the best days to turn back to Allah
a simple guide to dhul hijjah & some personal reflections ♡
i don’t know about you, but i miss ramadan. i miss the nights full of prayer, the way my heart softened without me even having to ask, the tears that came easier than they usually do. i miss the discipline, the sense of direction, the closeness to Allah that felt as though He was physically present in every moment. and if i’m being honest, it’s been hard since. ramadan feels like a place my soul lives in, and when it ends, it always feels like i’ve been evicted from somewhere my heart calls home.
but what’s kept me going is knowing that Allah gave us another chance. a shorter, more intense chance. a window into His love. because the first ten days of dhul hijjah aren’t just a spiritual booster, they are the best days of the entire year. the Prophet ﷺ didn’t say the best days of the month. or the best days after ramadan. he said the best days of this world. subhanallah.
so here we are. another chance. and this time, maybe we’ll walk into it not with the excitement we had before ramadan, but with the ache of someone who’s been yearning to come home.
the virtues of these ten days
Allah doesn’t swear by things in vain, however He says:
“by the dawn, and by the ten nights” (89:1-2)
and this means He’s pointing us towards something. Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas (ra), and many of the salaf have said that these ten nights refer to the first ten of dhul hijjah. if Allah is swearing by them, that means they matter. they mean something.
and then we have the Prophet ﷺ, who said:
“there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” (al-bukhari)
read that again. no days. not even the days of ramadan. not even laylatul qadr!!! the opportunity here is unmatched.
and the beauty of these days is that they’re for everyone. you don’t have to be in makkah (may Allah invite us). you don’t have to be wearing ihram. you just have to be willing. the hujjaj have the place, but we have the time. and that time is precious.
so what makes these days so weighty?
the scholars say it’s because all the main acts of worship are gathered in them: salah, fasting, charity, dhikr, and hajj. that doesn’t happen in any other time of the year. they are packed with blessings. with opportunity. with the potential to rewrite the trajectory of your soul.
and the Prophet ﷺ told us to recite a lot of dhikr in these days.
“there are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahleel (la ilaha illAllah), takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and tahmeed (alhamdulillah) during them.” (ahmad)
so, let your tongue get used to His remembrance. say it while you’re walking to work/school. when you’re in bed. when you feel empty. fill those empty pockets with dhikr. because they’ll fill you back up.
ibrahim (as) and the origins of dhul hijjah
these days are not just special because they’re holy. they’re special because of what they commemorate, and it all starts with ibrahim (as).
ibrahim (as) was a man who gave everything to Allah. his comfort. his reputation. his family. his son. there are few stories that demonstrate true surrender like his.
he was thrown into a fire by his people. alone. humiliated. betrayed. and yet what did he say? he said:
“hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel” — Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs.
and with that, the fire became cool. a fire that turned into a garden. a reminder that when you hand over your fear to Allah, He gives you peace in return.
and then there’s the story of him and ismail (as). imagine waiting decades for a child. imagine the joy of finally being a father. and then imagine being told to leave that child and his mother in the middle of the desert. no food. no water. nothing but the sky.
but he trusted. and hajar (as) trusted. and that trust became zamzam. it became makkah. it became the ka’bah. that’s what Allah does. He turns your greatest sacrifice into your greatest legacy.
and when he was told to sacrifice ismail (as), they both surrendered. ismail (as) said,
“do as you’re commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.” (37:102)
imagine raising a child so righteous he accepts the knife, and still says, “i trust Allah.” this is sabr. this is true surrender.
this was the fruit of years and years of obedience. of prayers. of being cast out by his own father.
ibrahim (as) was patient when his own dad rejected him. when he broke the idols and his father threatened to burn him alive. ibrahim didn’t respond with hate. he didn’t curse or shout. instead, he said:
"peace be upon you. i will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord..." (19:47)
he chose adab over anger. sabr over bitterness.
and in return, Allah gave him a son who reflected the very character he upheld.
