The Tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah From the Sacred to the Societal – A Contemporary Maqasid-Based Reading in the Context of the Syrian Transformation

Introduction:

The Sacred Time and the Time of Humankind:

The first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah represent a unique temporal space in the collective Islamic consciousness, where the sacred intersects with the historical, and the spiritual with the societal. In this year (1446 AH – 2025 CE), these days begin on May 28, coinciding with a decisive historical stage in post-liberation Syria, as the country undergoes a fundamental transformation towards building a pluralistic state that respects religion, humanity, and life.

Through the lens of contemporary Islamic thought, we revisit this occasion not as a mere religious ritual, but as a living symbolic system capable of generating new meanings that serve the construction of societies.

The Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Religious Tradition – Textual Construction and Social Function:

From the perspective of the textual foundations of temporal virtue, the merit of these days rests upon foundational texts. The first is the Quranic oath, {By the dawn, and [by] ten nights} [Al-Fajr: 1-2], which many exegetes interpret as referring to the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah. The second is the prophetic affirmation: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days” (meaning the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah) [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]. The third is the distinctiveness of the Day of Arafah: “There is no day on which Allah frees more slaves from the Fire than on the Day of Arafah” [Narrated by Muslim].

From the standpoint of temporal preference, we observe the issue of hierarchy. Ibn Taymiyyah presents a precise distinction: “The days of the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah are better than the days of the last ten of Ramadan, but the nights of the last ten of Ramadan are better than the nights of the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah.” This distinction reconfigures the spiritual calendar of the Muslim, as the seasons are distributed to achieve complementarity rather than conflict.

The Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah through the Lens of Modernist Thought:

In his project to “Critique of Islamic Reason,” Arkoun offers tools for interpreting religious phenomena as symbolic systems through “religious anthropology.” In this perspective, the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah become:

1. An anthropological phenomenon that embodies the triangle of “violence, prohibition, and truth,” where sacrifices are made as a symbol of transforming primitive violence into a sacred ritual.
2. A mechanism for building collective memory, by re-enacting major events (like Adam’s standing after his descent and the culmination of the life of Abraham, peace be upon them).
3. An open symbolic system capable of generating new meanings to meet the needs of contemporary societies.

Meanwhile, Hassan Hanafi (in his project “From Text to Reality”) reads this occasion as a revolutionary reserve through:

1. Takbir (proclaiming “Allahu Akbar”) not merely as verbal recitation but as a rejection of the deification of oppressive authorities, declaring “God is greater” above any human power.
2. Sacrifice, representing the necessity of sacrifice for change—an urgent need in Syria today.
3. Hajj, as a microcosm of the ideal society, symbolizing equality in ihram (pilgrim garb) and in circumambulation (tawaf).

Meanwhile, Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, in “The Concept of the Text,” reveals the historical contexts in which these rituals were formed, affirming that their meanings have remained flexible through the ages, adapting to the needs of societies. The “known days” in the Quran (Al-Hajj: 28) carry an open-ended significance capable of absorbing new dimensions.

The Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah and the New Syria – A Vision for Societal Engagement:

The fast of the Day of Arafah — which “expiates the sins of the past and coming year” — can be transformed into a symbol of national reconciliation, where Syria atones for the “years of war” through amnesty and forgiveness initiatives. It also serves as a mechanism for transitional justice, as the success of the Islamic movement in Syria hinges on the “bet on freedoms” and the “bet on citizenship.”

Regarding the sacrifice (udhiyah), this vision sees it linked to reconstruction efforts in Syria, where 7,849 schools and many mosques have been destroyed. Thus, the sacrifices can be transformed into reconstruction projects, where the “meat” becomes a symbol of building materials for schools, and restoration becomes a perpetual charity — meaning that “restoring mosques and schools revives the spirit of the community,” aligning with the Hadith: “When the son of Adam dies, his deeds end except for three: a perpetual charity…” [Muslim].

As for the Hajj, it is viewed as laying the foundation for the idea of pluralistic identity. Syria is home to a diversity of sects and ethnicities, and the Hajj can inspire a model of unity within diversity, where “Arabs and non-Arabs are equal, and there is no superiority except through piety.” It also encourages overcoming sectarian discourse in favor of a unifying identity, echoing the “reformist Levantine Salafism” known for its “acceptance of intellectual diversity,” as highlighted by the writer Muhammad Amir Nasher Al-Ni‘am.

Reshaping Religious Discourse – Towards a Modern Syrian Model:

It seems that reshaping religious discourse in Syria by shifting from ritualistic to ethical dimensions is an inspiring idea to anchor the positive role of religion in societies. This is achieved by refocusing from:

1. The mere performance of rituals to the production of their values — such as justice (in the distribution of sacrifices), solidarity (in fasting), and equality (in the takbir). Additionally, employing the Quranic verse: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but your piety that reaches Him” [Al-Hajj: 37] as a basis for activating the ethical dimension.
2. Worship as an act of liberation, as viewed by Mohammed Arkoun, to free the sacred from the monopoly of traditional religious authorities and make the Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah a platform for national dialogue through conferences gathering religious scholars, intellectuals, and statesmen.
3. Religion in the public space, such as moving beyond mosques to restoring schools — a form of “getting closer to God” in Syria, where 2,071 schools need major repairs. Likewise, transforming mosques into community centers, as they historically were, not merely for prayer but also for education and conflict resolution.

