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Some Blessings of the First Ten Days of Thul-Hijjah
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 25-09-2014

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1- Doing good deeds on those days is better than doing them on other days: ‎‎‎‎‎it was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet said:‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎“No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these days (meaning the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah).”Then some companions of the Prophet said, ”Not even Jihaad ?” He replied: “Not even Jihaad, except that of a man who puts himself and his property in danger (for the Sake of Allaah) and does not return with any of those things.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]‎‎‎‎.

2- It was reported that the Prophet(PBUH) used to observe fasting in those days: One of the Prophet`s wives said: “ The Messenger of Allah used to fast nine days of Thul-Hijja, the Day of Ashora`, and three days of every month-Mondays and Thursdays.”{Abu Dawood}.      

3- ‎‎‎‎Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means):‎‎‎‎‎ {‎By the dawn And [by] ten nights}  [Quran 89:1, 2] . The ten nights are the ten days of Thul-Hijjah‎‎‎‎. Allah, The Almighty, swore by these days and He only swears by whatever is exalted and lofty in stature. 

4- Allah, The Almighty, says: “ and celebrate the name of God, through the Days appointed, over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice).”{Al-Hajj/28}.The Days appointed are the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah as stated by scholars of Tafseer (exegesis).

5- The Prophet(PBUH) said that these days are the best days in life: Jabir(May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet(PBUH) said: “ The best days of this life are the ten days- the ten days of Thul-Hijja. The companions said: aren`t there days spent for Allah`s sake better than them ?he said: there aren`t, except for a man who goes out for Jihaad . “ {Albazzar& Al-Monziri}

6-‎These days have the Day of ‘Arafah, (the Day of major Hajj )which is the ninth day of Thul-Hijjah.‎ The virtues of this Day are great and innumerable. It was reported that the Prophet(PBUH) urged Muslims-non-pilgrims- to observe fasting on this great Day. He said: "Fasting the Day of Arafah atones the sins committed a year before  it and those which will be committed a year after it."{Muslim}.

7-‎These days have the Day of Nahr (sacrifice) which is the tenth day of Thul-Hijjah, the Day of Eid. This is the best day as stated in the following Hadeeth:‎ ‎‎‎‎"The best of days in the sight of Allah, The Almighty, is the Day of Nahr, then the Day of Qurr( the first day of Tashreeq)." [Ahmad, Abu Daawood: Saheeh chain of narrators]‎‎‎‎.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is the niṣāb calculated based on the price of 21-karat gold, or 24-karat gold?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh is obligatory on cash and on gold designated for saving or for trade, provided the total reaches the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah), and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has elapsed over it. The niṣāb is (85) grams of 24-karat gold; for 21-karat gold, the niṣāb equals (97) grams; and for 18-karat gold, it equals (113) grams.
The relied-upon position is to calculate the zakāh based on the buying price [i.e., the price the gold merchant would pay the owner to purchase the gold from him] on the day the zakāh obligation is due.
The one paying zakāh may assess/calculate the niṣāb using any of the aforementioned gold karats [i.e., he may choose whichever karat standard he wishes for the purpose of the calculation]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is the marriage, which lacks a valid legal contract, a guardian, and a court registration, valid?

It is incumbent that a valid marriage contract be concluded in the presence of a guardian and two trustful witnesses, and it should be registered in the court to protect the rights of the wife. Actually, a valid marriage contract is what differentiates between sound marriage and fornication.