The First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah and the Day of Arafah
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah: takbir and dhikr, fasting the Day of Arafah if you are not on Hajj, Eid al-Adha, and a gentle plan for your circle.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among the best days of the year for good deeds. Fill them with takbir, tahlil and tahmid, fast the Day of Arafah if you are not on Hajj, keep up your Qur’an and charity, and end with Eid al-Adha and the remembrance of the days of tashriq.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among the best days of the whole year for good deeds. Fill them with remembrance — Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illā Allāh, al-ḥamdu lillāh — keep up your prayer, Qur’an and charity, and fast the Day of Arafah if you are not performing Hajj. The ten days end with Eid al-Adha and the days of tashriq, which are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah.
When are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah in 2027?
On the Umm al-Qura calendar, Dhul Hijjah 1448 is expected to begin around 7 May 2027. Dates may differ by a day where you live, depending on moon sighting:
| Expected around | |
|---|---|
| 1 Dhul Hijjah | 7 May 2027 |
| Day of Arafah (9 Dhul Hijjah) | 15 May 2027 |
| Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah) | 16 May 2027 |
| Days of tashriq (11–13) | 17–19 May 2027 |
Some communities follow the day the pilgrims stand at Arafah; others follow their local calendar. Follow your local mosque.
Why are these ten days so special?
Allah swears by them. Many commentators explain that the “ten nights” in this verse are the first ten of Dhul Hijjah:
﴿وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ﴾
Qur’an 89:1–2
“By the dawn, and by the ten nights.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ»
Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2438; see also Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 969
“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days” — meaning the ten days.
These are days for everyone, not only for pilgrims. Wherever you are, the door is open.
What can I do in the first ten days?
Remember Allah often. Allah says: “…and mention the name of Allah on known days” (Qur’an 22:28), which Ibn ʿAbbās explained as these ten days. Imam al-Bukhārī records that Ibn ʿUmar and Abū Hurayra would go out to the marketplace during the ten days saying the takbir, and people would say the takbir with them. Remembrance was something they did together, in public, with joy.
A common wording of the takbir is:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
“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.” Several wordings have reached us; any of them is fine.
Fast if you can. Fasting is among the best of righteous deeds, so many people fast some or all of the first nine days. If that is too much, aim for the Day of Arafah.
Keep your daily anchors. Your prayers on time, a few pages of Qur’an, your morning and evening adhkar. These days are a reason to keep them with more presence, not to abandon them for one burst of effort.
Give and reconnect. A little charity each day, a call to a parent, a message to someone you’ve drifted from.
If you will offer a sacrifice: the Prophet ﷺ said that once the ten days begin, whoever intends to sacrifice should not cut anything from their hair or nails (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1977). Scholars differ on whether this is a firm prohibition or a strong recommendation, so ask a trusted local scholar.
Why is the Day of Arafah so important?
On the Day of Arafah, pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafah in du‘a — the heart of Hajj. It is the day this verse was revealed (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 45; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 3017):
﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا﴾
Qur’an 5:3
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1348
“There is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.”
Should I fast on the Day of Arafah?
If you are not performing Hajj, fasting the Day of Arafah is a highly recommended sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about it and said:
«صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ، وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162
“Fasting the Day of Arafah — I hope from Allah that it expiates the year before it and the year after it.”
Pilgrims at Arafah do not fast that day; the Prophet ﷺ himself was seen not fasting at Arafah during his Hajj (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1988; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1123). For everyone else, a few simple steps help:
- Eat a proper suhoor and drink plenty of water before Fajr.
- Plan a quiet hour of du‘a in the afternoon, before Maghrib, when the pilgrims are in du‘a at Arafah.
- Break your fast with family or friends, and make du‘a for the pilgrims.
Eid al-Adha and the days of tashriq
Eid al-Adha follows Arafah. Pray the Eid prayer with your community, offer the sacrifice if you are able and intend to, and share it with family, friends and those in need. Allah reminds us what the sacrifice is really about:
﴿لَن يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ﴾
Qur’an 22:37
“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.”
The three days after Eid, the days of tashriq, are days of eating, drinking and remembrance of Allah (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1141), and they are not days for fasting. Keep the takbir going; scholars differ on its exact timing after the prayers, so follow your local mosque.
A circle plan for the ten days
The Companions said the takbir together in the market. You can do something similar with your circle:
- A daily dhikr intention. Each person aims for 100 Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illā Allāh or al-ḥamdu lillāh a day — whatever they can keep.
- A ten-day khatma. Thirty juz’ over ten days is about 60 pages a day for the group. With ten people, that’s about six pages each; with six people, about ten.
- Arafah together. Agree to fast, set an afternoon du‘a hour, and break the fast together or send each other a du‘a at Maghrib.
Keep it gentle. Agree on what you will do together, and let each person keep the rest privately. Our article on why good companionship keeps your faith steady explains why this works.
Key takeaways
- Dhul Hijjah 1448 is expected around 7 May 2027; Arafah around 15 May and Eid al-Adha around 16 May (Umm al-Qura; follow your local sighting).
- These ten days are among the best of the year for every kind of good deed.
- Say the takbir often — alone, at home and together.
- Fast the Day of Arafah if you are not on Hajj, and spend its afternoon in du‘a.
- The days of tashriq are for eating, drinking and remembrance, not for fasting.
How can Suhba help?
Suhba shows the Hijri date and your local prayer times, so you can see Dhul Hijjah arriving and plan your fasts around Fajr and Maghrib. You can add a fast on a single date, like the Day of Arafah, with a reminder. In a circle, a shared khatma divides the pages among members, and circle leaders on a paid plan can create a Mission — such as daily dhikr for the ten days — that members choose to join for free. Joining a circle is always free. Get Suhba for free.