The Best Days of the Year


the day of `arafah & `eid al-adha

god has created some times better than others in the sense that the reward for good deeds done during these times is multiplied many times. this encourages his servants to do more righteous deeds and to worship him more in order to ready themselves for death and the day of judgment.

muslims believe that the best such season of worship is the first ten days of the islamic month of dhul-hijjah. these days, which include the day of `arafah and `eid al-adha, bring the muslims an opportunity to correct their faults and make up for any shortcomings.

the blessings of hajj spill over to those who are not making the pilgrimage if they fast on dhul-hijjah 9, the day of `arafah. on this day, also known as the waqfah (standing), the pilgrims stand on and around the mount of mercy to ask allah’s forgiveness. when the sun sets that day, all their past sins are forgiven. if those who are not making hajj fast on that day, the sins of two years (the past and the coming one) are forgiven.

the following day, dhul-hijjah 10, begins a three-day islamic public celebration known as `eid al-adha, the `eid of the sacrifice. in some places it is known by the turkish name bairam; `eid al-adha is the greater bairam.

this `eid commemorates the willingness of prophet ibrahim (abraham) to sacrifice his son isma`il (ishmael—peace and blessings be upon them both). muslims should reflect on their own commitment to allah and strive to strengthen their relationship with their creator.

muslims celebrate this `eid by attending special congregational prayers followed by a sermon (khutbah) in the morning. it is a confirmed sunnah to attend these prayers, which are usually held outside the mosque. the form of the prayer is the same as that of `eid al-fitr prayer and is also preceded by the takbir. muslims are recommended to perform ghusl (complete ritual bathing) and put on their best clothes beforehand. women who cannot perform the ritual prayer should attend and sit on the sides or in back so that they may share in the joy of that day.

afterwards, or on either of the next two days, many muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat, or seven people may share in sacrificing a cow. the sunnah is to give one-third of the meat to the poor, one-third to friends and relatives, and to keep one-third for one’s own family. the majority of scholars agree that this sacrifice is not obligatory (for those who can afford it), but is a confirmed sunnah.

pilgrims in the state of ihram (consecration) are forbidden—among other things— to clip their nails or cut or pluck their hair. those who do not perform hajj but who plan to sacrifice an animal on `eid should likewise abstain from clipping their nails or cutting or plucking their hair from the first day of dhul-hijjah until they sacrifice. the majority of scholars agree that this abstention is not obligatory, but it is a confirmed sunnah and highly recommended.

during these ten days, muslims should also recite allah’s praises often with the phrases “subhan allah” (glory be to allah), “al-hamdu lillah” (all praise to allah), “allahu akbar” (allah is greatest), and “la ilaha illa allah” (there is no god but allah).

the day of `arafah is an excellent time to repent and return to allah. `eid al-adha, the best day of the year, combines two great acts of worship, salah (ritual prayer) and sacrifice. together, they offer muslims the chance to become closer to their creator and lord.


it is very important to note that there is no day better in the sight of allah than the day of `arafah. on this day allah descends to the nearest heaven, and he is proud of his slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, “look at my servants. they have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek my mercy, even though they have not seen my chastisement.”

in this regard, we will cite what sheikh sayyed sabiq states in his well-known book, fiqh us-sunnah:

jabir reported that the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “the ten days of the month of dhul hijjah are the best days in the sight of allah.” a man asked, “are these days better than an equivalent number of days that are spent fighting for the cause of allah?” the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answered, “they are better than an equivalent number of days spent fighting in the cause of allah. and there is no day better in the sight of allah than the day of `arafah. on this day allah, the almighty and the exalted one, descends to the nearest heaven, and he is proud of his slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, ‘look at my servants. they have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek my mercy, even though they have not seen my chastisement. far more people are freed from the hellfire on the day of `arafah than on any other day. ’” al-mundhri said that this hadith was reported by abu ya`la, al-bazzar, ibn khuzaymah, and ibn hibban, in whose wording it is given here.


