A Routine for Dhul Hijjah 2020 - Inspired by the Prophetic Routine!

Another Hijri year coming to end, with another opportunity to draw closer to Allah ‘Azza Wa Jal and win His pleasure. It is out of Allah’s immense mercy that He gives us opportunities after opportunities, to earn massive amounts of reward and to make things better again; to mend that “nearly” broken relationship with Allah ‘Azza Wa Jal after Ramadan. Although we don’t need any specific days to fix our relationship with Allah ‘Azza Wa Jal, these 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah serve as a great chance for us to do so if we haven’t yet. 


Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 757) 

Here are 10 practical tips from the daily routine of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) which we can apply to be productive both spiritually and at work in these 10 days in shaa Allah:

  • Start your day with gratitude to Allah by reciting the following supplication as you wake up: 

Alhamdu Lillahil-Ladhee Ahyaana Ba’da Ma Amaatana Wa Ilayhin-Nushoor

  • Pray 2 Sunnah raka’hs before Fajr. Spend some time after Fajr prayer in reading the morning Adhkaar and a few pages from the Quran. Have this time for yourself to reflect and ponder upon the verses of the Quran.


Sakhr ibn al-Ghamidi reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Allah, bless my nation in their early morning.”(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1212)

Use this blessed time after Fajr to study and learn about the Deen. You can listen to any Islamic lecture or a podcast. (Tip: Make it a habit every day after Fajr to listen and take notes from an Islamic lecture series or a podcast because this is the time when we usually are not in a rush and don’t have many noises around. Our minds are fresh and alert too at this time, so take good advantage of it!) 

  • Now that you have started your day right, it’s time to get to work. Have your to-do list ready for the day. Divide your work into chunks - if you have a shorter attention span, then take a 4-minute break after every 35 minutes of work session. If you have a longer attention span, then take a 5-minute break after every 50 minutes of work session. Take another 5 minutes out of your work sessions to pray the Duha prayer. There is no limit to the number of raka’hs for Duha prayer, with 2 raka’hs being the minimum.

 

  • Take a short nap if possible before the Dhuhr prayer, just like how our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to! 

 

  • Pray the 4 Sunnah raka’hs before and 2 Sunnah raka’hs after the Dhuhr prayer. Spend some time in reciting the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar), Tahmeed (Alhamdu Lillah), and Tahleel (La Ilaaha Illa Allah) after the prayer.

 

  • Pray the 4 Sunnah raka’hs before the ‘Asr prayer. After the ‘Asr prayer, spend some time with your family by having a Halaqah with them to learn about the Deen together. A family that learns together, stays together :)
    Before the Maghrib Adhaan is called, read your evening Adhkaar. 

 

  • After praying 3 Fardh raka’hs of Maghrib, pray the 2 Sunnah raka’hs as well. After this, spend some quality time with your family. Have an early dinner and have pleasant and light-hearted conversations at the dinner table. Enjoy this time with your family.

 

  • After praying 4 Fardh raka’hs of ‘Isha, pray the 2 Sunnah raka’hs as well. Put in some time to do more ‘Ibaadah. As good deeds in these days are more beloved to Allah than those done in any of the days, it’s crucial that we strive and become keener to seize more and more rewards for ourselves!

 

  • Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep early and intend to wake up a bit before Fajr to pray Tahajjud, even if it is only 2 raka’hs! :)
    Before you go to bed, it’s highly suggested that you plan for the next day, just so that your mind doesn’t keep thinking about the tasks for the next day. Fill in your to-do list or your planner (Tip: in order to organize your to-do list better, circle 3 tasks that are most urgent and have a sooner deadline. Get done with these tasks first and then move onto the rest) 

 

  • After your Tahajjud prayer, make dua’. This time is one of the times of Dua’s getting answered. Pour your heart out and ask Allah for everything that you ever wanted to!

 

May Allah enable us to make the best out of these days, forgive all of our sins and make all the good deeds that we do heavy on the scales.