The first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are the most rewarded days of the Islamic year, and in 2027 they run from Friday, May 7 to Sunday, May 16. Allah swears an oath by them in the Quran. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that no righteous deed done on any other day is more beloved to Allah than a deed done in these ten. Fasting, dhikr, Quran and charity all weigh more inside this window than they do outside it, which is why so many Muslims move their annual giving here.
This guide covers what the ten days are, the authentic evidence for their rank, and the specific deeds that fill them. It also gives a day by day plan tied to real 2027 dates, so the ten days are scheduled before they arrive rather than remembered on the ninth. If you want to give in these days, MWA Charity funds water wells, orphan support, schools and mosques with photo and video proof of every project. For the full month calendar, including the Qurbani window and the Hajj timeline.
What Are the First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah?
The first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are days 1 to 10 of the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. They end on Eid al Adha.
This is the month of Hajj. While roughly two million pilgrims travel to Makkah, the reward of these days is not limited to them. Every Muslim on earth has access to the same ten days. The only difference is what you choose to do with them.
| Dhul Hijjah 1448 | Expected 2027 date | Marker |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, May 7 | Ten blessed days begin |
| 8 | Friday, May 14 | Day of Tarwiyah, Hajj begins |
| 9 | Saturday, May 15 | Day of Arafah |
| 10 | Sunday, May 16 | Eid al Adha |
Each Islamic date begins at maghrib on the evening before. The dates stay subject to the sighting of the crescent, which will be sought on the evening of Thursday, May 6, 2027.
Why the First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah Are the Best Days of the Year
These ten days hold the highest rank of any days in the year, and four separate proofs establish it.
Allah swears an oath by them
Allah says, “By the dawn, and by the ten nights” (Al Fajr 89:1-2).
Allah swears only by what is great. Ibn Abbas, Ibn al Zubayr, Mujahid and others of the early generations understood “the ten nights” as the first ten of Dhul Hijjah. Ibn Kathir recorded this as the correct opinion in his tafsir. When a season is worth an oath in the Quran, it is worth clearing your calendar for.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, ranked deeds in them above all others
Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said there are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days. The companions asked whether this included jihad in the path of Allah. He answered that it did, except for a man who went out with his wealth and his life and returned with neither (Sahih al Bukhari).
Read that carefully. An ordinary deed in these ten days outweighs the highest sacrifice made outside them. That is the mechanism. The deed does not change. The day it lands on changes its weight.
They are the “appointed days” of the Quran
Allah says that the pilgrims come “so that they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on appointed days” (Al Hajj 22:28).
Ibn Abbas explained that the appointed days are the ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The verse ties these days directly to dhikr, which is why remembrance is the deed most associated with them.
They gather every pillar of Islam in one window
No other ten days in the year contain all five pillars at once. The shahadah is renewed in the takbir. Salah continues. Fasting is recommended on the first nine. Zakat and sadaqah are given. Hajj is performed. Scholars such as Ibn Hajar pointed to this combination as the reason these days hold their rank.
Are the Ten Days of Dhul Hijjah Better Than the Last Ten of Ramadan?
The balanced scholarly position is that the days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year, while the nights of the last ten of Ramadan are the best nights.
Laylatul Qadr sits in the nights of Ramadan, and it is better than a thousand months. The Day of Arafah sits in the days of Dhul Hijjah. The two virtues cover different halves of the day, so they do not compete. Ibn al Qayyim and Ibn Taymiyyah both settled the question this way. If you want the detail on the Ramadan side, read what Laylatul Qadr is and how to give in it.
The practical takeaway is simple. Treat the days of Dhul Hijjah the way you treat the nights of Ramadan.
The Best Deeds to Do in the First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah
The most rewarded deeds in these days are fasting, dhikr, charity, Quran, repentance and Qurbani. None of them require travel, money you do not have, or time off work.
Fasting the first nine days
Fasting is recommended on any of the first nine days, from Friday, May 7 to Saturday, May 15, 2027. It is not obligatory, and you are not required to fast all nine.
Some readers meet a hadith in Sahih Muslim in which Aisha said she never saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, fasting the ten days, and assume fasting is not recommended. Scholars including al Nawawi explain that Aisha reported what she witnessed, and that he sometimes left a recommended act so it would not be taken as obligatory. Other companions reported that he did fast nine days of Dhul Hijjah, and the general command to increase righteous deeds covers fasting. The four schools all treat fasting these days as recommended.
Fasting is forbidden on Eid al Adha and the three days of Tashriq, which run from Sunday, May 16 to Wednesday, May 19, 2027.
Takbir, tahlil and tahmid
This is the most neglected sunnah of the month, and the easiest to revive.
Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said there are no days greater before Allah, nor in which deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, and instructed us to increase tahlil, takbir and tahmid in them (Musnad Ahmad, graded authentic by Ahmad Shakir).
