What Should You Do in the 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah

Here are 10 things you should do to earn the best
possible rewards in these blessed days:

1. Perform abundant dhikr.
   The Messenger of Allah said: “There are no days
   greater in the sight of Allah or in which good deeds are
   more beloved to Him than these 10 days. So recite a
   great deal of tahlīl ( لَ إلَ إِلَّ اللهُ ), takbīr ( كْبَُ
   َ
   اللهُ أ ) and taḥmīd
   الَْمْدُ للهِ) ).” (Aḥmad)
   These words should be said in the Masjids, in the homes
   and in the streets. Men should proclaim them loudly.
   ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah would go out
   in the marketplaces and recite takbīr loudly in these 10
   days. Upon hearing them, the people would follow in suit
   and recite takbīr.
   These should be recited loudly throughout the 13 days.
   Along with this, the takbīrāt of tashrīq

1. 
   َare to be recited audibly
   What Should You Do in the
   after each farḍ ṣalāh, starting from the Fajr of the 9th of
   Dhul Ḥijjah till the ʿAṣr of the 13th Dhul Ḥijjah.
   To help with your dhikr, you can order your free copy of
   ‘Daily Adhkār’ from lifewithallah.com or download here.
   I came across people who would say the takbīr
   in the 10 days of Dhul-Ḥijjah (so frequently and
   loudly) that I would compare it to the crashing of
   waves. (Maymūn b. Mahrān )
2. Fast, especially on the day of Arafah.
   When the Messenger of Allah was asked about the
   fast of the day of ʿArafah, he said: “It wipes away the
   (sins) of the past and upcoming year.” (Muslim)
   One of the wives of the Messenger of Allah said: “The
   Messenger of Allah used to fast on the first nine days
   of Dhul Ḥijjah; the day of ʿĀshūrā’ and three days of each
   month…” (Nasā’ī)
3. Be punctual with the prayers in the congregation
   (jamaʿah) and aim to be there before the first Takbir.
   The Messenger of Allah  said: “The reward of the
   prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty five
   times greater than that of the prayer offered in
   one’s home or in the market (alone). This is because if
   he performs wuḍū and does it perfectly, and then leaves
   for the Masjid with the sole intention of praying; then for
   every step he takes, he is raised a level and his one sin
   is forgiven. Once he has prayed, the angels continue to
   ask Allah to have mercy on him as long as he remains
   in his place of prayer (by saying) ‘O Allah, bestow Your
   blessings upon him. O Allah, bestow Your mercy upon
   him.’ You are considered to be in prayer as long as you
   are waiting for the prayer.” (Bukhārī)
   Learn how to attain khushu in Salāh by ordering
   or downloading ‘Taste the Sweetness of Salah’.
4. Make duʿa, especially on the day of Arafah. Make  says: “When My servants ask you about Me,
   truly I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he
   calls on Me…” (2:186)
   Pour out your heart to Allah and beg him earnestly. To
   learn how to make duʿā’ along with the duʿās from the
   Qur’ān and Sunnah, download ‘I Am Near’ or the ‘Dhikr
   and Dua’ App.
5. Complete the Qur’an in these blessed days.
   Make an intention of finishing at least one khatmah
   (completion) and ask Allah to help you with this. Recite
   as much Qur’ān, with reflection (tadabbur), as you can
   in these days .
6. Perform the night prayer (tahajjud).
   Aim to be punctual with the night prayers. If it is difficult
   to wake up, pray a few rakʿahs after ʿIshā’ with the
   intention of tahajjud. The Messenger of Allah  said:
   “Whoever stands at night, having recited 10 verses,
   he will not be recorded among the negligent. Whoever
   stands at night, having recited 100 verses, he will be
   recorded among those who are obedient to Allah. And
   whoever stands at night, having recited 1,000 verses,
   he will be recorded amongst those who receive huge
   rewards.” (Abū Dāwūd)
   N.B. The 29th and 30th Juz combined contain more than
   1,000 verses.
   When Saʿīd b. Jubayr, reached the first ten
   days of Dhul Ḥijjah, he would exert himself in
   worship to the extent that he would almost
   overwhelm himself. He would say: ‘Do not put
   out your lamps in these 10 nights.’
7. Give in charity and help anyone in need.
   The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever gives in
   charity something equivalent (even) to a date from his
   honestly earned pure income – for only the pure ascends
   to Allah – then Allah accepts it with His Right Hand, and
   then nurtures it for the person as one of you nurtures his
   baby horse, until it becomes like a mountain.” (Bukhārī)
8. Stay away from sins and do abundant istighfar
   (seeking forgiveness) and tawbah (repentance).
   Renew your repentance in these 10 days, and make
   a firm pledge to Allah to stop sinning, starting off with
   these days. Ibn Rajab said: “Beware of sins, because
   they deprive one from being forgiven in the seasons of
   mercy. Whilst sins push the slave far away from Allah,
   acts of obedience draw him near to Allah and His love.”The severity of sins in virtuous times and places
   increases, and their punishment is proportionate
   to the virtue of the time and place. (Ibn
   Taymiyyah )
9. Send salawat upon the Messenger of Allah .
   The Messenger of Allah  said: “The closest of people
   to me on the Day of Judgement will be those who send
   the most ṣalāh upon me.” (Tirmidhī)
10. Perform qurbani (udhiyah).
    The Prophet  said: “There is nothing more beloved to
    Allah that a slave can do on the day of Naḥr than spill
    blood (i.e. qurbānī). On the Day of Judgement, it will be
    brought forth with its horns, hair, and hooves. Indeed, the
    blood will be accepted by Allah even before it spills on
    the ground, so whole-heartedly delight in (performing
    the sacrifice).” (Tirmidhī)
    The Prophet  said: “I used to forbid you to store the
    meat of the sacrificed animals for more than three days
    so that there would be enough for everyone. But now
    Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has bestowed plenty upon
    us, so eat some, give some in charity and store some.
    Indeed, these days are the days of eating, drinking and
    remembering Allah.” (Nasā’ī)
    N.B. If you plan on sacrificing an animal and you need to
    cut your hair or nails, then do so before the start of the 10
    days. The Messenger of Allah said: “When the 10 days
    (of Dhul Ḥijjah) begin and one of you intends to sacrifce,
    then he should not remove anything from his hair or nails
    until he has performed the sacrifice.” (Muslim)
    Some scholars explain that the wisdom behind not
    cutting one’s hair and nails is to resemble the pilgrims of
    ḥajj in some way. Others consider that it constitutes part
    of the completion of the sacrificial rite.