The Greatest 10 Days of the Year

KEY TAKEAWAY

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are your once-a-year opportunity to combine the greatest acts of worship at their highest value—so seize them before they pass.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. Virtues of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijja in the Quran
B. Virtues of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijja in the Sunnah
C. The Five Greatest Deeds in the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah
1. Accepted Hajj (The Pinnacle of a Lifetime)
2. Salah on Time (The Foundation and Pinnacle of Every Day)
3. Fasting (Especially the Day of ʿArafah)
4. Dhikr (Especially Takbīr, Tahlīl, Tahmīd)
5. Sacrifice (Signature Ritual of the Ten Days)
D. The Nine Unique Virtues of the Day of Arafah

A. Virtues Of The First Ten Days Of Dhul-Hijja In The Quran

God Almighty says in Surat al-Fajr (The Dawn) number 89, verse 1-5: “By the dawn and the ten nights, and the even and the odd, and the night as it passes. Is there not in this an oath for a person of reason [Dhī Hijr].”

Dhī Hijr: a person whose sound understanding and deep reflection restrain them from false ideas and wrongful actions—the very character Ramadan seeks to cultivate.

“This” refers to the four powerful signs by which God swears—signs that only a person of reason (dhī hijr) is truly able to understand, reflect upon, and act on.

God’s Oath (qasam) draws our attention to something great, serious, and worthy of reflection and action: the dawn, the ten nights, the even and odd, and the passing night.

The Dawn — Your Daily Opportunity: Be mindful: Dawn symbolizes light after darkness—symbolizing renewal, hope, a fresh start, and a new beginning after the past. So, your day is not just another day; it is a fresh chance to reset, grow, and draw closer to God Most High. Win the morning, and you win the day; a strong start leads to a strong finish.

Act on it: Guard and prioritize salāt al-fajr on time, and begin your day with intention and hope. Even greater and more noble is to rise for qiyām al-layl just before dawn—during the last third of the night—when God descends to the lowest heaven and offers response, support, and forgiveness.

The Ten Nights — An Annual Peak Season: Be mindful: The “ten nights” refer to the first ten days and nights of Dhul-Hijjah. They are not ordinary days, but the greatest days of the year, containing the two greatest days of the year: the Day of ‘Arafah and the Day of Sacrifice—just as the last ten nights of Ramadan are the greatest nights of the year, containing the Night of Decree. These blessed days are a once-a-year peak season of immense reward, multiplied blessings, forgiveness, and nearness to God Almighty.

Act on it: Increase in righteous deeds—foremost among them: Hajj if you are able. Otherwise, salat on time, fasting the first nine days—especially the Day of ʿArafah, offering the sacrificial animal on the Day of Eid, and increasing in dhikr, particularly takbir, tahlil, and tahmid

Even and Odd: Even (e.g., male and female) and odd (e.g., one heart) symbolize the different patterns within God’s creation, all of which depends entirely upon Him. However, He alone is the Absolute and Ultimate Odd: the One who has no partner, pair, equal, or likeness, while everyone and everything depends upon Him alone.

Passing Night: With the passing night, hardship fades and darkness never last— symbolizing change and relief.

B. Virtues of the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijja in the Sunnah

Abdullah Bnu Abbas (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) narrated that the Messenger of God ﷺ said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to God than these days,” meaning the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They said: “O Messenger of God, not even jihād in the path of God?” He said: “Not even jihād in the path of God —except for a man who goes out with his life and wealth and returns with neither.”[1] (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Armed (military) jihād is specifically mentioned in this hadith because it was widely considered the highest form of sacrifice and the greatest of all deeds.

The only exception is the one who gives everything—his wealth and his life—because that is the highest level of sincerity and sacrifice.

So, if a person goes out for jihād and returns, it is still a great deed—but it does not surpass the righteous deeds done in these ten days. Only the one who gives everything—his life and his wealth, returning with nothing—reaches that exceptional level.

C. The Five Greatest Deeds in the First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

All righteous deeds are multiplied and elevated in these first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, including ʿIbādāt (Salāh, dhikr, duʿāʾ, Qur’an), financial (charity, supporting family), social (serving the needy, helping the distressed), character (kindness, patience, positivity, good manners), avoiding sins: (often neglected, yet critically important especially in sacred times).

Avoiding sins during these sacred days is itself among the greatest acts of worship, because honoring sacred times includes honoring God’s commands within them.

So, which deeds are the top ones specifically tied to these days? (1) Accepted Hajj, (2) salah on time, (3) fasting, (4) dhikr, and (4) sacrifice.

1. Accepted Hajj (The Pinnacle of a Lifetime)

If you are physically and financially able, then the greatest righteous deed to perform during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah is hajj. Prophet Muahmmad, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “The best deed is an accepted hajj.”[2] (Narrated by Abu Hurayrah – Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

2. Salah on Time (The Foundation and Pinnacle of Every Day)

“The most beloved deed to God is prayer at its proper time.”[3](Narrated by Abdullah Bnu Mas’ud – Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

The obligatory five daily prayers performed on time remain the greatest recurring daily act of worship. But how can hajj be described as the greatest deed while salah on time is described as the most beloved deed? Is there a contradiction? Absolutely not. There is never contradiction or conflict within the Noble Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace; rather, each statement addresses a different context and perspective.

