Making the Most of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
Allah blesses us from
time to time with blessed seasons in which rewards are multiplied and mercy
descends. These seasons come with special gifts and great opportunities. They
are clear signs of Allah’s generosity, bounty, and vast mercy toward His believing
servants. These precious opportunities come to us now and then to renew our
energy and awaken the good within us. Their effects can be seen in our lives as
brightness and comfort, closeness to Allah and self-improvement, forgiveness
and mercy, hope and giving.
And not long after the
month of Ramadan, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah come to help us renew our
covenant with Allah and open wide doors of reward for us.
These blessed days
approaching us are a precious opportunity we must seize to make use of every
hour within them.
To gain the best
results and greatest rewards in these days, we must understand their virtue and
prepare ourselves to receive them in the best way. The abundant provision and
immense goodness from our generous Lord requires diligence and readiness on our
part. Generosity is in proportion to effort, and provision is in proportion to readiness.
Preparation and seizing
the blessings of these days rest on two foundations:
First: Knowing the virtue of these days and how they are
distinct from others.
Second: Putting this knowledge into action—turning understanding into
behavior and deeds, so we combine knowledge with practice, and awareness with
movement.
Here are some points
that combine knowledge and action, so we may be among those who are supported
and have high aspirations during these blessed days:
Key Acts of Worship During the First Ten Days of
Dhul-Hijjah
1. Allah says, “By the dawn.
And [by] ten nights.” (Al-Fajr: 1–2)
In this noble surah, Allah swears by the dawn and the ten nights. Many
scholars of tafsir say that these refer to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
Undoubtedly, this indicates the greatness and virtue of these days, as Allah
only swears by what is great.
2. These ten days are connected to a mighty pillar of
our noble religion, Hajj (pilgrimage), a spiritual, physical, and financial act
of worship. It has both individual and collective dimensions that extend across
the entire Ummah. It is a journey within a greater journey, where the pilgrim
travels to the purest of lands, walking in the footsteps of the family of
Ibrahim and following the path of the Master of the Messengers.
Allah says, “And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they
will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every
distant pass - That they may witness
benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what
He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the
miserable and poor. Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows
and perform Tawaf around the ancient House.” (Al-Hajj: 27–29)
During Hajj, the
pilgrim lives days filled with diverse acts of worship: the ihram, the
talbiyah, sa’i and tawaf, engaging in remembrance and humility, stoning, and
standing in Arafah. They spend days in Makkah and Madinah, where the traces of
the beloved Prophet ﷺ and his noble companions remain vivid, only to return to their
homeland with accepted efforts and forgiven sins, for as the Prophet ﷺ said, “A hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward
than paradise.”
And in the hadith narrated by Abu Huraira, he said: “If
anyone performs the pilgrimage for God’s sake without talking immodestly or
acting wickedly, he will return [free from sin] as on the day his mother bore
him.” (Agreed upon)
3. Because Allah’s
bounty is vast, the blessing and greatness of these days are not limited to the
sacred places. Whoever cannot be among the pilgrims to the House of Allah is
not deprived of the reward of these days. There is ample opportunity for other
acts of worship: fasting, prayer, remembrance, recitation of the Qur’an, giving
charity, and showing kindness. The field is wide open and the forms of worship
are diverse and flourishing.
In the hadith narrated
by Ibn Abbas, the Prophet ﷺ said about these days: “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.”
(Narrated by At-Tirmidhi).
This hadith emphasizes
the virtue of these days, highlighting that no other days can match them and
that righteous deeds performed in them surpass the same deeds performed in any
other days. That is why scholars have said: the best days of the year are
the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah, and the best nights of the year are the
last ten of Ramadan.
The term “good deed”
mentioned in the hadith is comprehensive. It includes all that is pleasing to
Allah of words and deeds, both outward and inward. This broad meaning gives the
believer plenty of space to draw from acts of righteousness and to diversify
their worship during these blessed days. One should arrange their life
accordingly before these days arrive and not procrastinate or follow whims,
thereby missing out on their immense virtues.
7 Virtuous Acts for Non-Pilgrims in the Blessed Days
of Dhul-Hijjah
4. Among these great
days is one of the greatest days of the entire year—the ninth day of
Dhul-Hijjah, known as the Day of Arafah. On this day, pilgrims stand on the
plain of Arafah to perform the greatest pillar of Hajj, chanting the talbiyah,
supplicating with humility, and remembering Allah. For those not performing
Hajj, it is recommended to fast on this day and to fill its hours with prayer,
charity, remembrance, and supplication. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fast the Day of Arafah, for indeed I anticipate that
Allah will forgive (the sins) of the year after it, and the year before it.”
(Narrated by Muslim)
And Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no day when God sets free more servants from
hell than the day of ‘Arafa.”
The conclusion of these
blessed days is the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, which holds a great act of
worship—the sacrifice (udhiyah). It is the Day of Sacrifice and the Day of Eid,
Eid al-Adha, filled with spiritual and moral manifestations that are clear to
those of sound understanding: meanings of submission and obedience, patience
and benevolence, all deeply rooted in the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his son
Isma’il, and the command to sacrifice him. Their response to Allah’s command
provides us with timeless lessons in righteousness and endurance.
How to Make the Most of Dhul-Hijjah
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