The Messenger (ﷺ) said:
There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.
AL-BUKHARI.

 

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are superior to all other days in Muslim calendar, just as the last ten nights of Ramadan are better than any other nights.  Allah ﷻ in His infinite mercy has blessed us with special designated days and nights when rewards are multiplied many folds. We are given a golden opportunity to humble ourselves before Him, seek forgiveness, and ask for goodness in our earthly lives and the hereafter.

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, nor greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice.” He was asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Daarimi, 1/357; its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwaa’, 3/398).

Allah ﷻ swears an oath by them, and swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and  benefit. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“By the dawn; by the ten nights” [al-Fajr 89:1-2].

Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mujaahid and others of the earlier and later generations said that this refers to the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn Katheer said: “This is the correct opinion.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/413)

These ten days include Yawm ‘Arafaah (the Day of ‘Arafaah), on which Allah perfected His Religion. Fasting on this day will expiate for the sins of two years. These days also include Yawm al-Nahar (the Day of Sacrifice), the greatest day of the entire year and the greatest day of Hajj, which combines acts of worship in a way unlike any other day.

Here are some of the ways we can make the most of these blessed days

1. Fasting

Almighty Allahﷻ says,

“All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.”’ [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

It is highly recommended to fast on the first nine days and especially on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah as Prophet (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it.

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” Surah Al Maidah, Verse 3

Abu Qatadah Al-Ansari narrated, “The Messenger of Allah was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah (the 9th of the month of Dhul Hijjah). He replied,

“Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for the preceding year and the following year.” He was also asked about fasting on the day of Ashura (the 10th of the month of Muharram). He replied, “Fasting on the day of Ashura is an expiation for the preceding year.” The Messenger of Allah was also asked about fasting on Monday, and he replied, “This is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was sent (with the Message of Islam) and the day on which I received revelation.” [Muslim]

2. Reciting tasbeeh, tahmeed, tahleel and takbeer

It is Sunnah to recite takbeer (Allahu Akbar), tahmeed (Alhamdulillah), tahleel (Laa ilaaha ill-Allah), and tasbeeh (SubhanAllah) abundantly during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

“That they might witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e., reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)…” [al-Hajj 22:28]

The majority of scholars agree that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because of the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father): “The ‘appointed days’ are the first ten days (of Dhu’l-Hijjah).”

It is recommended to recite the Takbeeraat-e-Tashreeq from the 9th to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah: 

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd.

Translation: “Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no deity besides Allah and Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest and all praises are for Allah only.”

3. Performing Hajj and Umrah

Performing Hajj and ‘Umrah. One of the best deeds that one can do during these ten days is to perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah ﷻ. The one whom Allah ﷻhelps to go on Hajj to His House and to perform all the rituals properly is included in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”

4. Offering the Qurbani (sacrifice of a livestock animal)

The qurbani (also known as udh’hiya) is the sacrifice of a livestock animal during Eid ul-Adha. It is the sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim . It is a means of getting closer to Allah . It is obligatory upon every sane adult who is not a traveller and can afford it (wealth equal to or more than nisab). It is performed on the days of sacrifice which is the 10th, 11th or 12th of Dhul Hijjah. One may sacrifice a thousand animals on days other than these, but it will never be regarded or considered as udh’hiya. Therefore the qurbani is a sacred act which can only be done during the three days of Dhul Hijjah as specified. Regarding the qurbani, Allah says in the Qur’an:

“It is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches Allah, It is their piety that reaches Allah.” [Surah Al-Haj:37]

5. Increasing in good deeds

We should strive to earn as much reward as possible by performing deeds beloved to Allah ﷻ. Here are a few ways we can do that:

We should recite the Quran and reflect on the message.

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” [At-Tirmidhi]

So if one letter of the Qur’an is equivalent to ten good deeds then imagine how much reward there is for reading each letter during these blessed 10 days which are said to be the best days of the year! Subhanallah!

As the rewards of doing good deeds during these days are increased significantly then we should also give as much as we can in charity. Allahﷻ promised forgiveness of our sins if we give in charity and give to the poor and needy. He honoured our charity and described it as a “ beautiful loan to Allahﷻ“ to emphasise that we are doing something good that He loves, and that He himself will pay our loan back to us doubled:

“If ye loan to Allah a beautiful loan, He will double it to your (credit), and He will grant you Forgiveness: for Allah is Most Ready to appreciate (service), Most Forbearing.” [Surah At-Taghabun:17]

We should aim to increase our superogatory prayers, such as 12 sunnah Rakaa’ahs, nawaffil, Duhaa prayer, Tahajjud, Tahiyyatul wudhu.

Abu Hurayrah reported the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) saying to Bilal :

“Tell me about the best of your deeds (i.e. one which you deem the most rewarding) since your embracing Islam because I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilal replied: “I do not consider any act of mine more rewarding than that whenever I make ablution at any time of night or day, I perform Prayer for as much as was destined for me to do.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Honour your parents – Islam teaches us that of the most beloved deeds to Allah ﷻ, having respect for one’s parents is second only to that of prayer and is greater than that of fighting in His cause.It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah bin Mas’ood , who observed:

“I asked Allah’s Messenger which deed was the best.” He (the Prophet ) replied: ‘The Prayer at its appointed hour.’ I (again) asked: “Then what?” He (the Holy Prophet) replied: ‘Kindness to the parents.’ I (again) asked: “Then what?” He replied: ‘Earnest struggle (Jihad) in the cause of Allah.’ I refrained from asking any more questions for fear of annoying him. [Sahih Muslim] 

Sincere repentance – one of the most important things to do during these ten days is to repent sincerely to Allahﷻ and to give up all kinds of disobedience and sin. Repentance means coming back to Allahﷻ and foregoing all the deeds, open and secret, that He dislikes, out of regret for what has passed, giving it up immediately and being determined never to return to it, but to adhere firmly to the Truth by doing what Allah ﷻ loves.

Doing Dhikr – as His creations we should all remember and glorify our creator as much as we possibly can, but even more so during these blessed days. The following are some easy and very beneficial dhikr and glorification we can do throughout these blessed days and nights.

– Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallahu Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Wa lillahil Hamd
– Subhanallah
– Alhamdulillah
– Allahu Akbar
– Laa ilaha ilallah
– La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
– Asthaghfirullah
– SubhanAllahil azeem wa bihamdihi
– Subhāna-llāhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llāhi, wa lā ilāha illā-llāhu, wa-llāhu akbar. Wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāhi-l-aliyyi-l-azīm
– Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu lahu-l-mulku wa lahu-l-ḥamdu yuhyi wa yumītu wa huwa ḥayyu-llā yamūtu abadan abada, ḏū-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, biyadihi-l-khayr, wa huwa alā kulli Shay-in qadīr or the shortened version Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer.

Make as much Dua as possible

Allah ﷻsays in the Qur’an,

“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.” [Suratul Baqarah:186]

We should busy ourselves in Dua during these 10 blessed days and nights particularly on the night and day of Arafat which is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. Duas are also readily accepted during fasting, especially just before Suhur ends and just before breaking the fast.

May Allahﷻenable us to make the best of these blessed days and nights and make it a means of our success in this world and in the Hereafter. Aameen.

 

 

 

 

Sources:

productivemuslim.com

islamica.info

ilmfeed.com