Dhul Hijjah Diaries · AlMaghrib Journals

Dhul Hijjah Diaries [4]: ‘Arafah

AlMaghrib — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:32:00 GMT

‘Arafah is a day of intense Dua and immense mercy.

It’s the pinnacle of Hajj, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to Jabal al Rahma (The Mountain of Mercy), dusty and dishevelled, seeking Allah’s forgiveness as our father Adam (A.S) did.

But the blessings of dua on the day of ‘Arafah are not limited to those performing Hajj.

They are for the whole Ummah!

This is prime time to occupy yourself with dua, and those who succeed on this day are those who invest the most in supplicating Allah.

Here are a few ways to raise the quality of your dua on ‘Arafah.

Remember the stakes

Reminding yourself of the virtues of dua and the timeliness of it can be an incredible source of motivation driving your worship on this day.

Perhaps the greatest motivation for this blessed day can be found in the narration of ‘Aisha (R.A).

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“There is no day upon which Allah frees more of His servants from the Hellfire than the day of ‘Arafah…”

[Sahih Muslim]

What greater success could there be for a Muslim than to be saved from Hell?

If you have ever fallen into doubt about yourself, felt ashamed over past sins, and believed you are too far gone, let this hadith be your sign that things can turn around!

Allah’s mercy is there, so long as you are determined to turn back to Him.

Understand how dua is answered

The Prophet ﷺ taught us something amazing about how Allah responds to our dua.

He ﷺ said:

“There is no Muslim who makes a dua that doesn’t involve sin
or breaking family ties, except that Allah gives them one of three things:

An immediate answer
Something stored for them in the Hereafter
The prevention of something bad”

The companions said, “Then we will make plenty of dua!”
And the Prophet ﷺ replied, “Allah is even more plentiful in His response.”

[Musnad Imam Ahmad]

Make your own dua list

If you know anybody going on Hajj, chances are they have a list of duas ready for all their friends and loved ones.

But what is stopping you from making your own?

Come prepared for this blessed day by compiling a list of dua for yourself and others.

Pour out everything you hope for in this life, and ask for even more in the hereafter.

Make note of all your loved ones, your friends and neighbors, and all those suffering in the Ummah.

Be sure to include dua and adhkar from the sunnah.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The best supplication is that which is made on the day of ‘Arafah. The best of it is what was said by myself and the Prophets before me: There is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, unto Him belongs the dominion and all praise, and He has power over all things.”

[Tirmidhi]

Learn the etiquette of dua

Begin by praising Allah, invoking His perfect names and attributes
Face the Qibla
Raise your hands, ask humbly and submissively
Be present, remove all distractions
Send salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ
Be certain in Allah’s answer

May Allah accept all of your supplications on this day, and include us all among those freed from the fire.

Dhul Hijjah Diaries [3]: Fasting

AlMaghrib — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:41:52 GMT

Around this time of year, we are reminded of the tremendous sacrifice of Ibrahim (A.S) and his family.

The Hajj is the ultimate symbol of their many sacrifices for the sake of Allah.

But for those millions of us who may not be able to perform this sacred rite, Allah has blessed us with another great opportunity to sacrifice… and we are not talking about the udhiya/qurbani you give every year.

We are talking about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah.

The Prophet ﷺ said regarding this day:

“It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years.” [Sahih Muslim]

While many of us know of this great sunnah, how many of us truly internalize the spiritual aspect of this noble act?

One of the ways you can make the day of ‘Arafah truly transformative is to focus on the inner dimensions of fasting; to go beyond simply going through the motions and draining hunger, and remind yourself of what you are giving up for the sake of Allah.

Your State: SINCERITY (Ikhlas)

The only way that your actions count is if they are sincere, and fasting beyond the month of Ramadan is a true demonstration of sincerity.

Why? Because nobody else knows.

It is a silent ‘ibadah, a secret between you and your Lord, for the attention of none but Him.

The individual acts that no one else is involved in, develops a special link with Allāh.

Your Battle: FIGHTING YOUR DESIRES

This is where the element of sacrifice shines through.

