The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year — days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than at any other time. Knowing how to make the most of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah lets you seize an annual opportunity many Muslims miss entirely.
This piece builds on our earlier one: What Is Dhul Hijjah? The Sacred Month and Its Ten Best Days — here we go deeper and more practical.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are, by the testimony of the Prophet ﷺ, the very best days of the year — and yet they pass many Muslims by almost unnoticed, overshadowed in awareness by Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ said, “there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than these ten days” (Bukhari 969) — so that a good deed done in these days is dearer to Allah ﷻ than the same deed at any other time, even, the companions were told, than striving in the path of Allah ﷻ, except for one who gives his life and wealth entirely. This makes the ten days of Dhul Hijjah an extraordinary annual opportunity: a season of multiplied reward, open to every Muslim, whether or not they are on Hajj. Knowing how to make the most of these ten days — which deeds to fill them with, and the spirit of the season — lets you seize a yearly chance for immense reward and closeness to Allah ﷻ that a great many people miss entirely. Understanding what makes these days so special, and how to fill them, turns an overlooked stretch of the calendar into one of the richest spiritual seasons of your year.
Why These Ten Days Are the Best of the Year
The immense virtue of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah rests on clear texts and reasons. First, the Prophet ﷺ named them the best days for deeds: he said, “there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than these ten days,” and when asked whether even striving in the path of Allah ﷻ was excepted, he said, “not even striving in the path of Allah ﷻ, except a man who goes out with his life and wealth and returns with none of it” (Bukhari 969) — an astonishing statement of their superiority. Second, Allah ﷻ swears by them: the Quran opens Surah al-Fajr with “by the dawn, and by ten nights” (89:1–2), which the majority of scholars understand as these ten nights of Dhul Hijjah — and Allah ﷻ swears only by what is momentous. Third, they contain the greatest days: these ten days include the Day of ‘Arafah (the ninth), the greatest day of the year and the pinnacle of Hajj, and the Day of Sacrifice (the tenth, Eid al-Adha), which the Prophet ﷺ called the greatest day in the sight of Allah ﷻ — so the best days contain the best of days. Fourth, they gather the greatest acts of worship: uniquely, these days combine all the major forms of worship — prayer, fasting, charity, Hajj, and the sacrifice — in a way no other season does, giving abundant avenues for reward. Fifth, the Day of ‘Arafah’s immense forgiveness: fasting the Day of ‘Arafah (for those not on Hajj) expiates the sins of two years, the past and the coming, as the Prophet ﷺ taught (Muslim 1162) — a reward available to every Muslim in these days. So the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best of the year because the Prophet ﷺ named them so for righteous deeds (Bukhari 969), Allah ﷻ swears by them (89:1–2), they contain the greatest days (‘Arafah and the Sacrifice), they gather all the major acts of worship, and they hold the immense forgiveness of ‘Arafah (Muslim 1162) — an annual season of multiplied reward open to all.
How to Make the Most of the Ten Days
Given their immense value, the wise believer fills the ten days of Dhul Hijjah with worship, seizing the multiplied reward — and there are many deeds to fill them with, whether or not one is on Hajj. First, increase in all righteous deeds: since these are the days when deeds are most beloved to Allah ﷻ, increase in every good — prayer, Quran, charity, remembrance, kindness, and every act of obedience — knowing each carries multiplied worth now. Second, fast the nine days, especially ‘Arafah: fasting is especially recommended in these days for those not on Hajj, and above all the Day of ‘Arafah (the ninth), whose fast expiates two years of sins (Muslim 1162) — one of the greatest single acts of the year, and a chance no Muslim should miss. Third, multiply the takbir, tahmid, and tahlil: the Prophet ﷺ encouraged abundant remembrance in these days — the takbir (“Allahu akbar”), tahmid (“Alhamdulillah”), and tahlil (“la ilaha illa Allah”) — so fill the days with the magnification and praise of Allah ﷻ, and from the ninth (Fajr of ‘Arafah) through the days of Tashriq, say the takbir after every prayer. Fourth, give charity generously: charity in these best days carries multiplied reward, so give abundantly, including to the poor, and share the season’s blessing. Fifth, make the Qurbani (udhiyah) if able: for those able, the sacrifice on the Day of Eid (and the days of Tashriq) is a great Sunnah of these days, following the way of Ibrahim ؑ, and reviving the spirit of sacrifice and feeding the poor. Sixth, repent and turn back to Allah ﷻ: use this blessed season to make sincere repentance, seeking Allah’s ﷻ forgiveness and turning back to Him, for it is a time of abundant mercy. Seventh, revive the neglected worship: bring back the prayers, the Quran, and the good deeds that may have slipped, using the days as a fresh start and a spiritual boost. And eighth, plan and be intentional: because the days are easily missed, plan ahead — set goals for worship, mark the fasts (especially ‘Arafah), and be intentional about seizing the season, rather than letting it pass unnoticed as it does for so many. To make the most of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, then, is to increase in all good deeds, fast the days and especially ‘Arafah (Muslim 1162), multiply the takbir and remembrance, give charity, make the sacrifice if able, repent, revive neglected worship, and plan intentionally — seizing an annual opportunity for immense reward and closeness to Allah ﷻ that the heedless let slip by every year.
Know these are the best days of the year for good deeds. Grasp the immense value of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah: the Prophet ﷺ said, “there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than these ten days” (Bukhari 969), and that not even striving in His path surpasses them, except one who gives his life and wealth entirely. Allah ﷻ swears by them (“by the dawn, and by ten nights,” 89:1–2), and they contain the greatest days of the year — ‘Arafah and the Day of Sacrifice. A good deed done now is dearer to Allah ﷻ than at any other time — an annual season of multiplied reward, open to every Muslim, that a great many miss entirely.