ibn al-mubarak reported from sufyan ath-thawri, from az-zubayr ibn `ali, from anas ibn malik that he said: the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spent the day at `arafah until almost sunset. then he said, “o bilal, ask the people to be quiet and listen to me.” bilal stood up and asked the people to be quiet and listen to the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). when the people were quiet, the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “o people, a little while ago gabriel (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me. gave me salutations from allah and informed me that allah has forgiven those who spend the day at `arafah and those who stop at al-mash`ar al-haram, and that he has guaranteed their debts.”

at this `umar ibn al-khattab stood up and asked, “o allah’s messenger, is this for us only?” the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “this is for you and for all those who will come after you until the day of judgment.” `umar exclaimed, “how plentiful and blissful allah’s bounties are!”

muslim and others have reported from `a’ishah that the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “allah frees far more people from hellfire on the day of `arafah than on any other day, and allah comes closer this day and proudly says to the angels, ‘what do these people want and seek?’”

abu ad-darda reported that the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “on no other day does the satan feel so belittled, humiliated, and angry as he does on the day of `arafah.” the reason for this is the mercy of allah that descends (this day) and the forgiveness that he grants to people for major sins, except the day of the battle of badr, which witnessed a far greater mercy of allah descending upon people, which caused great sadness to satan.

the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, “o prophet of allah, what did satan see on the day of the battle of badr?” “he saw gabriel leading the troops of angels,” he replied (reported by malik and al-hakim).


it is a sunnah to leave for arafah after the sunrise of the 9th day of dhul-hijjah. this is while uttering takbir, which is saying: allahu akbar (god is the greatest), tahlil, which is saying: la ilaha ila-allah (there is no god but allah) and talbiyah, which is saying: labbayka allahumma labbayk.

the importance of this stand is related to the amount of forgiveness and mercy bestowed by god on his pilgrims. the prophet (peace be upon him) spent the day at arafah until almost sunset. then he said:

"o bilal! ask the people to be quiet and listen to me."

bilal stood up and asked the people to be quiet and listen to the prophet. when they were quiet, the prophet said:

"o people! a little while ago gabriel (peace be upon him) came to me, gave me salutations from allah, and informed me that allah has forgiven those who spend the day at arafah…"

at this, umar ibn al-khattab stood up and asked:

"o allah's messenger, is this for us only?"

the prophet said:

"this is for you, and for all those who will come after you, until the day of judgment…"

umar exclaimed:

"how plentiful and blissful allah's bounties are!" (at-targhib wat-tarhib and authenticated by al-albani)

the prophet also said:

"allah frees far more people from hellfire on the day of arafah than on any other day. allah comes closer this day and proudly says to the angels: ‘what do these people want and seek?!'" (muslim)

in fact, the importance of standing on the mountain of arafah during the journey of hajj is highly confirmed in the prophet's very words:

"hajj is arafah." (an-nasa'i)

most scholars are of the opinion that the time to spend in arafah begins from noon of the 9th day of dhul-hijjah until dawn of the 10th of dhul-hijjah. they mostly agree that any part of this period of time, day or night, may be spent in arafah to fulfill its condition, as being an anchor of hajj.

staying at arafah means physical, as well as mental presence in any part of arafah. this is whether one is awake, asleep, riding, sitting, lying down or even walking…

it is recommended to seek forgiveness of allah as much as possible, glorify allah, and supplicate for one's well-being and welfare in this life and in the hereafter. it is also recommended to supplicate for the welfare of others. this is to be done sincerely with fervor, attention and with hands raised humbly in supplication.

as for the recommended supplications, it was reported that on the day of arafah the prophet (peace be upon him) would say:

"there is no deity worthy of worship but allah alone. he has no partners. to him alone, belongs the kingdom, and all praise. in his hand is all the good, and he has power over all things."

again, it was reported that prophet muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"the supplication most frequently used by the prophets before me and by me on the day of arafah is this:

