The First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah: How to Make the Most of Them

Most Muslims pour their energy into the last ten nights of Ramadan — and then let the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah pass like any ordinary week. Yet the Prophet ﷺ said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The companions asked, "Not even jihad in the path of Allah?" He replied, "Not even jihad — except a man who goes out risking his life and wealth and returns with nothing."

These are, by this hadith, the best days of the year for good deeds. The difference between a transformative Dhul Hijjah and a forgotten one is almost always a plan.

Why these ten days are so weighted

Allah swears by them in the Quran — "By the dawn, and by the ten nights" (89:1–2) — understood by many scholars to be these. They gather forms of worship found in no other season: fasting, prayer, Hajj, charity and the great sacrifice all converge here. They build to the Day of Arafah (the 9th) and Eid al-Adha (the 10th). A small effort here is multiplied beyond ordinary days.

The deeds to plan

You don't need to do everything — you need to choose and schedule a few, deliberately:

• Fasting the first nine days, or as many as you can. The Day of Arafah (9th) is the highlight: its fast expiates the past year and the coming year for non-pilgrims.
• Takbir and dhikr — increase Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, alhamdulillah throughout the days. The Sunnah is to say it aloud and often, from the 1st of Dhul Hijjah.
• Quran — a raised daily portion for these ten days.
• Charity — give consistently across the days; small daily sadaqah captures every one of them.
• Qurbani / Udhiyah — arrange your sacrifice for Eid al-Adha in advance.
• The five prayers on time, plus extra voluntary prayers — the simplest deed, easily lost in a busy day.

A simple plan for the ten days

Treat the ten days as a single block you plan in advance, not ten days you improvise:

1. Before they begin: decide your fasting days, your daily Quran portion, your charity, and arrange your Qurbani.
2. Each day: a fixed morning portion of Quran, takbir on the tongue, the five prayers protected, and your planned fast.
3. Day of Arafah (9th): clear your schedule as much as possible — fasting, dua, and dhikr. It is the day to pour out your heart in supplication.
4. Eid al-Adha (10th): the sacrifice, the prayer, family and gratitude.

Putting these on a plan — with daily reminders — is what stops the ten best days of the year from quietly becoming an ordinary week.

A note on intention

The reward of these days isn't in doing the most — it's in turning to Allah with sincerity during the season He magnified. Pick a few deeds you can truly sustain for ten days, renew your intention, and let these days lift you.

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Munazzim lets you plan the ten days in advance — set daily Quran and dhikr goals, schedule your fasts, and get prayer reminders — so the best days of the year don't slip by. Free to start.