The first ten of Dhul Hijjah
The Prophet ﷺ said no deeds done in any days are more beloved to Allah than deeds in these ten. Day of Arafah and how to use the days.
Outline
- 1
Better than the last ten of Ramadan in days
The Prophet ﷺ said: no deeds done in any days are more beloved to Allah than deeds done in these (the first ten of Dhul Hijjah). They asked: even jihad in the path of Allah? He said: even jihad in the path of Allah, except for a man who went out with his life and his wealth and returned with neither (Bukhari 969).
- 2
Day of Arafah
For those not on Hajj, fasting Arafah expiates the sins of the year before and the year to come (Muslim 1162). It is a single day that arrives once a year and is unmatched in reward for its size.
- 3
Takbeer
Increase the takbeer in these days: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahi al-hamd. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions would proclaim it openly in the markets (Bukhari, mu'allaq).
Closing line
Allahumma taqabbal minna, O Allah, accept from us.
Ammar ibn Yasir (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ called a man's long prayer and short khutbah a sign of his understanding (Sahih Muslim 869). Aim for fifteen to twenty minutes. Two sections separated by a brief sitting is the Sunnah pattern.