The common wording of the takbir is:
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللهُ 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 all praise.”
Wordings vary in the reports from the companions, and all the well known forms are acceptable. There are two kinds of takbir in this month, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion.
| Type | When it is said | 2027 timing |
|---|---|---|
| General takbir | Any time of day, anywhere, not tied to prayer | Maghrib on Thursday, May 6 to the end of the Tashriq days |
| Takbir al Tashriq | Aloud after every obligatory prayer | Fajr on Saturday, May 15 to Asr on Wednesday, May 19 |
Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah used to go out into the markets of Madinah during these days saying the takbir aloud, and people would say it after them. It was public, not private. Say it in the car, in the kitchen, on a walk, and in the masjid.
Charity
Charity is a deed, and a deed in these days weighs more than the same deed outside them. That single principle is the whole argument for giving here.
Allah says that the parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is that of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills (Al Baqarah 2:261).
The verse describes multiplication of reward as the normal return on charity. Give that same charity inside the best days of the year and the multiplier compounds. Small daily amounts across all ten days work better than one lump sum on the tenth, because consistency was the quality the Prophet, peace be upon him, praised most.
Reciting and returning to the Quran
Every letter of the Quran carries reward, and these days raise the value of every deed placed inside them. A realistic target beats an ambitious one you abandon on day three. One page after Fajr and one page after Isha completes roughly half a juz across the ten days. A juz a day completes the Quran by Eid.
Sincere repentance
The Day of Arafah is the day Allah frees more people from the Fire than on any other day (Sahih Muslim). Entering that day carrying something you have not repented from is the avoidable loss of this month.
Repentance means leaving the act, regretting it, and resolving not to return. If it involves the rights of another person, returning what is owed or seeking their pardon is part of it.
Guarding the tongue and the temper
Increasing good deeds while continuing to backbite, argue and cut family ties cancels much of the gain. These ten days are a good window to settle a dispute, call a relative you have avoided, and serve your parents. Kindness to parents is among the most beloved deeds to Allah, and it costs nothing.
Qurbani
The sacrifice is offered from after the Eid prayer on Sunday, May 16 until sunset on Wednesday, May 19, 2027. An animal slaughtered before the Eid prayer counts as ordinary meat, not Qurbani.
Anyone intending to offer a sacrifice is instructed to leave their hair and nails from the start of the month until the sacrifice is performed. This comes from the hadith of Umm Salamah (Sahih Muslim).
Day by Day Deed Plan for the First 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah 2027
Use one anchor deed per day. An anchor is a single act you commit to, so the day has a floor even when it goes badly.
| Day | 2027 date | Anchor deed | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri, May 7 | Write your intention for the ten days. Set your Qurbani. Stop cutting hair and nails | 15 minutes |
| 2 | Sat, May 8 | Fast. Begin the takbir aloud at home and in the car | Full day |
| 3 | Sun, May 9 | Give sadaqah, however small, and repeat it daily | 5 minutes |
| 4 | Mon, May 10 | Call or visit your parents. Settle one strained relationship | 30 minutes |
| 5 | Tue, May 11 | Read Quran with the meaning, not only the recitation | 20 minutes |
| 6 | Wed, May 12 | Pray the sunnah prayers around the five obligatory prayers | 25 minutes |
| 7 | Thu, May 13 | Sincere repentance. Write down what you are leaving behind | 20 minutes |
| 8 | Fri, May 14 | Day of Tarwiyah. Fast, attend Jumuah early, make dua for the pilgrims | Full day |
| 9 | Sat, May 15 | Day of Arafah. Fast and give the afternoon to dua | Full day |
| 10 | Sun, May 16 | Eid al Adha. Eid prayer, Qurbani, feed people, visit family | Full day |
Miss a day and you have not lost the month. Start again on the next one.
What to Do If You Work Full Time
The ten days do not require a cleared schedule. They require a plan that survives a normal week.
Three things carry the most weight for the least disruption:
- Fast the days you can. Saturday, May 8 and Saturday, May 15 both fall on a weekend in 2027. If you fast only two days, make one of them Arafah.
- Convert dead time into dhikr. The commute, the school run and the walk from the parking lot are already yours. The takbir needs no preparation.
- Automate the charity. Set up a small daily amount across the ten days so consistency does not depend on remembering. Our daily donations option exists for exactly this.
Eid al Adha falls on a Sunday in 2027 and Arafah on a Saturday. For families in the United States this is the easiest configuration in years, with no leave required for either.
What Women in Menstruation Can Do in These Days
Menstruation does not exclude a woman from these ten days. It only removes salah and fasting.
