Why do we fast the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and are there any events that are commemorated on each of these days? For example: The first day is the day on which Allah forgave Sayyiduna Adam for the sin of eating from the tree, and the second day is the day on which the Lord of the Worlds answered the prayer of Sayyiduna Yoonus (peace be upon him) when he was in the belly of the fish, and the third day is the day on which the Lord of the Worlds answered the prayer of Sayyiduna Zakariyya and blessed him with the son he was wishing for?
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The ten days [the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah] are the best days in this world, and there are no days on which doing righteous deeds is dearer to Allah than these ten days. Many saheeh hadiths have been narrated concerning their virtue.
One of the soundest and most well-known of these hadiths is that which was narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh (969), from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he said: “There are no days on which righteous deeds are better than on these (ten days).” They said: “Not even jihad?” He said: “Not even jihad, unless a man goes for jihad, risking his life and his wealth, and does not come back with anything.”
With regard to fasting during these days, it comes under the heading of righteous deeds.
Concerning the virtue of fasting during these days in particular, there is the report narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (2436) and an-Nasaa’i in his Sunan (2417), from one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to fast nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah.
The hadith was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood (2106).
Secondly:
With regard to what the questioner said about certain events being commemorated on each of the ten days, this was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with any saheeh isnaad (sound chain of narrators).
With regard to what he referred to of such events, there are some false and fabricated hadiths about such topics, but all of them are false and fabricated, and none of them are sound. This may be explained further as follows.
The first hadith:
It was narrated by ash-Shajari in al-Amaali (1651). He said: Abu’l-Qaasim ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Azaji said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mufeed said: Ahmad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Sa‘d al-Qurashi told me: Ishaaq ibn Suwayd told us: Daawood ibn Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali told us, from his father Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali, from his father, from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The first mercy that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, sent down to the earth was on the twenty-ninth of Dhu’l-Qa‘dah, so whoever fasts on that day, his fast will be equivalent to sixty years. And Ibraaheem al-Khaleel was born on the first day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, so whoever fasts on that day, Allah will grant him the reward of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, revealed the Zaboor of Dawood (peace be upon him) on the seventh day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, so whoever fasts on that day, Allah will turn in mercy to him as He turned in mercy to Daawood (peace be upon him). Allah relieved Ayyoob (peace be upon him) of harm on the ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, on the day of ‘Arafah, so whoever fasts on that day, his fast will be equivalent to that year and the coming year. Allah answered the supplication of Zakariyya (peace be upon him) on the first night of Muharram, so whoever fasts on that day, Allah will answer his supplication as he answered the supplication of Zakariyya (peace be upon him).”
Its isnaad is mawdoo‘ (fabricated).
It includes Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mufeed. Adh-Dhahabi said in al-Mughni fi’d-Du‘afa’(5260): There is consensus that he is da‘eef (weak) and was accused of fabricating. End quote. And he said in Mizaan al-I‘tidaal (7158): He is accused of fabricating. End quote.
Sabt ibn al-‘Ajami said in al-Kashf al-Hatheeth (610), commenting on the view of adh-Dhahabi: With regard to his saying, following the comment of al-Baaji, he is accused of fabricating, it may be understood as meaning that he was accused of lying or of fabricating. End quote.
I could not find anyone who wrote a biography of his shaykh, Ahmad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Sa‘d al-Qurashi, unless he is Ahmad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Saqti, who was one of the shaykhs of Abu Bakr al-Mufeed, for whom adh-Dhahabi gave a biography in al-Mughni fi’d-Du‘afa’ (345) and said: Ahmad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Saqti, the shaykh of al-Mufeed, is not known. He narrated from Yazeed ibn Haaroon false hadiths. End quote.
[The isnaad] also includes Daawood ibn Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali, who is not known, and no one gave a biography of him.
It also includes Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abbaas, who is majhool [unknown].
Ibn Hajar said in Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (361): Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib al-Haashimi…
I said: Ibn al-Qattaan said: Although he is a prominent figure among his people, his status is not known with regard to hadith. End quote.
The second hadith:
It was narrated by ad-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaus (4381). As-Suyooti mentioned its isnaad in az-Ziyaadah ‘ala al-Mawdoo‘aat (567), via ad-Daylami. He said: My father told us: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn as-Sa‘eedi told us: Abu’l-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibraaheem, who was known as Ibn Shaadhi, told us: al-Fadl ibn al-Fadl al-Kindi dictated to us: Muhammad ibn Sahl ibn al-Hasan al-‘Attaar told us: ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balawi told us: Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abdillah ibn al-‘Alaa’ told me, from his father, from Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, from his grandfather, from his father ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, narrating from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “On the first night of Dhu’l-Hijjah Ibraaheem was born, so whoever fasts on that day it will be an expiation for eighty years. On the ninth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, mercy was sent down to Daawood, so whoever fasts on that day, it will be an expiation for sixty years.”
