What dhikr should you do in the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah?

The Prophet ﷺ said no deeds are more beloved to Allah than those done in these ten days, and told us to increase tahlil (La ilaha illa Allah), takbir (Allahu Akbar) and tahmid (Alhamdulillah) during them (Ahmad, sahih). Increase these freely, all day, throughout the first ten days.

What is the best dua on the Day of Arafah?

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The best dua is the dua of the Day of Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me have said is: La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir' (Tirmidhi 3585).

What is the Eid takbir wording?

The wording reported from Ibn Mas'ud (RA) is: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, wallahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahil-hamd — 'Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah; Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.'

When is the Takbir of Tashreeq said?

The restricted (muqayyad) takbir is said after every obligatory prayer from Fajr on the Day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah) until Asr on the last day of Tashreeq (13th Dhul Hijjah). The unrestricted takbir is said freely throughout the first ten days and the days of Tashreeq.

Guide · Dhul Hijjah

Dhul Hijjah, Arafah & Eid dhikr: the takbir, tahlil and best dua.

The Zikar Team · 7 min read · Published 10 Jun 2026

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the greatest days of the year for good deeds — and dhikr is at the heart of them. This is the season of the takbir, the tahlil and the tahmid, of the best dua ever made on the Day of Arafah, and of the Eid takbir that fills the streets. Here is each, with the authentic hadith source.

The greatest days for dhikr

Ibn Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:

"There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days. So increase in them the tahlil (La ilaha illa Allah), the takbir (Allahu Akbar), and the tahmid (Alhamdulillah)." — Musnad Ahmad · graded sahih by Ahmad Shakir

This is a direct instruction: increase three phrases through the first ten days. Ibn Umar and Abu Hurairah (RA) used to walk through the marketplace in these days reciting the takbir aloud, and the people would take it up after them (Sahih al-Bukhari, mu'allaq).

The three to increase

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ · اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ · الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ Tahlil: La ilaha illa Allah — Takbir: Allahu Akbar — Tahmid: Alhamdulillah

Alongside these, keep the great daily phrases: SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi (100×) and istighfar — every count is multiplied in these ten days.

The best dua: the Day of Arafah

The 9th of Dhul Hijjah — the Day of Arafah — is the single greatest day for dua in the year. Fasting it expiates two years of sins for the non-pilgrim (Sahih Muslim 1162). And the Prophet ﷺ told us the best thing to say:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir. — "The best dua is the dua of the Day of Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me have said is this." (Tirmidhi 3585)

Spend the day — especially the hours after Asr until Maghrib — alternating between this tahlil and your own most heartfelt duas. It is a day to ask for everything.

The Eid & Tashreeq takbir

From the dawn of Arafah day, the takbir takes a fixed form, recited aloud after every obligatory prayer:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, wallahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahil-hamd. — Wording reported from Ibn Mas'ud (RA) · Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

📅 When is the Tashreeq takbir said?

The restricted takbir (after every fard prayer) runs from Fajr on the 9th (Day of Arafah) to Asr on the 13th of Dhul Hijjah — the days of Tashreeq. The unrestricted takbir is said freely, any time, throughout the whole first ten days and the days of Tashreeq.

A simple plan for the ten days

Days 1–8: increase the takbir, tahlil and tahmid through the day; keep your morning and evening adhkar and 100× SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi.
Day 9 (Arafah): fast if you are not on Hajj; pour the day into the Arafah tahlil and dua, especially after Asr. Begin the Tashreeq takbir after Fajr.
Day 10 (Eid) & days 11–13 (Tashreeq): the Eid takbir aloud, the Tashreeq takbir after each prayer until Asr on the 13th.

Count your Dhul Hijjah dhikr — free

Set targets for the takbir, tahlil and tahmid and count each with a tap in the Zikar app — or keep your daily after-salah and morning adhkar through the season in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Day of Arafah dhikr only for pilgrims?

No. The pilgrims stand at Arafah, but the dua, the tahlil and the fast of Arafah are for every Muslim, anywhere in the world.

How many times should I say the takbir?

There is no fixed number — the instruction is simply to increase it. Many keep a daily count (for example 100×) to stay consistent through the ten days.