Schedule for the first then days of Dhul-Hijjah:

1. Renewing Repentance:

• Avoiding sins
• Seeking forgiveness

2. Fasting :

Fasting the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah

3. Qur'an Completion Plan:

• Day 1: From Al-Fatiha to Al-Imran
• Day 2: From An-Nisa to Al-Ma’idah
• Day 3: From Al-An'am to At-Tawbah
• Day 4: From Yunus to Al-Isra
• Day 5: From Al-Kahf to An-Nur
•Day 6: From Al-Furqan to Ya-Sin
•Day 7: From As-Saffat to Al-Hadid
• Day 8: From Al-Mujadilah to An-Nas
Day of Arafah: Dedicated to supplication, praise, glorification, and takbeer

4. Sunnah Prayers (Rawatib):

• Two rak'ahs before Fajr
• Four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and two after
• Two rak'ahs after Maghrib
• Two rak'ahs after Isha

5. Remembrances (Adhkar):

"La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay’in qadeer"
Seeking forgiveness
-Takbeer
-Hawlaqa
-Tasbeeh
-Tahmeed
-Tahleel

6. Charity

7. Witr Salah

8. Duha Prayer

When Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would mention the days of Dhul Hijjah, he would advice to increase in recitation of Takbeer and Tahleel. These are the forms of Zikr of Allah. Because the remembrance of Allah is from the greatest of means to seek his nearness. And best of what is recited is Tahleel. - Sheikh Shanqiti

من قال إن صيام عشر ذي الحجة ليس بسنة إنما قال ذلك من باب خالف تذكر وأخشى عليه العقوبة يوم القيامة .

"Whoever said that fasting the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is not a Sunnah only said that to be in contrary and remembered. I fear for him punishment on the Day of Judgment."
‏ابن عثيمين .

"من رحمةِ الله أنَّه لمّا جعل عشر ذي الحجّة أفضل الأيام، فضّل الذّكر فيها لسُهولته، حتّى ينال الأجر كلّ راغبٍ ولا يُحرَم منه إلّا من يستحقّ الحِرمان"

"It is from the mercy of Allah that when He made the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah the best of days, He favored remembrance (dhikr) during them due to its ease—so that every seeker could attain the reward, and none would be deprived except those who truly deserve deprivation"

10 best days : Limited days, limited hours, and a chance that will pass.
So fill them with what will be beneficial for you in the hereafter.

And beware of the hardness of the heart that makes you forget virtues, distracts you from good deeds, and weakens you from seeking forgiveness.

"My Allah, how can I call upon You while I am what I am?
And how can I lose hope in You while You are who You are?

My Allah, if I do not ask You and You do not give me, then who else can I ask who will give me?
And if I do not call upon You and You do not respond to me, then who else can I call who will respond to me?
And if I do not plead to You and You do not have mercy on me, then who else can I plead to who will have mercy on me?

My Allah, just as You parted the sea for Musa alayhi salam and saved him from drowning,
then save me from the distress I am in with a swift relief from You—immediate, not delayed—
and by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful."

"فمن عجز عن الحج في عام قَدَرَ في العشر على عمل يعمله في بيته، يكون أفضل من الجهاد الذي هو أفضل من الحج.
So whoever is unable to perform Hajj in a year when they are capable, but during the ten days can perform deeds at home—those deeds can be better than Jihad, which itself is better than Hajj.

ليالي العشر أوقات الإجابه ألا لا وقت للعمال فيه من أوقات الليالي العشر حقا.
The nights of the ten are times when prayers are answered—truly, there is no time better suited for the doers of good than the nights of the ten.

فبادر رَغْبَةً تَلْحَق ثوابه، ثواب الخير أقرب للإصابة.
So hasten eagerly with hope, that you may attain its reward—for the reward of good is closer to being achieved when pursued earnestly.

شَمُر وأطلبن فيها الإنابة.
So strive hard, and seek repentance during these days.

احذروا المعاصي ؛ فإنها تحرم المغفرة في مواسم الرحمة.
Beware of sins, for they deprive one of forgiveness during seasons of mercy.

روى المروذي في كتاب الورع بإسناده عن عبد الملك بن عمير، عن رجل ؛ إما من الصحابة أو من التابعين، أن آتياً أناه في منامه في العشر من ذي الحجة، فقال: ما من مسلم إلا يُغفر له في هذه الأيام، كل يوم خمس مرار، إلا أصحاب الشاه، يقولون : مات، ما موته ؟! يعني أصحاب الشطرنج.
Al-Marwadhi narrated in his book *Al-Wara’, with his chain from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, from a man—either one of the Companions or the Followers—that someone came to him in a dream during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and said: “Every Muslim is forgiven during these days—five times a day—except the people of the chessboard. They say, ‘He died,’ but what kind of death is that?” referring to the players of chess.

فإذا كان اللعب بالشطرنج مانعاً من المغفرة، فما الظن بالإصرار على الكبائر المجمع عليها؟
So if playing chess can prevent forgiveness, then what about the one who persists in major sins upon which there is unanimous agreement?

-الغنيمة الغنيمة بانتهاز الفرصة في هذه الأيام العظيمة، فما منها عوض ولا لها قيمة.
Take the reward, take the reward—by seizing the opportunity in these great days! There is no substitute for them, nor do they hold any equal in value.

المبادرة المبادرة بالعمل.
Hasten, hasten to good deeds.

