The First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah 2027: Dates, Deeds and a Daily Plan

Ramadan has its last ten nights; Dhul-Hijjah has its first ten days. The Prophet ﷺ described them as the best days of the year for good deeds, and they culminate in the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha. Because they arrive while most people are not on Hajj, they are an opportunity for everyone — at home, at work, anywhere.

Dates for 1448 AH

Day of Dhul-Hijjah	Date (Umm al-Qura)	Notes
1	Friday 7 May 2027	Ten days begin (night begins Thursday evening)
2–7	8–13 May 2027
8	Friday 14 May 2027	Day of Tarwiyah — pilgrims go to Mina
9	Saturday 15 May 2027	Day of Arafah
10	Sunday 16 May 2027	Eid al-Adha — no fasting
11–13	17–19 May 2027	Days of Tashreeq — no fasting

Because Hajj follows Saudi Arabia’s announcement of Dhul-Hijjah, most of the Muslim world aligns with these dates for Arafah and Eid al-Adha. A few countries that follow local sighting may be a day later.

Why these days are special

“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days” — meaning the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They asked: “Not even jihad in the way of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad in the way of Allah, except a man who goes out with himself and his wealth and returns with nothing.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 969; Sunan Abu Dawud 2438)

Many commentators connect these days to the oath in Surah al-Fajr: “By the dawn, and by ten nights” (89:1–2). Ibn Kathir and others mention that most early commentators understood the “ten nights” as the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah.

Scholars have compared the two great “tens”: the days of the first ten of Dhul-Hijjah are better than the days of the last ten of Ramadan, while the nights of the last ten of Ramadan — containing Laylat al-Qadr — are better than the nights of Dhul-Hijjah. That is the summary given by Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim.

What to do in these days

The hadith speaks of “righteous deeds” in general, so every good deed is multiplied in value. Some deeds are specifically highlighted.

1. Takbir, tahmid and tahlil

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Increase in these days the saying of tahlil (la ilaha illallah), takbir (Allahu akbar) and tahmid (al-hamdu lillah)” (Musnad Ahmad 5446). Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah would go out to the market in these days saying the takbir, and people would say it with them (reported by al-Bukhari).

Scholars distinguish two kinds:

• General takbir (mutlaq): at any time, from 1 Dhul-Hijjah until the end of the Days of Tashreeq.
• Specific takbir (muqayyad): after the obligatory prayers, from Fajr on the Day of Arafah until ‘Asr on the last Day of Tashreeq (13 Dhul-Hijjah), according to the most widely followed view.

A common wording: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahil-hamd.

2. Fasting

Fasting the first nine days is recommended in general, as fasting is among the best deeds. Hafsah reported that the Prophet ﷺ did not leave fasting the nine days of Dhul-Hijjah (Sunan Abu Dawud 2437), while ‘A’ishah reported she never saw him fast the ten (Sahih Muslim 1176); scholars reconcile these by noting he may have fasted them in some years and not others, and that general encouragement covers them either way.

The Day of Arafah is the most emphasised: fasting it “expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year” (Sahih Muslim 1162). Fasting on the 10th (Eid) is prohibited.

3. Qurbani (udhiyah)

The sacrifice on Eid al-Adha and the Days of Tashreeq is a major act of worship of these days. If you are arranging qurbani through a charity, book it early — prices and availability change as Eid approaches.

4. Extra prayer, Quran, charity and good character

Any good deed counts: night prayer, Quran recitation, charity, visiting family, helping neighbours. Small, consistent deeds every day are easier to sustain than one big effort.

Hair and nails for those giving qurbani

Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When the ten days begin and one of you intends to sacrifice, let him not take anything from his hair or his skin [nails]” (Sahih Muslim 1977).

• The instruction applies to the person making the sacrifice, not to their family members, according to most scholars.
• It begins at sunset when Dhul-Hijjah begins — for 1448 AH, the evening of Thursday 6 May 2027 — and ends when the animal is sacrificed.
• Scholars differ on its strength: the Hanbali school holds it is obligatory to refrain; the Shafi’i school holds it is recommended (cutting is disliked); the Hanafi school does not consider it binding.

Practical tip: if you plan to give qurbani, get a haircut and trim your nails before Thursday 6 May 2027.

A day-by-day plan

Day	Date	Suggested focus
1	Fri 7 May	Jumu’ah, Surah al-Kahf, start daily takbir and charity
2	Sat 8 May	Fast; read the story of Ibrahim (37:99–111)
3	Sun 9 May	Fast; family dhikr session
4	Mon 10 May	Fast (also a Monday Sunnah)
5	Tue 11 May	Visit or call relatives
6	Wed 12 May	Fast; extra night prayer
7	Thu 13 May	Fast (Thursday Sunnah); confirm qurbani
8	Fri 14 May	Jumu’ah; prepare for Arafah
9	Sat 15 May	Fast Arafah; dua from ‘Asr to Maghrib
10	Sun 16 May	Eid al-Adha — takbir, prayer, sacrifice

Adapt freely — the aim is to make every day of the ten count, not to follow a timetable perfectly.

What happens on Hajj during the ten days

Knowing what the pilgrims are doing each day makes the ten days feel connected to the Hajj:

• Days 1–7: pilgrims arrive in Makkah, perform ‘umrah or the arrival tawaf, and prepare. Many visit Madinah before or after.
• Day 8 (Tarwiyah, 14 May 2027): pilgrims enter ihram if they have not already and move to the tent city of Mina.
• Day 9 (Arafah, 15 May): the standing at Arafah from midday to sunset — the essential rite of Hajj — then the night at Muzdalifah.
• Day 10 (Eid, 16 May): stoning of the largest pillar (Jamrat al-‘Aqabah), the sacrifice, shaving or trimming the hair, and the tawaf al-ifadah around the Ka’bah.
• Days 11–13 (Tashreeq): stoning all three pillars each day in Mina, then the farewell tawaf before leaving Makkah.

Every Eid al-Adha sacrifice around the world echoes the pilgrims’ sacrifice in Mina, and both look back to Ibrahim.

For those not going on Hajj

Most Muslims will never be on the plains of Arafah in a given year. These days are, in a sense, the share of Hajj for everyone else: the same days, the same takbir, a sacrifice that echoes the pilgrims’, and the fast of Arafah that the pilgrims themselves do not keep.

A checklist before the ten days begin

Use the last week of Dhul-Qa’dah — around 30 April to 6 May 2027 — to prepare:

• Book your qurbani with a charity or butcher, and note the order reference.
• Get a haircut and trim your nails before sunset on Thursday 6 May if you are sacrificing.
• Decide which days you will fast, putting Saturday 15 May (Arafah) at the top of the list.
• Set up daily charity for the ten days — even a small amount every day.
• Request leave for Eid al-Adha (Sunday 16 May, and Monday 17 May if your community may celebrate a day later).
• Print or save the takbir for children to learn and recite.

Summary

• Ten days: from the evening of Thursday 6 May to Sunday 16 May 2027 (Umm al-Qura).
• The best days of the year for good deeds (Sahih al-Bukhari 969).
• Increase takbir, tahmid and tahlil; fast what you can of the first nine days.
• Arafah: Saturday 15 May. Eid al-Adha: Sunday 16 May 2027.
• Giving qurbani? Do not cut hair or nails from Thursday evening 6 May until your sacrifice.