An accepted hajj is the greatest deed of a lifetime for the one who is physically and financially capable, whereas salah on time is the most beloved recurring daily deed to God.

Hence, there is no contradiction: Hajj is the pinnacle of a lifetime, while salah on time is the pinnacle of every day.

3. Fasting (Especially the Day of ʿArafah)

Fasting the first nine days:One of the wives of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, narrated: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to fast the nine days of Dhul-Hijjah.”[4] (Sunan Abi Dawud).

Fasting the nineth day, the Day of ʿArafah (the peak):Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrated that God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Fasting the Day of ʿArafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.”[5] (Muslim). Fasting is always virtuous, yet it is elevated further during these ten blessed days, reaching its pinnacle on the best of days, day of ʿArafah—carrying immense reward and expiation of two years of sins. Jabir narrated that God’s Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “The best of days is Arafa.”[6]

4. Dhikr (Especially Takbīr, Tahlīl, Tahmīd)

Abdullah Bnu Umar (radiyallāhu ʿanhumā) narrated that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “There are no days greater in the sight of God, nor more beloved to Him for deeds, than these ten days—so increase in them in saying: Lā ilāha illallāh, Allāhu Akbar, and Al-hamdu lillāh.”[7] (Musnad Ahmad).

These three forms of dhikr are among the greatest righteous deeds in these ten days. They unite the proclamation of God’s Oneness, which purifies belief; the magnification of God, which instills awe and humility; and gratitude to Him which brings contentment and increase.

Takbir, tahlil, and tahmid are encouraged throughout the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah—then intensified with the prescribed takbir beginning after Fajr on the Day of ʿArafah (9th) and continuing after every obligatory prayer until after ʿAsr on the 13th. This timing reflects the commonly followed opinion (Hanafi and others). Other schools differ slightly (e.g., starting on the 10th not the 9th)

5. Sacrifice (Signature Ritual of the Ten Days)

On the Day of Eid, no deed is more emphasized than the sacrifice—its reward is accepted instantly, even before its blood reaches the ground. Aisha Bint Abi Bakr (radiyallāhu ʿanhā) narrated that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,said: “The son of Adam does not perform any deed on the Day of Sacrifice more beloved to God than shedding blood (of the sacrificial animal). It will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns, hair, and hooves (solid, hard feet), and indeed the blood is accepted by God before it falls upon the ground, so let your hearts be content with it.”[8] (Sunan al-Tirmidhi)

Sacrificing on the 10th day of Dhul-Ḥijjah—the Day of Eid (Yawm an-Nahr)—is more virtuous than delaying it to the other permissible days (the 11th, 12th, or 13th). Therefore, one should not delay it without a valid reason beyond one’s control, so as not to miss the maximum reward and greatest blessing. This is because the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, performed the sacrifice on that day, and because he said: “Indeed, the greatest of days in the sight of God is the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr), then the Day of Resting (Yawm al-Qarr).”[9] (Narrated by ʿAbdullah Bun Qurt; reported in Sunan Abi Dawud)

D. The Nine Unique Virtues of the Day of Arafah

• Arafah is among the greatest and most blessed individual days of the year
• Arafah falls within the greatest ten days of the year, the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah
• Arafah is the essential pillar of Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam
• Arafah is a day when God Almighty praises the pilgrims before the angels
• Arafah is the day when Satan is most humiliated, defeated, and enraged
• Arafah fasting expiates the minor sins of the previous year and the coming year
• Arafah is the greatest day for supplication (du’a) due to God’s immense mercy during it
• Arafah is the day when most people (pilgrims and non-pilgrims) are freed from the Fire
• Arafah is the day when God Almighty perfected the din and completed His favor by:
  • sending the Final Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace
  • completing of the final religion and clarifying the path to success and salvation
  • establishing the Muslim community that will carry this message until end of tim

[1] «مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ – يَعْنِي أَيَّامَ الْعَشْرِ – قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، إِلَّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ»
[2] «أَفْضَلُ الْعَمَلِ حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ»
[3] «أَحَبُّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى اللَّهِ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا»
[4] «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَصُومُ تِسْعَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ»
[5] «صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ»
[6] أفضل الأيام يوم عرفة
[7] «مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ فِيهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ، فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهِنَّ مِنَ التَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّحْمِيدِ»
[8] «مَا عَمِلَ ابْنُ آدَمَ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ عَمَلًا أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ إِهْرَاقِ الدَّمِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِقُرُونِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا وَأَظْلَافِهَا، وَإِنَّ الدَّمَ لَيَقَعُ مِنَ اللَّهِ بِمَكَانٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ، فَطِيبُوا بِهَا نَفْسًا»
[9] «إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الأَيَّامِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمُ النَّحْرِ، ثُمَّ يَوْمُ الْقَرِّ»