When a Muslim is fasting, they forgo what is permissible for them: food, drink, intimacy with their spouse, all for the sake of Allah.

You are giving up the most base urges built into all human beings, even in their halal form…

So if you can give up what is halal for us for an entire day, despite every urge you may feel, what about what is haram?

Fasting helps you to build resistance and resilience against your desires, but it is also a testament to yourself that you are able to control yourself, no matter what the Shaytan wants you to believe.

Your Goal: PIETY (Taqwa)

“O you who Believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was for those before you, that

you may achieve Taqwa.” [Quran, 2:183]

Taqwa is to erect a barrier/wall to protect oneself against Allah’s punishment, and to

increase in this way.

A part of Taqwa is to know that Allāh is constantly watchful of you.

Fasting is an act that is unique in this manner; it is SOLELY between the slave and

Allah.

No one else knows you are doing it, so why do it? Because you are aware that

Allah knows and will hold you to account- it is that piety/fear/awareness of Allah

that makes you do it.

As the day of ‘Arafah approaches, do not enter the state of fasting blindly or aimlessly. Do it with purpose, with the intention of not only attaining Allah’s forgiveness on that day, but to gain nearness to Him for the rest of your life.

May Allah accept your fasting on the blessed day to come.

Dhul Hijjah Diaries [2]: 4 ways to fall in love with The Quran

AlMaghrib — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:29:55 GMT

As many khutbahs and reminders we hear about not becoming strangers to the Quran for 11 months of the year, only to dust it off in Ramadan, the truth is that for many of us it’s not always easy.

But the best of days are upon us, and just as the weight of our deeds is increased in the month of Ramadan, so too do our deeds increase in magnitude in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

So what can you do to reconnect with the book of Allah in these blessed days and in the year ahead?

Here are just a few small but powerful tips:

Use the power of moments

Time is a major crutch for most people.

Work, studies, family commitments, all get in the way of the relationship with the Quran you’ve always wanted.

But here is the harsh truth; nobody has time!

Chances are, your schedule in Ramadan was just as busy as the rest of the year.

The same work, the same school and university deadlines, the same family matters.

The difference is that you made time for the Quran.

The same applies in these blessed ten days of Dhul Hijjah, and for the year ahead.

You have to choose your priority in those spare moments you find in the day.

Whether it’s listening to it on your daily commute to work, reading a few pages on the bus home from school or university, reciting before you go to sleep etc.

Be intelligent with those smaller moments, and you will find more opportunities to recite than you realized.

Take advantage of the Sunnah

Many of us have this idea that reading the Quran has to always be a cover-to-cover effort, as if just reciting it off from memory or opening up a random page isn’t the same.
But why is that? Does reciting a surah you know already not count?

There are moments throughout the week tied in with specific passages and verses of the Quran, that we know carry major reward.

So make the intention to recite those too:

Abu Sa’id al Khudri narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever recites Surat al Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between this Friday and the next.”
[Bayhaqi]
Make Surah Kahf a part of your jummah routine! At the very least the first 10 verses.

Likewise, take advantage of reciting the Quran in the mornings and evenings, and make it a consistent habit over these ten days.

Jaabir reported that the Prophet ﷺ would not sleep without reciting Surah as-Sajdah and Surah al-Mulk [Tirmidhi]

Focus on consistency

Another major trap people can fall into is setting unrealistic expectations for themselves.

Maybe you found yourself reading 10 pages, 20, a whole juz a day during Ramadan, and though you are trying to find that same energy now, it may not be as easy.

The important thing is consistency.

As you push yourself to read more, try to focus on what is achievable and what you can maintain beyond these ten days.

Set a daily wird, a daily devotional, that you can confidently maintain no matter your circumstances, and make the intention now to commit to it.

As the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”

[Musnad Imam Ahmad]

Make dua for it

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are a time for increased supplication, especially the day of ‘Arafah.

So if you are serious and determined to make the Quran your companion for life, then make intense dua for it as your build these habits.