however, sometimes the fruit of your sabr doesn’t always show up in your lifetime. ibrahim (as) didn’t live to see the Prophet ﷺ. or us. or you reading this. but he laid the foundation. and Allah honoured him through the generations.
if there’s anything to take from this, it’s that whatever you give for the sake of Allah will return to you better. it might not come in the form you expect. but rest assured, it will come. and once it does, it will be yours forever.
what to actually do in these ten days
now let’s talk about the how. because these days are about acting on feelings of inspiration. it’s good to seek knowledge — of course it is — but acting on what we learn is so important.
fast.
especially on the day of arafah. the Prophet ﷺ said fasting on that day “expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.” (muslim). that’s two years of sin, gone. imagine going into the next year spiritually weightless. even fasting one day out of the ten counts. but if you can do more, do more. it’s a shield. it’s purification. it’s reward multiplied by the best days of the year.
recite the arafah dua:
la ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulk, wa lahul hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. (at-tirmidhi)
this is the best dua the Prophet ﷺ and the prophets before him made on the day of arafah. say it often. say it with sincerity. ponder upon its meaning.
increase your dhikr.
don’t underestimate this. the Prophet ﷺ commanded it. not suggested. fill your tongue with remembrance. say it even when you’re tired. even when your heart feels numb. say it until it feels sweet again. say it until it cracks something open in you.
give charity.
even if it’s £1 a day. even if it’s a smile. sadaqah extinguishes sins like water puts out fire. and in these days, it could be the difference between who you are now and who you become.
“Allah, the Exalted, says, ‘spend, o son of adam, and I shall spend on you.’” – (al-bukhari and muslim).
pray extra.
even just 2 rak’ahs. qiyam. duha. sunnah prayers. add something. stack your scale.
sacrifice.
if you can, participate in udhiyah. follow the sunnah of ibrahim (as). share the meat. feed others. remember that this is more than a ritual, it’s a revival of legacy.
make tawbah.
these are the best days to turn back. cry. ask. beg. unload your sins like you’re unpacking a bag you’ve carried too long. Allah loves the one who repents. and He waits for us to return.
closing reflection
dhul hijjah is mercy. it’s not about perfection. it’s not about being productive or ticking boxes. it’s about turning your heart back in the right direction. even if it’s been lost for a while.
and that’s one thing i’m holding onto this time round. i don’t need to do this perfectly.
i know myself. i can fall into that trap, wanting to “maximise” the ten days so badly that i guilt myself into paralysis. setting unrealistic goals. beating myself up when i don’t hit my dhikr goal or don’t finish the Quran reading i planned.
so this time, i’m choosing intention over intensity. consistency over chaos. i’m letting go of the pressure to be the “ideal muslimah” and instead, i’m just trying to be sincere.
because Allah doesn’t need perfection from me. He asks for presence.
so, i’m not writing this from a place of being sorted. i’m writing this as someone trying. someone missing ramadan and trying to figure out how to not lose the little bit of light that’s left in me.
and that’s exactly what these ten days are for. these ten days are an invitation. and the One inviting you is Allah. the One who knows how broken you are. the One who knows how much you’ve been carrying. the One who sees every effort you make, even when you feel like it’s not enough.
you don’t need to be perfect to be loved by Him. you just need to try.
so try.
and maybe, these ten days will be the beginning of the best version of you.
may Allah SWT allow us to achieve our goals with the utmost sincerity.
may He SWT allow us to leave the best days of the year feeling nourished, content and healed.
may He SWT shower us with His abundant Love.
may He SWT accept our efforts.
allahumma ameen.
love, imaan x
some charity links that may come in handy iA:
donate life saving food to palestine
support the street children of bangladesh
provide qurbani sacrifices in india and gaza
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AWWW yk what i miss ramadhan too and ive learnt a lot from this thanks a lot for taking your time to write this! so good and educational Masha Allah 🤍
i truly love you for this. it was suchhhhh a needed reminder. ♥️