The Prophet (saw) said, “Perform good year-round. And seek out the breaths of Allah’s mercy. For Allah has breaths of His mercy—they touch whom He wills of His servants.”

Such a breath of mercy is around the corner, a cool, brisk breeze rushing towards us. Let’s get ready to receive it. It is anticipated that August 2 marks the start of the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, days that our Prophet Muhammad (s) preferred over all other days of the year.

He (s) said, “There are no days in which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than in these ten days.” The companions asked him, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?” He replied, “Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah—except for a man who puts forth his life and wealth, and returns with neither.” (Bukhari)

Peace and blessings be upon you, Prophet of Allah! You are always giving us extra chances. No one should let this chance for forgiveness slip through his fingers and then regret losing it when regret can do no good. Allah Himself ordered us to increase our remembrance of Him in these days: {And to Remember the name of Allah through the Days appointed.} (al-Hajj, 28)

The Appointed Days mentioned in this verse are none other than the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, as Ibn ‘Abbas explained. They are the greatest days of the year, filled with boundless potential for the soul seeking the pleasure of Allah. There are some special actions you can do to draw closer to Allah during the ten days of Dhul Hijjah. 

In the upcoming blog posts, we will explore some of these high-reward actions we should include in our plan for Dhul Hijjah.