One beautiful dua from the Prophet ﷺ relating to this is:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِي حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِي قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
O Allah, I am Your slave, the son of Your male slave, the son of your female slave.
My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation, or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my distress.

[Hisnul Muslim]
In these blessed days, may Allah make the Quran the spring of our hearts and the light of our chests.

Dhul Hijjah Diaries [1]: Your Salah in The Best Days

AlMaghrib — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:22:05 GMT

The period between Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah is where many of us fall off.

Those habits and routines you built up over that 30-day marathon are all but gone.

But from the mercy of Allah is that He granted us Dhul Hijjah at the end of the year, almost as if He (S.W.T) is giving us a launchpad into the year to come.

Just as the final nights of Ramadan are the greatest of nights, the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best of days, as the Prophet ﷺ told us:

“No good deeds are better than what is done in these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.”

[Sahih al Bukhari]

This time you have been given is worth more than the rest of your year, so what can you do to make the most of it?

In this short series of articles, we will explore just a few acts of worship you can focus on to maximize not only these days but the years to come, with Allah’s permission.

Starting with the cornerstone of your worship: The Salah

One of the major habits we lose as soon as Ramadan ends is the routine of praying qiyam al layl or Taraweeh.

It’s natural, not all of us are able to keep up with 8 or 20 rak’at every night.

So rather than trying to recapture that level of devotion at night, start by building and improving your worship in the day.

Here are just a few ways you can improve your Salah in the daytime:

Pray the Sunah Rawatib

In an authentic hadith narrated by ‘Aisha (R.A), the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever perseveres in performing twelve cycles of prayer from the Sunnah, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise…” [Sunan al Tirmidhi]

They are:

2 before Fajr
4 before Dhuhr and 2 after
2 after Maghrib
2 after ‘Isha

And from there, work on adding more nawafil where possible.

One of the benefits of maintaining the sunnah prayers is not only the reward of them, but that they also make up for any shortcomings in your obligatory Salah.

As narrated by Tamim al Dari, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is complete, then the voluntary (prayers) will also be recorded for him (as an increase). If it is not complete, then Allah will say to His angels: ‘Look and see whether you find any voluntary prayers for My slave, and take them to make up what is lacking from his obligatory prayers.’ Then all his deeds will be reckoned in like manner.” [Sunan ibn Majah]

Don’t rush your Salah!

Take things slow, and do not rush through your conversation with Allah.

One of the main reasons why people lack mindfulness in their salah is because they believe they don’t have time.

When we have countless engagements and tasks waiting at the door, praying with diligence can be daunting.

Overcoming this challenge requires patience and acceptance of one hard fact:

You do not control time; Allah controls time.

Bring yourself back

Abu Hazim at-Tammar from al Bayadi narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to the people while they were praying and their voices were raised in the recitation. He said, “When you pray, you are talking confidently to your Lord. So look to what you confide to Him, and do not say the Qur’an out loud so that others hear it.”

[Al Muwatta, Imam Malik]

It’s a simple exercise with regard to attention that you become aware of distraction.

As you are thinking even now, right now your mind is probably going in different directions.

So practice bringing yourself back and being present. Switch things up & add variety to your Salah

When you are on your daily commute, whether it’s work, school or anywhere you visit on the regular, however you get to that place, do you actively think about the journey?

Probably not, because it’s so ingrained in your mind that going there and back is instinctive, like muscle memory.

But what happens when you encounter a roadblock?

Something is forcing you to change your route, and all of a sudden, you are more alert and present.

Even though you are going to and from the same destination, something shook up your routine, and you are no longer driving on autopilot.

The Salah works the same way. When you get used to reciting the same surahs and going through the same motions over and over, your brain switches off, because you have settled into the same routine with your prayers.

Switching things up within the realm of acceptability will force you to be present and mindful in your Salah.

Instead of reciting the same surahs, recite one you haven’t read in a long time. Instead of just reciting the same adhkar in your bowing and prostration, change up the number of times you recite them, or choose a different du’a or form of dhikr in those positions.