The Days Allah Loves The Most: Dhul Hijjah

Not all days are equal. In our lives, we have moments that feel special. In Islam, there are days that are not just special, they are powerful. Days in which rewards are multiplied, sins are forgiven, and a person can completely transform their life.

These are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Allah says;

وَٱلۡفَجۡرِ (1) وَلَيَالٍ عَشۡرٖ (2)

“By the dawn; and by the ten nights.” [89:1-2]

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” [Bukhari]

Think about that carefully. There are no days in the entire year where good deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days. Not even the days of Ramadan.

These are not normal days. These are the best days of the year. If we think about this carefully, through the ten days of Dhul Hijjah, Allah is giving us ten opportunities to change our life, ten opportunities to be forgiven, and ten opportunities to get closer to Him.

These days are not only for those going to Hajj. These days are for every single one of us. Whether you are in school, college, or at home, you have access to these rewards. These ten days combine all major acts of worship: Salah, fasting, charity, Dhikr, and Hajj. No other time of the year has all of these together. So as young people, we can go the extra mile and do extra good deeds. Remember to recite extra Quran, remember to help your parents, remember to share good things on your social media. Remember some of the good things you used to do in Ramadan and repeat them during the ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

One of the greatest days within Dhul Hijjah is the Day of Arafah. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Fasting on the day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.” [Muslim]

SubhanAllah. Two years of sins wiped away in one day. This shows the immense Mercy of Allah. Imagine standing on the Day of Judgment and you see mountains of sins in front of you. And then you are told, these sins were erased because of one day, one fast, one sincere intention on the Day of Arafah. SubhanAllah, a single day could be the reason you enter Jannah.

May Allah give us the ability to make the most of the blessed ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

Second Part

We are reminded of one of the most powerful moments in history during the blessed days of Hajj. Prophet Ibrahim was instructed to sacrifice what he loved the most, his son Ismail, for the sake of Allah. Allah says;

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْيَ قَالَ يَٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ ۚ قَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ ۖ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

“Then when he reached the age of working with him, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.’” [37:102]

Subhanallah, in the blessed days of Dhul Hijjah, Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his beloved son for the sake of Allah. Now let me ask you, what are we willing to sacrifice for Allah? As young people, we are surrounded by distractions such as social media, entertainment, and daily consumption of useless things. These ten days are a chance to at least give up one bad thing; maybe you can give up swearing and instead use positive words. Maybe you can give up sharing haram things on social media and start sharing good things on social media. Maybe it is a good time to increase your level of kindness to your parents and re-connect with them. Give up something bad within the ten days of Dhul Hijjah and then see how long you can continue after that. Remember, no one is perfect and everyone is on a journey of improving themselves, whilst knowing well that we will fall short.

Now that we understand the importance of these days, the question is: what should we do? Firstly, Salah. Pray your five daily prayers on time. Even try to add extra prayers if possible. Secondly, increase your Dhikr. Say SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, and La ilaha illallah as much as you can throughout the day. Thirdly, give charity. Even a small amount can carry a huge reward if it is done sincerely. Give 20p, 50p or a pound every day. Fourthly, aim to fast at least on the Day of Arafah. Remember, fasting this one day can wipe away two years of sins. Fifthly, stay away from sins. These are the best days of the year, so do not ruin them with bad actions, such as swearing and sharing inappropriate things on social media.

In conclusion, Dhul Hijjah is a gift from Allah. It is an opportunity to change your life, to build good habits, and to earn His pleasure. Do not let these days pass like any other.

May Allah give us the Tawfeeq to make the most of Dhul Hijjah, increase in our good deeds, forgive our sins, and make us among those who are successful in this life and the Hereafter. Ameen.