Fast the days — and never miss the Day of ‘Arafah. Fill these days with fasting, especially recommended for those not on Hajj — and above all, do not miss the fast of the Day of ‘Arafah (the ninth of Dhul Hijjah), of which the Prophet ﷺ said it expiates the sins of two years, the past and the coming (Muslim 1162). This is one of the greatest single acts of worship in the whole year, available to every Muslim, and its reward is immense. Mark it in advance, plan for it, and seize it — along with fasting the earlier days of the ten if you are able, filling the best days of the year with the beloved worship of the fast.
Multiply remembrance, charity, and repentance. Seize the multiplied reward of these days by increasing in every good: multiply the takbir (“Allahu akbar”), tahmid, and tahlil, which the Prophet ﷺ encouraged abundantly in these days, and say the takbir after every prayer from ‘Arafah through the days of Tashriq; give charity generously; make the Qurbani (sacrifice) if able, reviving the way of Ibrahim ؑ; and make sincere repentance, turning back to Allah ﷻ in this season of mercy. Revive any neglected worship, and be intentional — plan your worship for the ten days rather than letting them slip by unnoticed, as they do for so many every year.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year — days in which “righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ” than at any other time (Bukhari 969), sworn by in the Quran (89:1–2), containing the greatest days of ‘Arafah and the Sacrifice. Know these are the best days of the year for good deeds; fast the days and never miss the Day of ‘Arafah, whose fast expiates two years of sins (Muslim 1162); and multiply remembrance, charity, and repentance. This is an extraordinary annual opportunity — a season of multiplied reward open to every Muslim, on Hajj or not — that passes a great many by almost unnoticed. Do not let it slip: plan ahead, fill the ten days with fasting, takbir, charity, the sacrifice, and repentance, and seize a yearly chance for immense reward and closeness to Allah ﷻ. To make the most of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah is to turn an overlooked stretch of the calendar into one of the richest spiritual seasons of your year — and to gain, in ten days, what the heedless let pass by every single year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah so special?
Because the Prophet ﷺ named them the best days of the year for righteous deeds: “there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than these ten days” (Bukhari 969) — and not even striving in His path surpasses them, except one who gives his life and wealth entirely. Allah ﷻ swears by them in the Quran (“by the dawn, and by ten nights,” 89:1–2, understood as these ten nights). They contain the greatest days of the year — the Day of ‘Arafah and the Day of Sacrifice — and uniquely gather all the major forms of worship (prayer, fasting, charity, Hajj, and the sacrifice). So a good deed done in these days is dearer to Allah ﷻ than at any other time, making them an extraordinary annual season of multiplied reward for every Muslim.
What should I do in the ten days of Dhul Hijjah?
Increase in all righteous deeds, since they are most beloved to Allah ﷻ now. Fast the days, especially the Day of ‘Arafah (the ninth) for those not on Hajj, whose fast expiates two years of sins (Muslim 1162). Multiply the takbir (“Allahu akbar”), tahmid, and tahlil, and say the takbir after every prayer from ‘Arafah through the days of Tashriq. Give charity generously. Make the Qurbani (sacrifice) on Eid if able. Make sincere repentance and turn back to Allah ﷻ. Revive any neglected worship — prayer, Quran, remembrance — using the days as a fresh start. And be intentional: plan your worship for the ten days rather than letting them pass unnoticed. Every good deed in these days carries multiplied reward, so seize them fully.
Do I have to be on Hajj to benefit from these ten days?
No — the immense reward of the ten days of Dhul Hijjah is open to every Muslim, whether or not they are on Hajj. While those on Hajj perform its rites in these days, everyone else can fill the days with fasting, extra prayer, Quran, abundant remembrance (takbir, tahmid, tahlil), charity, the sacrifice, and repentance — all carrying the multiplied reward of the best days of the year. Above all, those not on Hajj can fast the Day of ‘Arafah, whose fast expiates two years of sins (Muslim 1162) — a reward specifically for the non-pilgrims. So no one is excluded from the season’s bounty: it is an annual opportunity for immense reward available to every believer, wherever they are, and a great many people miss it simply by not knowing or not planning for it.
What is so important about the Day of ‘Arafah?
The Day of ‘Arafah (the ninth of Dhul Hijjah) is the greatest day of the year and the pinnacle of Hajj, on which the pilgrims stand at ‘Arafah imploring Allah’s ﷻ forgiveness. For those on Hajj, the standing at ‘Arafah is the very essence of the pilgrimage, and it is a day of unparalleled forgiveness on which Allah ﷻ frees more people from the Fire than any other day (Muslim 1348). For those not on Hajj, fasting the Day of ‘Arafah is one of the greatest acts of the year: the Prophet ﷺ said it expiates the sins of two years, the year before and the year after (Muslim 1162). So ‘Arafah is a day of immense mercy and forgiveness for all Muslims — pilgrims through the standing, and everyone else through the fast — and should never be missed.
What is Qurbani (the sacrifice) in these days?
The Qurbani (udhiyah) is the sacrifice of an animal (such as a sheep, goat, cow, or camel) offered on the Day of Eid al-Adha (the tenth) and the following days of Tashriq, by those who are able. It revives the way of the Prophet Ibrahim ؑ, who was commanded to sacrifice his son and then ransomed with a great sacrifice — the origin of the rite — and it is a great Sunnah of these days. The meat is shared, with a portion given to the poor, so the sacrifice also feeds the needy and spreads the joy of the festival. Making the Qurbani, for those able, is one of the beloved acts of the best days of the year, an expression of devotion, gratitude, and the spirit of sacrifice, and a means of drawing near to Allah ﷻ and caring for the poor in this blessed season.