Umm Salama reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the ten days* come and one of you intends to make sacrifice, he must not touch any of its hair or skin.” A version says, “He must not take hairs or clip nails.” Another says, “If anyone sees the new moon of Dhul Hijja and intends to sacrifice, he must not take any of its hairs or nails.”
* The period to which reference is made is the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The day of sacrifice is the tenth.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's Messenger as saying, “There are no days in which a good deed is more pleasing to God than these ten days.” On being asked whether not even jihad in God’s path were as pleasing, he replied, “Not even jihad in God’s path, except when a man goes out in person with his property and loses both life and property.”
