“I learned the Talbiyah from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who said: Labbaika Allahumma labbaik, labbaika la sharika laka labbaik. Innal-hamda wan- ni’mata laka, wal-mulk. La sharika laka (Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).” He said: “And Ibn ‘Umar used to add: Labbaika labbaika labbaika wa sa’daika wal-khairu fi yadaika, labbaika war-raghba’u ilaika wal-‘amal (Here I am, here I am, here I am, and at Your service; all good is in Your Hands, here I am, seeking Your pleasure and striving for Your sake).”
• Pray abundantly. Make sure the fard/obligatory prayers are on time. Make it a practise to pray the Sunnah prayers from this month onwards.
• Fast as much as possible during the first 9 days of Dhul Hijjah. Especially the day of Arafah (9th of Dhul Hijjah, day before 'Eid), it expatiates the sins for the previous and the coming year and many other virtues for yaum ‘Arafah.
• Make du'a, give sadaqah, ask for forgiveness from Allah, repent, read Quran, and increase in all types of 'Ibadah.
• Increase in Adhkar & Ad'iyah. Increase Tasbih, Tabir, frequently:
Our Prophet ﷺ said: “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, takbeer and tahmeed during them.” (Ahmad)
Tahmeed: Al-hamdu Lillah (All praises be to God)
Tahleel: Laa ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah)
Tasbeeh: Subhaan-Allah (Glory be to God)
May Allah grant us generously with his blessings and rewards during this time آمین
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah)."
He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?"
He (ﷺ) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it." [Al- Bukhari].
Narrations regarding the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah:
كان محمد بن سيرين يصوم العشر، عشر ذي الحجة كله، فإذا مضى العشر ومضت أيام التشريق، أفطر تسعة أيام مثل ما صام.
وكان مجاهد يصوم العشر، وكان عطاء يتكلفها.
Muhammad ibn Sīrīn used to fast the ten days. All the (first) ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Then when the ten days and the days of tashrīq had passed, then he would not fast for nine days, just as he had fasted (because it is only the first nine days that one fast. As for the 10th day then it is forbidden to fast it).
And Mujāhid used to fast the ten days, and ‘Atā would (also) undertake them.
(Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah in Al-Musannaf)
وكان سعيد بن جبير إذا دخل أيام العشر اجتهد اجتهادًا شديدًا حتى ما يكاد يقدر عليه.
And Sa’īd ibn Jubayr used to – when the ten days would begin – to exert himself with a great effort till an extend that he almost was not able to fulfill it.
(Narrated by Ad-Dārimī in Al-Musnad)
وعنه أنه قال: لا تطفئوا سرجكم ليالي العشر، تعجبه العبادة، ويقول: أيقظوا خدمكم يتسحرون لصوم يوم عرفة.
And from him that he said: “Do not turn of your lights on the nights of the ten days.” And (performing) worship (on these days) would please him. And he would say: “Wake up your servants so they can eat the suhūr for fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah.”
(Al-Hilyah)
وعن الحسن قال: صيام يوم من العشر يعدل شهرين.
And from Al-Hasan who said: “Fasting one day from the ten days is equal to (fasting) two months.”
(Narrated by ‘Abdur-Razzāq in Al-Musannaf)
وقال الأوزاعي: بلغني أن العمل في اليوم من أيام العشر كقدر غزوة في سبيل الله، يصام نهارها ويحرس ليلها إلا أن يختص امرؤ بشهادة.
And Al-Awzā’ī said: “It has reached me that performing deeds on a day from the ten days is equal to (attending) a battle in the path of Allāh. One fasts on its days and observes (the prayer during) its nights. (All this) except if a person is chosen for the Shahādah (i.e. attending martyrdom is bigger in reward).”
قال الأوزاعي: حدثني بهذا الحديث رجل من قريش من بني مخزوم، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Al-Awzā’ī said: “This hadīth was narrated to me by a man from Quraysh from Banū Makhzūm, from the Prophet (sallAllāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)."
وعن أنس، رضي الله عنه، قال: كان يقال في أيام العشر بكل يوم ألف، ويوم عرفة عشرة آلاف يوم. يعني في الفضل.
And from Anas (radiAllāhu ‘anhu) who said: “It used to be said about the ten days that for every day there is (the reward of) thousand. And the day of ‘Arafah is equal to ten thousand days.” Meaning: In virtue.
(Shu’ab Al-Īmān)
عن أبي عثمان النهدي: كانوا يعظمون ثلاث عشرات؛ العشر الأول من المحرم، والعشر الأول من ذي الحجة، والعشر الأواخر من رمضان.
From Abū ‘Uthmān An-Nahdī (who said): “They (i.e. the Salaf) used to consider three ‘tens’ as something important: The first ten of Al-Muharram, the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah, and the last ten days of Ramadān.”
Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's Messenger as saying, “There are no days in which a good deed is more pleasing to God than these ten days.” On being asked whether not even jihad in God’s path were as pleasing, he replied, “Not even jihad in God’s path, except when a man goes out in person with his property and loses both life and property.” Bukhari
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best dua is dua on the day of Arafa, and the best thing that I or the Prophets before me have said is 'There is no god but Allah, alone, without any partner' (La ilaha illa'llah, wahdahu la sharika lah.)"
If you’re able to, it’s a good idea to fast starting June 30th, all the way until Eid, but the Day of Arafah is the most important and beneficial day to fast!
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No days are better to Allah than the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, are they better or time spent waging jihad in the way of Allah?”, The Prophet said, “They are better than time spent waging jihad in the way of Allah. No day is better to Allah than the day of Arafat. Allah descends to the lowest heaven and He boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens about the inhabitants of the earth, saying: Look at My servants, appearing disheveled and dusty. They came from every mountain pass hoping for My mercy. They do not see My punishment, yet they do not see that on no day are more saved from Hellfire than the day of Arafat.”