10 Things to do in the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

1. Make sincere Tawbah and Istighfaar (seek Allah’s forgiveness).

2. Recite Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar).

3. Recite Tahleel (Laa ilaa ha illAllaah).

4. Recite Tahmeed (Alhamdulillah).

* One may even recite Tasbeeh (Subhaanallah).

5. Perform nafl Salaah in accordance with Shar’iah, recite Qur-aan and Salawaat on the Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) in accordance to Shar’iah.

6. Give sadaqah.

7. Do extra good deeds in general and refrain from bad ones.

8. Fast on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah (Yaum-ul ‘Arafah).

9. Make Ud-hiyyah (sacrificing an animal on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah)

10. Perform Hajj and Umrah, if you are able to.

What is recommended in these days?
1. Salaah – It is highly recommended to perform the obligatory acts at their prescribed times (as early as possible) and to increase oneself in the superogatory acts, for indeed, this is what brings a person closer to their Lord. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Upon you is to increase in your prostration to Allah, for verily you do not prostrate to Allah with even one prostration, except that He raises you in degrees and decreases your sins because of it.” [Muslim]

2. Fasting – This has been mentioned as one of the acts of righteousness where Hunaydah ibn Khalid reports on the authority of his wife who reports that some of the wives of the Prophet, (Sallallahu ‘Alyhi wa Sallam) said, “The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘Alyhi wa Sallam) would fast on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Aashooraa and three days in every month.” [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, an-Nisaa’ee and others] An-Nawawi (rahimahullah) said that fasting in these ten days is extremely recommended.
(There is some controversy on whether all of the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah should be fasted or just the 9th day itself. Please refer to our post on this subject).

There is however no controversy regarding fasting on the day of ‘Arafah. Fasting has been affirmed on the 9th Dhul-Hijjah, where it has been confirmed from Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) that he said regarding fasting on the day of ‘Arafah: “Be content with the fact that Allah will expiate for you your sins for the year before (the day of ‘Arafah) and the year after (the day of ‘Arafah).” [Muslim] However, whoever is at ‘Arafah as a pilgrim then fasting is not expected of him, as Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) stopped at ‘Arafah to eat.

3. Saying Allahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illAllah and Alhamdulillah – It is found in the aforementioned narration of Ibn ‘Umar: “So increase yourselves in saying Laa illaaha illAllah, Allahu Akbar and Alhamdulillah.”

Al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) said: “Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (RadiyAllahu ‘anhumaa) used to go out to the markets in the ten days saying the Takbeer causing the people to follow them in this action.”

He also said: “‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (RadiyAllahu ‘anhu) used to say the Takbeer in his mimbar in Mina, whereupon the people of the mosque hearing ‘Umar (RadiyAllahu ‘anhu), would start to say the Takbeer as would the people in the markets until the whole of Mina was locked in glorifying Allah.”

Ibn ‘Umar (RadiyAllahu ‘anhu) used to say the Takbeer in Mina during these ten days and after prayers, whilst on his bed, in his tent, in his gathering and whilst walking. What is recommended is to say the takbeer aloud due to the fact that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, his son and Abu Hurayrah used to do likewise (RadiyAllahu ‘anhum)

Strive with us O Muslims in reviving this sunnah that has become lost in these times and it was almost forgotten, even amongst the people of righteousness and goodness all of which is unfortunately in opposition to what the best of generations were upon preserving and maintaining the superogatory (nafl) acts.

There are a number of ways of making Takbeer that have been narrated by the Sahaabah (RadiyAllahu ‘anhum) and their followers and from these ways is the following:

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar kabirun.
Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallaahu, wallahu akbar, wallahu akbar, wa lillaahil hamd.
Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallaah, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar wa lillaahil hamd.
And the one most of us read, also known as Takbeer of Tashreeq which is Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallaah, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar wa lillaahil hamd.

Some ‘Ulamaa say that one may even recite third Kalimah (Kalimah Tamjeed) as it has Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, Tahleel and Takbeer in it. One may even recite Salaat-ut Tasbeeh as it is among the nawaafil practiced by Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) making it virtuous not only as a supererogatory prayer but also because it has Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, Tahleel and Takbeer in it.

There is basically no specific prayer but whatever has been mentioned in ahaadeeth (such as the hadeeth of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar , RadiyAllahu ‘anhumaa), where he reported that Rasoolullah (Sallallaahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “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-Allaah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.” [Ahmad]) should be adhered to. Let’s revive the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam)!
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) said, “Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” [Tirmidhi, 7/443; this is a hasan hadeeth because of corroborating asaaneed]