The First Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah: Fasting, Takbir, and Arafah
These ten are the most beloved days for righteous work. Fast what you can of 1 to 9. Arafah is the peak if you are not at Hajj. Do not fast 10 through 13. A calm guide for the person at home.
These ten days are the most beloved days for righteous work. Fast what you can from the first through the ninth. The Day of Arafah is the peak for someone not at Hajj. Do not fast the tenth, and do not fast the days of tashreeq. Expected dates for 1448 live on the Dhul Hijjah 2027 desk. This page is what to do, not when the month starts.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days, meaning the ten. They said: not even jihad in the path of Allah? He said: not even jihad in the path of Allah, except a man who goes out with himself and his wealth and returns with nothing (Sahih al-Bukhari 969).
Fasting is inside that wording. Completing all nine is not a condition. A day you actually hold is better than a day you only describe.
Fast a day you can carry. Say the takbir on the road. Do not let a weak list steal the ninth from you.
A plan for days 1 to 9
The ten days begin on 1 Dhul Hijjah. See the Dhul Hijjah 2027 desk for this year's dates. If the month opens a day later for you, shift every row.
| Day | Fast | Takbir | One focused act |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recommended | Unrestricted in most practice | Intend, if you will offer a sacrifice |
| 2 | Recommended | Unrestricted | Quran you can actually carry |
| 3 | Recommended | Unrestricted | A small sadaqah you can repeat |
| 4 | Recommended | Unrestricted | A family tie you let go cold |
| 5 | Recommended | Unrestricted | A make-up fast if a teacher lets you combine |
| 6 | Recommended | Unrestricted | Cut less, if you intend to sacrifice |
| 7 | Recommended | Unrestricted | Lay out Eid clothes without buying panic |
| 8 Tarwiyah | Recommended | Unrestricted | Sleep early for Arafah |
| 9 Arafah | Strongest, if not at Hajj | Restricted after the fard in some schools, unrestricted in others | Fast if you are not a pilgrim, and fill the day with dhikr |
The tenth is Eid. It is not in this table. Its prayer is in how to pray Eid al Adha.
Fasting the nine, and two reports people treat as enemies
The majority of scholars recommend fasting the first nine days. The main proof is Ibn Abbas in Bukhari 969: work in these days is more beloved, and fasting is work.
Then come two reports about his ﷺ action, not about a command.
The affirming one. Sunan Abi Dawud 2437, from Hunaydah ibn Khalid, from his wife, from one of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast the first nine of Dhul Hijjah, the day of Ashura, and three days of every month. Al Albani graded it sahih in Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud.
The denying one. Sahih Muslim 1176, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasting in the ten at all. In another wording: he did not fast the ten.
Why Albani and Arnaut split on Abu Dawud 2437
The isnad is the same: Hunaydah, from his wife, from some of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. Hunaydah's wife is not named in this route. "Some of the wives" is a second anonymity, even though all of them are trustworthy.
Shu'ayb al Arnaut, in his takhrij of Sunan Abi Dawud, graded it da'if for idtirab (a disturbed chain). The disturbance is that the report arrives in more than one shape: from his wife from some of the wives; from Hunaydah from Hafsa; from Hunaydah from his mother from Umm Salamah, abbreviated (Nasb al-Rayah 2/157). Jahala is one face of that disturbance: a link with no name, then a link that says "some." Two competent critics, one family of routes, opposite grades. That is the lesson. It is not that one of them loves fasting the ten and the other hates it. It is whether this action is established by this isnad.
Even if 2437 is weakened, the recommendation to fast still sits on the generality of Bukhari 969. Al Nawawi in al-Majmu' 6/441: Aisha's report is read as what she did not see; he was with her one day of nine, or he left it for travel or illness. Ahmad: the one who affirms is given precedence over the one who denies. Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari 2/460: it is possible he left a deed he loved lest it be made obligatory.
The lesson for the reader: one report is in Muslim, the other is disputed in its chain, and the majority still recommend the fast from the general wording about righteous work. Fast what you can. Do not use a fight about an isnad as a reason to skip the ninth.
If you start on day four, what you missed is not a debt. If you want to combine a nafl fast with a make-up, ask a teacher who can hear your case. We will not invent that ruling here.
The Day of Arafah if you are not at Hajj
Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about fasting the Day of Arafah and said: I hope in Allah that it expiates the year before it and the year after it (Sahih Muslim 1162). About Ashura: the year before it.
This is for someone not at Hajj. A pilgrim that day is standing. His fasting it is against the Sunnah.
Expiation, for most commentators, is of minor sins, not a blank cheque that wipes major sins without tawbah. Write that before someone writes "two years erased" on a graphic.
Which ninth do you fast? Two positions, each with people:
- The ninth of your town, because the fast is worship tied to your day and your community's crescent.
- The ninth of Makkah, because Arafah is a name for a standing there.
Name both. Then follow the masjid you pray in. Do not fast on a livestream from Arafah if your ninth is tomorrow.
What to say in the day
The best of what you already know of dhikr: tahlil, tahmid, takbir. As for Tirmidhi 3585, "the best dua is the dua of the Day of Arafah," then the tahlil: Abu Isa called it hasan gharib, and said Hammad ibn Abi Humayd is not strong among the people of hadith. Darussalam graded it da'if. The tahlil itself is sound dhikr. The frame "best dua of Arafah" from this route is weak. We do not put it first. We do not stop you saying la ilaha illallah.
Takbir: the wording, unrestricted, restricted
A wording common in the ten and after the prayers:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahil-hamd.
"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 the praise."
