Does the first 10 days of Ramadan have any significance?

Does the first 10 days of Ramadan have any significance? This question is very important. The answer to it should be known and stated clearly. This is because there is a common saying among some Muslims that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon his soul) said, “The full blessings of Ramadan can be gotten by dividing the month into three parts with each part having their own importance: 

The first 10 days are days of mercy from Allah. 
The second 10 days of Ramadan are days of forgiveness of Allah. 
The third/last 10 days are days of salvation from hell fire.
” The next question is that, “is this hadith authentic?” A cursory look into the Glorious Qur’an, the hadith and the response of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ali would provide better details into this question. 

Firstly, Allah said in chapter 4 verse 59 of the Glorious Qur’an that, “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority (scholars with the fear of Allah) among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best way and best in result.” 



Secondly, Allah’s Messenger said in a hadith from Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) in a Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.hadiths that, “Whosoever introduces into this affairs of ours,that is islaam, something that does not belong to it is a reprobate.” 

According to Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ali, he said that the hadith on dividing Ramadan into three parts is weak due to the weakness in the chain of narration. He however said that the weakness cannot render it baseless because it can be used for the purpose of encouragement and relation of virtue according to the opinion of the vast majority of scholars of hadith. 

Salmaan al Farsi (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messe0nger replied his companions when they asked him about the many rewards of Ramadan. He said: “Allah grants this same reward to him who gives a fasting person a single date or drink of water or a sip of milk to break the fast. This is a month, the first part of which brings Allah’s mercy, the middle of which His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the hell fire. Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam.” 

The above hadith, according to Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ali, is defect with a question in narration with a few different chains in narration. Most of chains are problematic and contain narrators of highly unreliable status. The severity of the weakness of such narrators does not allow for the transmission of such chains even in the case of virtuous acts. 

Summarily, what Muslims should know is that they must try as much as possible to clarify judgement of Muslim scholars regarding their acts or worship during, before and after Ramadan so that they avoid Bid’a (that is innovation) into the religion of Islam. -naij.com