The ten blessed days of Dhul Hijjah present a golden opportunity for receiving spiritual rewards and divine forgiveness. Even if you’re not making the pilgrimage to Makka this year, you can still make the most of this sacred time.

We’ve put together a handy 8 step checklist to help you remember the essential ways you can maximized the blessings of the Hajj period from home.

1). Start fasting!

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The observance of three days’ fast every month and that of Ramadan every year is equivalent to fasting for the entire year. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years.”

2). Chant Takbir, Tahlil and Tahmid

We know that the Prophet and his companions would recite ‘Allahu Akbar, Alhamdulillah and Subhan Allah’ throughout the first ten days and nights of Dhul Hijjag. Your chanting should be frequent, in public and in private.

3). Perform Dhikr

Use your idle minutes to perform this simple act of worship. Dhikr can be as simple as saying ‘Subhan Allah’ (Glory be to Allah) and reciting verses of the Qur’an. Actions that involve submitting to the will of God are also counted as Dhikr.

4). Give Sadaqah

Sadaqah is a voluntary kind of charitable giving and an important sign of sincere faith. There’s no better time to give Sadaqah than in the ten blessed days of Dhul Hijjah.

5). Pay your Zakat

Many Muslims choose Dhul Hijjah as the time when they make their annual payment on the wealth they have accumulated. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and a requirement for anyone of sound mind who has reached puberty and owns the nisab (minimum) level of wealth.

6). Pray all the daily prayers

In these ten days, make sure you’re early for prayers. Pray the late night prayer and the Sunnah prayer after sunrise.

7). Approach Dhul Hijjah with the right intention

The Prophet said: “The intention of a Muslim is better than his action”. Without the right intention, all your actions during these scared ten days will be for nothing.

8). Give Qurbani

Follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Ibrahim by buying your Qurbani shares and ensuring that they are distributed to the poor and needy. The rewards for the Qurbani sacrifice are so great that no Muslim can afford to miss out.

Pay your Qurbani with Human Appeal this year and give a desperate family the precious gift of nutritious, fresh meat.

Donate today and make the most of these blessed days of Dhul Hijjah.