1

Things to Do on the Blessed 10 Days of Dhul

Hijjah
The Prophet has said regarding these blessed days:
There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to
Allah than these ten days. The people asked , Not even Jihad for
the sake of Allah? He said, Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah,
except in the case of a man who went out, giving himself and his
wealth up for the cause (of Allah), and came back with nothing.
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]

The following are recommended acts to do during the blessed 10

days and nights of Dhul Hijjah.

1. Fasting the 9 days of Dhul Hijjah

It is recommended to fast on the first nine days of Dhul Hijjah,
especially on the 9th which is the blessed day of Arafah. Allahs
Messenger encouraged us to do righteous deeds in the first ten
days of Dhul Hijjah; and indeed fasting is one of the best of deeds.
Almighty Allah 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]
Note: The 10th of Dhul Hijjah is the day of Eid ul Adha and it is
prohibited to fast on this day.
Forgiveness for 2 years of sins (minor sins) for fasting on the
day of Arafah: 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.
 2

2. Reciting tasbeeh, tahmeed, tahleel and

takbeer abundantly
It is Sunnah to recite takbeer (Allahu
Akbar), tahmeed (Alhamdulillah), tahleel (Laa ilaaha ill-Allah),
and tasbeeh (SubhanAllah) during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
These words should be recited abundantly in the masajid, homes,
streets and in every place where it is permissible to remember and
glorify Allah.

Reciting 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.
Men can recite the above after every fardh salaat from Fajr of the
9th of Dhul Hijjah until Asr of the 13th of Dhul Hijjah audibly.
Women should recite it silently.

3. Offering the Qurbani (sacrifice of a livestock

animal)
The qurbani (also known as udhhiya) 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 udhhiya. 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 Quran:
It is not their meat, nor their blood, that reaches Allah, It is their
piety that reaches Allah. [Surah Al-Haj:37]
 3

4. Doing more good deeds than usual

The Prophet said: There are no days in which righteous deeds
are more beloved to Allah than these ten days (Dhul Hijjah).
[Sunan Ibn Majah]

The following 7 deeds are amongst the best actions we can do

during these blessed 10 days:

Reciting the Quran abundantly

Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have
a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten.

Showing exemplary character

The Prophet Muhammad said, Nothing will be heavier
on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than
good manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse
language. [At- Tirmidhi]

Giving much in charity

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.Allah 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 Allah 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]

Respecting and honouring our parents

Islam teaches us that of the most beloved deeds to Allah,
having respect for ones parents is second only to that of
prayer and is greater than that of fighting in His cause.It is
 4

narrated on the authority of Abdullah bin Masood , who

observed: I asked Allahs 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]

Doing many nawafil (superogatory) prayers

Rabiah ibn Malik al-Aslami reported that the Prophet
said:Ask (anything). Rabiah said: I ask of you to be your
companion in paradise. The Prophet said: Or anything
else? Rabiah said: That is it. The Prophet said to him:
Then help me by making many prostrations (i.e.,
supererogatory prayers). [Abu Dawud]

Increase in glorification & remembrance of Allah

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 of Dhul Hijjah.

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
Subhna-llhi, wa-l-hamdu li-llhi, wa l ilha ill-llhu, wa-llhu
 5

akbar. Wa l hawla wa l quwwata ill bi-llhi-l-aliyyi-l-azm

- Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa
lahul-hamdu wa huwa alaa kulli shay-in qadeer

Making much dua

Almighty Allah says in the Quran, 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.

Making life changes

We should make the necessary changes to improve ourselves
as Muslims and what better time to make such changes than
during these blessed 10 days where we can change our lives
forever.

O believers enter into Islam completely and do not follow the

footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your clear-cut enemy. [Surah
Al-Baqarah:208-210]

May Allah enable 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 ( Ameen).