ليس للميت في قبره فطر ولا أضْحَى ولا عَشْرُ.
The dead in their graves have no Eid al-Fitr, no Eid al-Adha, and no ten days (of Dhul-Hijjah).

ناء عن الأهل على قربه، كذاك من مسكنه القبر."
He is distant from his family, though they may be near—and his dwelling is the grave.


- لطاءف المعارف

The best days.

A'rafa is approaching, prepare your wishes, organize your dua' , and seek with a certain heart, the one who created A'rafa and made it as the best of the days, and made it's fast as a means of forgiveness of the sins of the previous and the coming year, Would never turn away the dua on it.
Prepare yourselves for goodness approach with its arrival, and it is the goodness we have been waiting for from year to year.

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are a season of good deeds and a gathering of mercy. So let us strive to do what our Lord loves, so that we may win His mercy. “Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.”

وأنت تستعد ليوم مهيب عظيم كيوم عرفة، لا تنس أن يصحب هذا الاستعداد أمور لا تغيب على مؤمن أذكرها هنا من باب وذكر فإنَّ الذكرى تنفع المؤمنين

As you prepare for a magnificent and awe-inspiring day like the Day of Arafah, do not forget that this preparation must be accompanied by matters that a believer should never overlook. I mention them here as a reminder, for indeed, reminders benefit the believers.

"إن الله لا يستجيب دعاءً من قلب غافل لاه"
ربما تسرد في ذلك اليوم دعوات بمثقال الجبال، لكنك في قلبك تشعر بأن حاجتك في يد فلان من الناس وتفريج كربتك عند أحد آخر، وشفاؤك بفعل الدواء. تلهج بالدعاء وقلبك يطوف بعيدًا، والواجب أن يكون يقينك بالإجابة أعظم من يقينك بالسؤال.

"Indeed, Allah does not respond to the supplication that comes from a heedless, distracted heart."
On that day, you may utter supplications as heavy as mountains, but deep down you might feel your need lies in the hands of a certain person, or that your relief depends on someone else, or your healing is through medicine. Your tongue may be engaged in prayer while your heart is wandering. The proper state is for your certainty in Allah's response to be greater than your certainty in the act of asking itself.

استحضر ذنوبك واستغفر الله منها، اعترف لله بتقصيرك وظلمك لنفسك، قد يكون بينك وبين تحقيق ما تطلبه ووقوع ما تتمناه، ذنب ينتظر منك (توبة).

Recall your sins and seek forgiveness from Allah for them. Admit your shortcomings and the injustice you've done to yourself. It might be that what stands between you and the fulfillment of your desire is a sin awaiting your repentance.

"وابتغ فيما آتاك الله الدار الآخرة ولا تنس نصيبك من الدنيا"
الكثير منا يغرق في مسائل الدنيا، وينسى أن يطلب لآخرته، وفي هذا يُخشى على الإنسان أن يكون يقينه في المشاهد من الدنيا أعظم من يقينه في الغيب، فاسأل الله لآخرتك بقدر ما تسأله لدنياك.

“But seek, with what Allah has given you, the Hereafter; and do not forget your share of this world.”
Many of us become consumed by worldly matters and forget to ask for the Hereafter. In this, there is fear that one's certainty in what is seen from this world becomes greater than one's certainty in the unseen. So ask Allah for your Hereafter just as much as you ask Him for your worldly needs.


اجعل دعاءك محفوفًا بالرجاء وحسن الظن بالله، وبأن الله لا يعجزه أن يعطيك مسألتك كاملة، وتذكر الحديث القدسي:
"لو أن أولكم وآخركم وإنسكم وجنكم قاموا في صعيد واحد فسألوني، فأعطيت كل واحد منهم مسألته ما نقص ذلك مما عندي إلا كما ينقص المخيط إذا أُدخل البحر"

Let your supplication be surrounded with hope and good expectation of Allah, believing that nothing is too difficult for Him to grant in full. And remember the Divine Hadith:
“If the first of you and the last of you, all of mankind and jinn, were to stand in one plain and each ask Me for something, and I gave each of them what they asked for, it would not decrease what I have any more than a needle dipped into the ocean decreases its water.”


أخيرًا:
من بديع كلمات ابن القيم - رحمه الله - قوله:
الله سبحانه كلما سألته كنت أقرب إليه وأحب إليه وكلما أَلْحَحْتَ عليه في الدعاء أحبك"
جلاء الأفهام / ٣٤٤

Finally:
From the beautiful words of Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him):
“Every time you ask Allah, you become nearer and dearer to Him. And the more persistent you are in your supplication, the more He loves you.”
(Jalā’ al-Afhām, p. 344)

Raise your hand for Allah is the most merciful.

قال الله سبحانه وتعالى:

﴿ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ﴾ [البقرة: 186]
Allah, the Exalted, says:

“And when My servants ask you about Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided.”
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 186]

ادعُ الله يقينًا بالاستجابة، لا تجريبًا للدعاء، ولا تستعجل الإجابة، فإن الدعاء عند الله لا يضيع.

Call upon Allah with certainty that He will respond — not as a trial to see if it works. And do not be hasty for an answer, for supplication with Allah is never lost.

And, remember :

أنت محروم إن كان دعاؤك في يوم عرفة مقتصرًا على الدنيا ولا حظ للآخرة فيه.

You're from the deprived if your supplications on the day of arafa are confined to the worldly life and do not have any share of the akhirah.