It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,” meaning the (first) ten days of Dhul- Hijjah. They said: “O Messenger of Allah! Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah?” He said: “Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah, unless a man goes out with himself and his wealth and does not bring anything back.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1727)
What an enormous blessing from Allah ﷻ !
If, like me, you’ve been wanting to strengthen your relationship with Allah ﷻ, I would like to invite you to think of these 10 days as an opportunity to do so and to build habits that will benefit both our dunya and akhira, insha’Allah.
Many people use the beginning of a new year as motivation to make what they consider to be positive changes in their lives. However, research suggests that new year’s resolutions often fail because they focus too heavily on outcomes rather than the process itself. For example, someone may set a goal of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, but given the transient nature of the passage of a year to the next and therefore, the fleeting excitement of new year’s resolutions, people may struggle to build the routines and systems needed to sustain that change.
The beauty of the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah is that they naturally emphasize the process, as there are 10 of them. It goes without saying that every single day during or outside the month of Dhul Hijja is a gift from Allah ﷻ that we can use to draw closer to Him. During the month of Dhul Hijja however, we may feel more motivated by additional rewards from Allah ﷻ, and if we fall short when it comes to our spiritual goals one day of Dhul Hijja, we still have another chance the next insha’Allah. These 10 days encourage us not only to focus on performing more good deeds, but also to reflect on and modify our routines, intentions, and habits in a way that can create lasting change, insha’Allah.
May Allah ﷻ allow us to make the most of these blessed days of Dhul Hijjah, accept our deeds, and draw us closer to Him. Ameen.
If what I have said is correct, it is from Allah ﷻ; and if it is wrong, then it is from myself and Shayṭān.
As Salaam Aleykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatouh.