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