As-Suyooti said: Muhammad ibn Sahl used to fabricate hadiths. End quote.
This isnaad is false; it is a chain of liars.
It includes Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-‘Alaa’ ibn Zabr, for whom adh-Dhahabi gave a biography in Mizaan al-I‘tidaal (120), and said: an-Nasaa’i said: He is not thiqah (trustworthy). End quote.
It also includes ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balawi, for whom adh-Dhahabi gave a biography in Mizaan al-I‘tidaal (4558) and said: ad-Daaraqutni said: He fabricates hadith. End quote.
It also includes Muhammad ibn Sahl al-‘Attaar, for whom al-Khateeb gave a biography in Taareekh Baghdaad (2/411) and said: ad-Daaraqutni said: Muhammad ibn Sahl al-‘Attaar was one of those who fabricated hadiths. End quote.
The hadith was mentioned by al-Fatni in Tadhkirat al-Mawdoo‘aat (p. 119), and he said: Its [isnaad] includes Muhammad ibn Sahl, who fabricates hadith. End quote.
The third hadith:
It was narrated by ad-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws (7122). As-Suyooti mentioned its isnaad in az-Ziyaadah ‘ala al-Mawdoo‘aat (565), via ad-Daylami, who said: Abu’l-Fath ‘Abd al-Waahid ibn Ismaa‘eel ibn Naghaarah told us: Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Khashnaam al-Haafiz told us: Abu’n-Nadr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Sulaymaan at-Tustari told us: Muhammad ibn Mukhallad al-‘Attaar told us: Abu Sa‘eed Muhammad ibn al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad ibn Ismaa‘eel told us: Muhammad ibn Tameem al-Faryaabi told us: ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Ibraaheem al-Juddi told us, from ath-Thawri, from Habeeb ibn Abi Thaabit, from ‘Abdullah ibn Baabaah, from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Ibraaheem al-Khaleel (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was born on the first day of Dhu’l-Hijjah, so fasting on that day is like fasting for seventy years.”
As-Suyooti said: It is mawdoo‘ (fabricated). End quote.
The problem with it is Muhammad ibn Tameem, who was an evil liar.
Abu Nu‘aym said in ad-Du‘afa’ (231): He is a liar and fabricator. End quote. Ibn Hibbaan said in al-Majrooheen (1013): He fabricates hadiths. Al-Haakim said, as noted in Su’aalaat al-Sajzi li’l-Haakim (137): He fabricated more than ten thousand hadiths against the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End quote.
The fourth hadith:
It was narrated by as-Suyooti in az-Ziyaadah ‘ala al-Mawdoo‘aat (569) with the isnaad of ad-Daylami. He said: My father told us: al-Maydaani told us: Abu Bakr ibn Bashraan told us: Ibn Shaaheen told us: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ikrimah an-Nasawi told us: Ahmad ibn al-Khadr al-Mirwazi told us: Muhammad ibn Nasr ibn al-‘Abbaas told us: ‘Ali ibn Hujr told us: Hammaad ibn ‘Amr told us, from Zayd ibn Rafee‘, from az-Zuhri, from Anas in a marfoo‘ report: “Whoever fasts on the day of at-tarwiyah [8th Dhu’l-Hijjah], Allah will give him a reward like that of Ayyoob for his calamity, and if he fasts on the day of ‘Arafah, Allah will give him a reward like that of ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, and if he does not eat on the Day of Sacrifice until he prays, Allah will give him a reward like that of those who prayed on that day, and if he dies before the thirtieth day, he will die as a martyr.”
As-Suyooti said: Hammaad ibn ‘Amr is a liar. End quote.
He is the problem with this hadith. Ibn Ma‘een said: Hammaad ibn ‘Amr as-Naseebi is one of those who tell lies and fabricates hadith. End quote from al-Kaamil by Ibn ‘Adiy (415). An-Nasaa’i said in ad-Du‘afa’wa’l-Matrookeen (136): He is matrook al-hadith [i.e., his hadith is to be ignored]. End quote. Al-Jawzajaani said in Ahwaal ar-Rijaal (321): He used to tell lies and left no doubt in the mind of any rational person that he was a liar. End quote. Ibn Hibbaan said in al-Majrooheen (240): He fabricated many hadiths and falsely attributed them to trustworthy narrators. End quote.
Conclusion:
There is no proof for any particular event having occurred during the first ten days [of Dhu’l-Hijjah] as mentioned by the questioner. Rather these are hadiths that are falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
The virtue of the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and of doing righteous deeds during them, especially fasting, is proven in the saheeh hadiths.
The fact that a day is proven to be of virtue does not necessarily mean that any important event happened on that day; rather it is sufficient to note that Allah has favoured this day above others.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Islam Q&A
