine values.

The pilgrimage itself, known as Hajj, is one of the most remarkable gatherings in human history. Every year, millions of people from every race, language, nationality, social class, and culture assemble in the same sacred space. They dress alike, stand side by side, and perform the same acts of devotion. Wealth, status, ethnicity, and worldly distinctions are deliberately stripped away so that human beings may encounter one another simply as equals before God.

The rituals of Hajj are deeply connected to the story of Abraham and his family. Abraham, revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, symbolizes unwavering faith, moral courage, and surrender to God’s will. Muslims also remember the devotion of his wife, Hagar, and his son, Ishmael, whose struggles in the desert are understood as symbols of trust, perseverance, sacrifice, and hope. The annual pilgrimage preserves the memory of their spiritual journey and transforms it into a living experience shared by millions.

For this reason, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah carry a universal message that extends beyond one community. They remind humanity that the heart of all genuine faith is the dignity and unity of humankind. During these sacred days, peace, humility, restraint, generosity, and mutual respect are meant to prevail. Even animals and the natural environment are to be treated with care and protection.

The season of Hajj, therefore, becomes a yearly moral experiment in human coexistence. It demonstrates that people of different races, languages, cultures, and social backgrounds can gather peacefully, live simply, and recognize one another as members of a single human family.

Unity is the foundation of every healthy society, and reconciliation is among humanity’s highest aspirations. The message of these sacred days calls people to rise above division, arrogance, hatred, and prejudice. It invites human beings to rediscover humility, compassion, and solidarity.

During these ten sacred nights and days, people are given an opportunity to prove that they can overcome their differences and live together in peace, dignity, and sincerity.