The Blessed 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah: Recommended Acts

“There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahleel (“La ilaaha ill-Allah”), Takbeer (“Allahu akbar”) and Tahmeed (“Al-hamdu Lillah”).”

[Ahmad]

We have all heard the countless ahadith regarding the immense blessings of Dhul-Hijjah, and in particular, these first ten days. How then have we prepared for them?

Despite its blessedness, this season of Hajj often tends to sneak up upon us. Unlike the months of preparations that occur in advance of Ramadan, Hajj and Dhul-Hijjah prep seem to be exclusive to those making the physical journey to Makkah and Medinah.  But how can we all, regardless if making the pilgrimage by foot or not, ready our hearts spiritually to make productive use of this time?

Hajj season is an opportune time to deepen our relationship with Allah. Many of us write out Ramadan dua’s in advance to read at the time of breaking our fasts or in the blessed last ten days of the month. Similarly,  the Hajj is a symbolic act of submission encased in prayers. The pilgrim’s lips are constantly moving in His dhikr (remembrance), the hearts yearning for deliverance from error, for ease of suffering, for guidance, for a path forward in all avenues of life. It would behoove us to lose out on this time, especially on the day of Arafah – the most sacred day of the year for Muslims – when from mid-day to sunset pilgrims spend their time earnestly calling out to God in longing and in love.

Akin to how we plan for any other goals in life, the Hajj season is a divine opportunity to reconnect our hearts in reverence for God and realign our lives to live in integrity and complete submission to Him. Are we able to take a few days off work or reshuffle our schedules to permit some quiet time for reflection?  What have we achieved since Ramadan?  What about our goals for the upcoming year? Where have we fallen short in purpose? Where can we better ourselves?  How will we go about this?

Some concrete, recommended actions for the blessed 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah:

1. 1. Structure your time.
   2. Be mindful of the obligatory (fard) prayers and pray them on time.
   3. Perform the recommended (sunnah) and extra supererogatory (nafl) prayers.
   4. Aim for Tahajjud and pour your heart into dua.
   5. Fast the first nine days, especially the day of Arafah.
   6. Spend a few moments on the recommended adkhaar and reflect after each prayer.
      • Subhanallah
      • Alhamdulillah
      • Allahu Akbar
      • Laa ilaha illallah
      • La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
      • Asthaghfirullah
      • SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi SubhanAllahil azeem 
      • Laa ilaaha illal-laahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer
   7. Pray in congregation whenever possible and keep the bond with the masjid. During the pandemic we are in, continue to donate to your masjid.
      
   8. Ask forgiveness of others, especially those we have hurt, and rekindling broken ties.
   9. Be extra mindful of personal conduct.
   10. Help the needy and visit the sick
   11. Control your anger
   12. Spend time in solitude with the Qu’raan
   13. Perform the (qurbani/udhiya) – the symbolic sacrificing of meat as a reminder of Prophet Ibraheem, Ismail, and Hagar’s sincere devotion to God, and distribute the meat to the poor, needy, family, and friends.
   14. Attend and perform Eid prayer with the community

“Hajj is Arafah.” – Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

[Abu Dawud]

Arafah is a one of the most intimate moments we have with Allah during the Hajj and to build that connection within our homes first is profound. From its linguistic underpinning, Arafah is the station of self-awareness – of both our weaknesses and strengths – and in the process, coming to understand God and His constant Divine presence in our lives. While pilgrims engage in spiritual retreat, in solitude yet in unity, the one traveling from afar with their heart fasts so as to attain that same nearness to God. It is quite befitting given the memories of Ramadan may be quickly fading. Arafah is a gift to rekindle our love of fasting, to keep efforts to know God afresh no matter the time or place.

One quick and easy good deed to perform during these days is ensuring daily charitable giving.  The LaunchGood Dhul-Hijjah Challenge allows for us to do just that.  It is an opportunity to support amazing social good causes around the world daily and increase our collective global impact.

There are many more ways to prepare ourselves for these sacred ten days of Dhul-Hijjah leading up to Hajj. What helps you and your families get into the Hajj mindset?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!