Every other deed in this guide is open, and several of them are the highest deeds available:
- Takbir, tahlil, tahmid and istighfar, which carry no condition of purity
- Dua, including the long afternoon of Arafah
- Listening to the Quran, and reciting it according to the scholars who permit it without touching the mushaf
- Charity, service to parents, feeding people and reconciling relationships
- Reading tafsir, seerah and attending a class
Missed fasts are not made up, because voluntary fasts are not compensated. The reward of the ten days is still fully available.
Where Your Charity Goes in the Ten Days
The best charity in these days is the charity that keeps working after the days end.
Three forms suit the month:
Daily sadaqah across the ten days. Small and consistent, given every day from May 7 to May 16. This is the simplest way to place a deed inside each of the ten.
Qurbani. One share feeds a family that may eat meat only once or twice a year. Confirm with any organization that the slaughter falls inside the May 16 to May 19 window and that you receive proof of delivery.
Sadaqah Jariyah. A water well, a mosque or Qurans for a village keeps earning long after Eid. This is the form most often chosen on behalf of a deceased parent, since the reward continues to reach them.
MWA Charity has served vulnerable communities since 2012 as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit, EIN 83-0841269, working in Uganda, India and Pakistan. Donors receive photos and videos of the specific project they funded, including the depth and location of the well they built. Before giving anywhere this season, check the EIN, read the most recent financial statement, and ask whether the organization sends proof of delivery.
Common Mistakes in the First Ten Days
- Waiting until day nine. Most of the reward sits in days one to eight, and most people never enter them.
- Planning too much. Nine fasts, a full Quran and night prayer every night usually collapses by day three. One anchor deed a day survives.
- Saying the takbir only on Eid morning. The general takbir starts when the month enters, not on the tenth.
- Fasting on the forbidden days. Eid al Adha and the three days of Tashriq are days of eating and remembrance, not fasting.
- Ordering Qurbani too late. Field teams need days to buy, slaughter and distribute inside the valid window.
- Chasing unverified duas. Circulated messages promising fixed rewards for fixed repetitions are usually fabricated. The authentic dhikr in this guide is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah 2027 begin?
The first ten days are expected to begin on Friday, May 7, 2027 and end on Eid al Adha, Sunday, May 16, 2027. The crescent will be sought on the evening of Thursday, May 6, and countries that rely on physical sighting may begin a day later.
Why are the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah so important?
Allah swears an oath by these ten nights in Surah Al Fajr, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said no righteous deed on any other day is more beloved to Allah than a deed done in them (Sahih al Bukhari). They also contain the Day of Arafah and Eid al Adha, and they gather all five pillars of Islam into one window.
What are the best deeds in the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah?
Fasting the first nine days, saying takbir, tahlil and tahmid often, giving daily charity, reciting Quran, sincere repentance, serving parents, and offering Qurbani. The Prophet, peace be upon him, specifically instructed us to increase remembrance of Allah in these days (Musnad Ahmad).
Do I have to fast all 10 days of Dhul Hijjah?
No. Fasting is recommended on the first nine days only, and you may fast as many or as few as you are able. Fasting on the tenth day, Eid al Adha, is forbidden. If you fast only one day, the ninth, the Day of Arafah, carries the greatest reward.
Are the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah better than the last 10 of Ramadan?
The days of Dhul Hijjah are considered the best days of the year, while the nights of the last ten of Ramadan are the best nights because Laylatul Qadr falls among them. Scholars treat the two as complementary rather than competing.
When does the takbir of Dhul Hijjah start?
The general takbir, said at any time of day, begins when the month enters at maghrib on Thursday, May 6, 2027. Takbir al Tashriq, said aloud after every obligatory prayer, begins at Fajr on the Day of Arafah, Saturday, May 15, and continues until Asr on Wednesday, May 19.
Can I cut my hair or nails during the first 10 days?
Anyone intending to offer a Qurbani is instructed to leave their hair and nails from the start of the month until the sacrifice is complete, based on the hadith of Umm Salamah in Sahih Muslim. Most scholars treat this as strongly recommended, and a lapse does not invalidate the sacrifice. The instruction applies to the person offering the sacrifice, not to the whole household.
What can I do in the first 10 days if I am on my period?
Everything except salah and fasting. Dhikr, takbir, istighfar, dua, charity, listening to the Quran, serving parents and feeding people are all open, and the long afternoon of Arafah is one of the best times of the year for dua.
Is charity in the first 10 days better than charity at other times?
The evidence establishes that righteous deeds in these days are more beloved to Allah than deeds done outside them, and charity is a righteous deed. Many donors move their annual giving into this window for that reason. Giving a small amount on each of the ten days places a deed inside every one of them.
What should I read next?
Our guide to the Day of Arafah 2027 covers the fast, the best dua and an hour by hour plan for the ninth day. For all the dates, the Qurbani window and the Hajj timeline in our guide of Dhul Hijjah 2027.
