The great 10 days

And [by] ten days 

From Thursday to Saturday. July 4, 2022

Quran 89-02

And remember Allah during [specific] numbered days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days - there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [until the third] - there is no sin upon him - for him who fears Allah . And fear Allah and know that unto Him you will be gathered.

Quran 02/203

 The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja)." Then some companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Not even Jihad?" He replied, "Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's sake) and does not return with any of those things."

The Benefits and Sunnah of the First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah

Safa Faruqui

This year, Dhul Hijjah will begin from on 21st July 2020.

 The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are almost upon us and we don’t want to miss out on a single blessing. Just like the last ten nights of Ramadan, these ten days are crammed with opportunities to earn reward.

  To help you maximise your rewards, we’ve launched ‘The Best 10 Days’ - a handy tool for automating and scheduling your donations during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Don’t miss out on the rewards of giving in the best days of the year!

 We’ve also put together these simple tips for following the Sunnah and earning reward during Dhul Hijjah:

 Do dhikr (remembrance of Allah)

 Let’s begin with a simple yet effective action - increasing your dhikr. In Makkah, the Talbiyah will be on every pilgrim’s tongue throughout the day and night; those at home have also been commanded to praise Allah constantly in these ten days.

 The Eid takbeer is an example of dhikr that ticks all three of these boxes - tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed.

 You can also make dhikr after your five daily prayers - Subhan-Allah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times. 

 Reciting Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Glory be to Allah and praise Him) one hundred times a day will wipe away sins - no matter how burdensome they are.

 These simple measures will ensure you are remembering Allah throughout the day and benefitting from the blessings of Dhul Hijjah.

 Erase all your sins

 One of the most amazing things about Hajj is that, if your Hajj is accepted from you, your sins are completely erased and you are once more as pure as a newborn. But is there anything non-pilgrims can do to seek forgiveness on such a large scale during Dhul Hijjah?

The answer is - yes! Just like making Hajj to Masjid Al-Haram (the Ka’bah), praying in Masjid Al-Aqsa carries the amazing blessing of having all your sins wiped out. Of course, the Prophet (saw) was aware that many of us would find it difficult to make this journey, which is why he prescribed for his Ummah an alternative; gifting light to Masjid Al-Aqsa.

The Prophet (saw) was asked, ‘If one of us cannot visit it [Al-Aqsa], what should we do?’ He (saw) said, ‘Then he should make a gift of some oil to be lit therein [in its lamps]. For indeed the one who gifts this to it, will be like the one who has prayed therein’. (Ahmad)

By gifting light to Al-Aqsa during these blessed days, you will earn forgiveness for all of your sins, in sha’ Allah - just as you would on Hajj.

 Pray at night - and fast during the day!

 It’s been two months since the last ten nights of Ramadan, and many of us are missing the ‘spiritual high’ of seeking out Laylatul Qadr through our nightly worship. But did you know that praying at night for the first ten nights of Dhul Hijjah is equivalent to praying on Laylatul Qadr?

 The above hadith shows that Allah loves to be worshipped on these ten days, and one of the best ways to ensure you maximise your worship is by fasting all day and praying Tahajjud at night! When you sacrifice food, drink and sleep for Allah’s sake, you are truly reaping the benefits of these blessed days.

 Fast on the Day of ’Arafah

 If you are unable to fast for the whole ten days, try to fast on just the Day of ’Arafah, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. Just as Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night of the year, ‘Arafah is the most blessed day of the year. The Prophet (saw) said, ’There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than on the day of ‘Arafah’. (Muslim)

Like Laylatul Qadr, we should spend this day seeking forgiveness and availing ourselves of Allah’s incredible mercy. On this day, non-pilgrims have the opportunity to extinguish the sins of two years by fasting! The Prophet (saw) said, ′It (fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah) expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year’. (Muslim)

Give more Sadaqah

Not only are these the most beloved days to Allah - but He loves to be worshipped on them, and for us to put extra effort into doing good deeds during these days. Whether you’re helping around the house more, making a loved one a cup of tea, or simply smiling at your family, friends and colleagues - these actions become more valuable during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

Many of us maximise our Sadaqah during the last ten nights of Ramadan, but the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are just as valuable. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to earn extra rewards for simple good deeds! You can schedule your donations to Yemen, Syria and more on ‘The Best 10 Days’.