Some rows add a third opening takbir. Both uses are known. Follow the row you are in.
| Position | Unrestricted takbir (roads and markets) | Restricted takbir (after the fard) |
|---|---|---|
| Hanafi (Abu Yusuf and Muhammad) | From Fajr of Arafah through Asr of the 13th, once after each fard, 23 prayers, wajib | |
| Shafi'i (later fatwas) | From sunset on the eve of Eid until the Eid prayer begins | From Fajr of Arafah through Asr of the 13th, after every prayer, fard or nafl |
| Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymin (IslamQA 36627) | From sunset of the last of Dhu al Qa'dah through sunset of the 13th | From Fajr of Arafah through sunset of the last tashreeq; pilgrims from Dhuhr of the 10th |
We did not open a primary Maliki manual here for the start and end of unrestricted versus restricted takbir. We will not invent the row. Ask a Maliki teacher if that is your school.
Say it while you walk. Say it after the salam. Do not turn the table into a fight with the person next to you.
Hair and nails if you intend to sacrifice
Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, in meaning: when the ten begin and one of you intends to sacrifice, he should not take anything from his hair or his skin (Sahih Muslim 1977c to 1977e, a separate chapter from the Burayda report numbered 1977a). In one wording: when you see the crescent of Dhul Hijjah.
This is for the person who intends to sacrifice. Not for the whole ummah.
- Ahmad and many with him: haram until you slaughter.
- Al Shafi'i: disliked (makruh tanzihi) in the relied-upon view.
- Abu Hanifa: not disliked.
- Malikis: mixed reports.
If you forget and you cut, you do not owe a new animal. Holding back is courtesy to the report, not a fidya. If an agent slaughters for you in another country, the slaughter time is the agent's locality, not yours (Permanent Committee, IslamQA 278680).
Commonly shared, not established
Do not open the ten with these lines. Know them so they are not run at you.
- "Each day's fast equals a year, and each night equals Laylat al Qadr." Tirmidhi 758 and Ibn Majah 1728. Abu Isa: gharib. Al-Nahhas is in the chain, and his memory was criticized. Darussalam: da'if. IslamQA 145046 cites Albani, al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah 5142, and Ibn Rajab treating other marfu' multiplication reports of this kind as fabricated.
- A story for each day: Adam forgiven, Yunus answered, Ibrahim born after so many years. IslamQA 279518: fabricated isnads, named liars in the chains.
- Invented Arafah figures ("ten thousand years" and the like): we did not find a grading that will carry them. Leave them.
Love of the ten does not need invented numbers. Bukhari 969 is enough.
This page is not a Hajj manual
A pilgrim has the books of his group. You, if you stay home: pray the five, fast what you can through the ninth, say the takbir, and if you will sacrifice hold the hair until it is slaughtered. Then come to Eid as in the Eid al Adha prayer guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fasting the ten days of Dhul Hijjah Sunnah?
The first nine are recommended by the majority, from Bukhari 969. The ninth is strongest if you are not at Hajj (Muslim 1162). The tenth is Eid and is not fasted. Aisha's report in Muslim that she never saw him fasting does not cancel this; it is read as what she did not see, or as travel.
How do we hold Muslim 1176 with Abu Dawud 2437?
Aisha denies what she saw. Abu Dawud 2437 affirms the fast from Hunaydah, from his unnamed wife, from some of the wives. Albani: sahih. Arnaut: da'if, because that woman is unnamed and the chain arrives in other shapes. The majority still recommend the fast from Bukhari 969. The fight is the isnad, not the love of the ten.
Can I fast if I missed the start of the month?
Yes. What you hold of the remaining nine is worship on its own, not a debt. Do not make up a day you never intended from the night before. Start tomorrow if any of 1 through 9 remains. Combining a nafl fast with qada is a question for a teacher, not for this page.
Which Day of Arafah do I fast if Saudi and my country differ?
Two positions: the ninth of your community, or the ninth of Makkah. Name both. Then follow the masjid you pray in. Do not fast on a live feed from Arafah if your ninth is tomorrow. Hajj binds to Makkah's clock. Your fast binds to your community.
Does fasting Arafah wipe major sins?
Muslim 1162 names two years. Most commentators limit that to minor sins unless a major sin is followed by tawbah. Do not write on a graphic that two years are gone without repentance. The fast is great. Tawbah for a major sin is greater in its place.
May I cut my hair in the ten?
If you intend to sacrifice, hold hair and nails from the start of the month (Muslim 1977c). Ahmad forbids cutting until slaughter. Al Shafi'i dislikes it. Abu Hanifa does not. If you cut forgetfully, no new animal. If you are not sacrificing, this holding back does not bind you.
What is unrestricted takbir versus restricted?
Unrestricted takbir is on the roads, not tied to a prayer. Restricted takbir is after the fard: Hanafis from Fajr of Arafah through Asr of the 13th. Shafi'is also attach it after nafl. Follow your masjid's row. Do not quarrel about a count.
Is "the best dua is the dua of Arafah" authentic?
Tirmidhi 3585 reports that, then the tahlil. Abu Isa: hasan gharib, and Hammad ibn Abi Humayd is not strong. Darussalam: da'if. The tahlil itself is established dhikr. The frame "best dua of Arafah" from this route is weak. Do not put it first. Do not forbid the tahlil.
Sources
Last verified: 23 August 2026.
Hadith collections (accessed 22 August 2026):
- Sahih al-Bukhari 969 (sunnah.com/bukhari:969). Sahih Muslim 1162, 1176, 1977c to 1977e (sunnah.com/muslim:1977c). Sunan Abi Dawud 2437. Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3585 and 758. Sahih al-Bukhari 1997 and 1998.
Calendar for this year's civil dates: the Dhul Hijjah 2027 desk (Umm al Qura print, accessed 22 August 2026).
Fast a day. Say the takbir on the road. Leave the list that promises you Laylat al Qadr every night. The ten are too short to fill with the weak.
