Praise
be to Allah who has created Time and has made some times better than others,
some months and days and nights better than others, when rewards are multiplied
many times, as a mercy towards His slaves. Most of us are aware of the
blessings of the nights of Ramadhaan, especially the last 10 nights. Similarly,
the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah, which is the last month of the Islamic
calendar, is equally packed with blessings.
By specifying such special days Allah has provided Muslims with numerous opportunities throughout the year to renew our faith and to encourage us more towards acts of goodness, and make us more eager to worship Him. Now we have another such opportunity.
The
following will highlight some of the things we can do regarding these days so
that we can make the most out of these days and gain Allah’s reward Inshaallah.
1. Prayer
It’s
highly recommended that one should be punctual in performing the fardh acts at
their prescribed times e.g. salah. Being conscious of fardh acts at their
prescribed times is what brings us closer to Allah.
2. Dhikr
It is recommended that one should make a habit
of making dhikr on a daily basis and increase in the dhikr during these 10
days. One should increase in reciting tahlil (la ilaha illallah), takbir
(allahu akbar), and tahmid (Alhamdulillah).
3. Fasting
The 9th
of Dhul Hijjah is the day of Arafah. It is the day when pilgrims stand on the
plain of Arafah to pray. On this day, the Muslims who do not witness the annual
Hajj should spend the day fasting in preparation for the 3 days festivity of
Eid ul Adha – the celebration marking the end of the Hajj and commemorating
Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s) willingness to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (a.s).
One
of the virtues of fasting on the day of Arafah is that it absolves the sins of
2 years; the previous year and the coming year.
4. Avoid
cutting hair or nails
Anyone
who plans to perform qurbani (sacrifice) is prohibited to cut the hair or nails
from the 1st of Dhul Hijjah until the qurbani
is performed. 