It appears from all of this that the occasion of the Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah in the current Syrian context represents a historic opportunity to:

1. Transform the symbolic religious capital into a societal energy for reconstruction.
2. Restore the civilizational role of religious seasons as a driving force for renewal.
3. Build a Syrian model that combines religious authenticity with political modernity, where “citizenship means complete equality.”

It also seems that reinterpreting these days through the methodology of “applied Islamic studies” (as developed by Arkoun) enables Syria to forge from its religious heritage a bridge to the future, where the Day of Sacrifice — “the greatest of days in the sight of Allah,” as in the Hadith — becomes a symbol of slaughtering the god of war (it is permissible to use the term “god” for both truth and falsehood that becomes worshiped, as reported by Ibn Kathir and others), and the birth of a new human who believes in life.

Here’s the English translation:

Conclusion:

In the Maqasid-based vision, the Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah form an integrated system for realizing the five objectives of the Sharia:

1. Preservation of religion through collective Takbeer, which returns religion to its public sphere without monopolization.
2. Preservation of life by fasting on the Day of Arafah as a mechanism for renewing the social contract against violence.
3. Preservation of intellect through reading the Quran as a societal dialogue, not a monolithic discourse.
4. Preservation of lineage through sacrificial offerings that become support for affected families.
5. Preservation of wealth by investing the pilgrimage obligation in the development of religious tourism.

Accordingly, we at the Religious Office of the Syrian Future Movement recommend a Maqasid-based utilization of the Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah through:

First: In the legislative and institutional sphere:

1. Approving a “National Reconciliation Day” on the Day of Arafah to realize justice and compassion (achieving the objective of preserving life), through a mechanism of enacting legislation for amnesty in minor armed conflict cases and forming local reconciliation committees. The effect: transforming fasting from individual atonement to a purification of collective memory.
2. Establishing a “Developmental Endowment Authority”, with its Maqasid-based foundation in the cultivation of the earth (achieving the objective of preserving wealth), and its mechanism to unify the administration of sacrificial funds and donations to finance projects such as:
3. Rebuilding 100 schools annually.
4. Renovating hospitals in affected areas.
5. Its effect: turning the sacrifice from a consumptive ritual into a developmental investment.

Second: In the economic and social sphere:

1. The “Meat-for-Stone Project”, with its Maqasid-based foundation in social solidarity (achieving the objective of preserving lineage), and its mechanism to allocate 30% of the value of each sacrifice to an infrastructure reconstruction fund. The effect: linking worship to urban development in
2. line with the Hadith: “Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty.”
3. The “Syrian Domestic Hajj Program”, with its Maqasid-based foundation in the unity of the Ummah (achieving the objective of preserving religion), and its mechanism to organize free trips to historic sites (Damascus, Aleppo, Bosra) during and after the ten days, inspired by the Hajj experience. The effect: reviving the unifying spirit of Hajj in the local context.

Third: In the cultural and educational sphere:

1. The “Renewal Discourse Initiative”, with its Maqasid-based foundation in renewing religious thought (achieving the objective of preserving intellect), and its mechanism to train 500 imams on the methodology of “reading the text in the context of reality” and to issue a guide for sermons during the ten days with a modern Maqasid-based perspective. The effect: resisting extremism by presenting an Islamic model reconciled with life.
2. The “Comprehensive Takbeer Festival”, with its Maqasid-based foundation in unifying symbols (achieving the objective of social harmony), and its mechanism to organize peaceful marches in public squares under the patronage of the state. The effect: transforming “Allahu Akbar” from a confrontational slogan to a call for national unity.

Fourth: In the realm of public policies:

1. Integrating the Maqasid-based perspective into planning, with its Maqasid-based foundation in the wisdom of legislation (achieving the five objectives of Sharia), and its mechanism of adopting the “Maqasid Card” as a standard for all draft laws:
2. How does the law preserve religion?
3. How does it safeguard human dignity?
4. How does it cultivate the earth?
5. The effect: Islamizing modernity instead of modernizing Islam.

The purpose of the seasons of worship is not to merely replicate the past, but to build a future in which the culture of war is slaughtered on the altar of life. This vision embodies the essence of the Maqasid al-Sharia (where the ultimate aim is “to bring about benefits and ward off harms”) and imposes upon the new Syrian state:

• The liberation of the sacred from ritualistic exclusivity to the communal sphere.
• The investment of the symbolic religious capital in building the social contract.
• A redefinition of worship to include:
• Renovating schools as a form of perpetual charity.
• National reconciliation as a collective fast.
• Reconstruction as a contemporary sacrifice.

“The ten days become truly sacred when they transform from a historical memory to a living force that gives birth to a new Syria—diverse in its people, united in its objectives, harmonizing its faith and its humanity.”

Renewing our understanding of the Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah—in a post-liberation Syria—is a living embodiment of the objective of Imam al-Shatibi, who said:

“The Sharia was established for the welfare of both this world and the hereafter together.”

Thus, there is no sanctity in a time that entrenches division, nor virtue in worship that does not produce a dignified life.

Religious Office

Research Team

Research and Studies Department

Studies

Syrian Future Movement

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