The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah lead up to Eid ul Adha. Many families ask what is reported about these days and what a Muslim can do in them. This guide sticks to two well-known hadith that are checked against sunnah.com, and says plainly where it stops. It does not give fiqh rulings; for those, follow the linked guides and ask a scholar of your school.
The virtue of the ten days
Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja).” The companions asked, “Not even Jihad?” He replied, “Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah’s sake) and does not return with any of those things” (Sahih al-Bukhari 969, translation as shown on sunnah.com). The hadith does not list particular acts; it says that good deeds in these days are especially valued.
Fasting on the Day of Arafah
Abu Qatada reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, about fasting on the Day of Arafah: “I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of ‘Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years” (Sahih Muslim 1162a, translation as shown on sunnah.com). The Day of Arafah is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, the day before Eid ul Adha. This guide does not cover pilgrims who are at Arafah during Hajj.
Qurbani and the ten days
Qurbani itself is offered from the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, after the Eid prayer, so the ten days are also the time families make their arrangements. The Quran says of the sacrificial animals: “Neither their meat nor blood reaches Allah. Rather, it is your piety that reaches Him” (Quran 22:37, The Clear Quran, checked on quran.com). The rulings are in our guides: who Qurbani is due on, Qurbani animal age and defects, days and time of Qurbani and how to divide Qurbani meat. Everything is gathered in the Qurbani rules hub.
Hair and nails
Some people ask whether hair and nails should be left untrimmed in these days if one intends to offer Qurbani. Scholars discuss this question and do not all rule alike, so this guide does not state a ruling. See our blog post on hair and nail trimming before Qurbani and ask a scholar of your school.
Estimated dates for 2027
Eid ul Adha, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH, is estimated around 16–17 May 2027, and the ten days run up to it. These are estimates only; the exact dates depend on moon sighting, so follow the announcement of your local moon-sighting committee. More in our Eid ul Adha Qurbani 2027 guide.
Citation sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 969 (Chapter: Superiority of deeds on the days of Tashriq; Ibn Abbas) — checked on sunnah.com.
- Sahih Muslim 1162a (Abu Qatada; chapter on fasting on the days of Arafah and Ashura) — checked on sunnah.com.
- Quran 22:37 — checked on quran.com (The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab).
- The Day of Arafah being the 9th of Dhul Hijjah: SeekersGuidance, “The Day of Arafah (the 9th of Dhul Hijjah) and the Takbirs of Eid”, via islamqa.org (Hanafi section).
- This guide gives no fiqh ruling. The hair-and-nails question and anything about pilgrims at Arafah are left to a scholar of your school.