Sacrifice - rules, guidelines and modern issues

Excellence of the first 10 nights of Dhul Hijjah

Allah Most High has expressed the superiority and excellence of the first 10 nights of Dhul Hijjah by swearing by them in these verses of Surah Fajr:

By the emerging dawn (that dispels the darkness of night), And by the ten (blessed) nights, And by the even and the odd.

Surah Fajr (89:2)

The clarification about which nights are meant by these is mentioned in the exegesis of the Holy Quran and the Hadith. There is a Hadith:

Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him) narrates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The 10 nights mentioned here are the 10 nights of Dhul Hijjah, “Watr” means 9^th Dhul Hijjah, the day of ‘Arafaat and the word “Shaf‘a” means 10^th Dhul Hijjah, the day of sacrifice.

(Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal, Hadith No. 14885)

There is a Hadith in Jame’ Tirmidhi about the worship of the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah:

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) and he narrates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that He said: The worship of the first 10 nights of Dhul Hijjah is more liked by Allah Most High than the worship of other days.  Fasting for one day in this month has the reward of fasting for the whole year and worship of one night in Dhul Hijjah has the reward of standing up in worship for the whole year.

(Jame’ Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Pg No. 158, Hadith No: 763)