If there was a simple act you could do anywhere while walking, cooking, commuting, or lying in bed that earns you immense rewards and draws you closer to Allah during the most beloved days of the year… would you do it?
Well, guess what? That act is Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah). And it’s one of the most powerful things you can do in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
During Dhul-Hijjah, we often think of Hajj, fasting, and charity and they are all beautiful acts of worship. But the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave us a reminder that sometimes the most powerful deeds are also the simplest. He said:
ما من أيام أحب إلى الله أن يُعبد له فيها من عشر ذي الحجة. صيام كل يوم منها يعدل صيام سنة، وقيام كل ليلة منها يعدل قيام ليلة القدر
“There are no days more beloved to Allah that He be worshipped in than the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Fasting each of these days is equal to fasting a year, and standing in prayer each of these nights is equal to standing on the Night of Qadr.”
Then he said:
فأكثروا فيهن من التهليل والتكبير والتحميد
“And make much tahleel (La ilaha illa Allah), takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and tahmeed (Alhamdulillah) during them.” (Musnad Ahmad, 5446)
SubhanAllah. Just saying La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alhamdulillah in these days is beloved to Allah. You don’t need to spend money, go anywhere, or even make wudu. Just move your tongue and connect your heart.
The companions of the Prophet ﷺ were not casual about Dhikr during Dhul-Hijjah. It is reported that:
Ibn Umar and Abu Huraira used to go out to the marketplace during the first ten days and loudly say Takbeer, and the people would join them in remembrance. (Bukhari, Book of Eid)
Imagine that scene a community echoing “Allahu Akbar” together, reviving hearts in the streets, not just in mosques.
In conclusion, today, it might feel odd to say Dhikr aloud in public, but in your own space your home, your car, your phone reminders, you can create your own echo chamber of remembrance.