‘there is no deity worthy of worship but allah alone. he has no partners. to him belongs the kingdom and all praise, and he has power over all things. o allah! place light [guidance] in my sight, in my ears and in my heart. o allah! open my heart and ease my tasks. o allah! i seek refuge with you from evil whispers, from confusion, from the trial of the grave, from the evil that takes place during the day or night, from the evil carried by the winds, and from the afflictions of the world.'"

according to sunnah, pilgrims should leave arafah quietly and peacefully after sunset. the prophet left arafah very peacefully and quietly, while saying:

"o people, walk calmly; rushing or making hast is not a virtue…" (al-bukhari and muslim)

the inner peace to be felt then is a reflection of the pilgrim's certainty that he/she has been accepted. this in itself is a sign of faith in allah, because it is his promise to accept those whom are granted that blessed stand.

hope this answer is satisfactory, tarek. may allah grant you, and all of us, a blessed stand on the mount of forgiveness next year in sha' allah!

brother mohsen haredy, a member of ask about islam editorial staff, would like to add the following:

it is highly recommended for non-pilgrims to observe fasting on the day of arafah. the prophet (peace be upon him) exhorted us to do good deeds during the first ten days of dhul-hijja and fasting is one of those good deeds. abu qatada al-ansari (may allah be pleased with him) reported that: "…. he (the prophet) was asked about fasting on the day of arafah, whereupon he said: it expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year." (muslim)

as for pilgrims, they are not allowed to fast on the day of arafah so that they will be strong enough to worship and supplicate allah on this great day. abu hurairah (may allah be pleased with him) reported that the prophet "forbade fasting on the day of arafah for one who is actually at arafah." (ahmad)

the prophet himself did not fast the day of arafah when he performed hajj. umm al-fadl bint al-harith reported that some people argued about the fasting of the messenger of allah on the day of arafah. some of them said that he had been fasting, whereas the others said that he had not been fasting. i sent a cup of milk to him while he was riding his camel at arafah, and he drank it. (muslim)


on the importance of the first ten days of dhul-hijjah, sheikh saleh al-munajjid has written:

"praise be to allah who has created time and has made some times better than others, some months and days and nights better than others. this is in a sense that rewards are multiplied many times than the case in other periods of time.

this reflects allah's overflowing mercy towards his servants, and it encourages them to do more righteous deeds. it makes them more eager to worship him, so that the muslim renews his efforts to gain a greater share of reward, prepare himself for death and supply himself in readiness for the day of judgment.

this season of worship brings many benefits, such as the opportunity to correct one's faults and make up for any shortcomings or anything that one might have missed. every one of these special occasions involves some kind of worship, through which the servants may draw closer to allah. they also involve some kind of blessing, through which allah bestows his favor and mercy upon whomsoever he wills.

happiness and success are for the one who makes the most of these special months, days and hours, and draws nearer to his/her god during these times, through acts of worship and righteousness. the muslim needs to understand the value of his/her life, increase his/her worship of allah and persist in doing good deeds until the moment of death.

allah says in the qur'an what means:

*{and worship your lord until there comes unto you the certainty.}* (al-hijr 15:99)

scholars explain: "the 'certainty' means death."

then, among the special seasons of worship are the first ten days of dhul-hijjah, which allah has preferred over all the other days of the year…"

prophet muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has said:

"there are no days during which good deeds are more beloved by allah than these [ten] days." (al-bukhari, at-tirmidhi and others)

for this reason, all the good deeds we can do should be done during these days with more vigor and piety. in particular, fasting and dhikr (repetitive remembrance of allah by both heart and tongue) need to be given special importance.

prophet muhammad exhorted his followers to do more righteous deeds, during this period, because of the virtue of these days. he has commanded us to recite more tasbih (saying subhan allah: 'glory be to allah'). this is as well as to tahmeed (saying al-hamdu lillah: 'all praise be to allah') and takbir (saying allahu akbar: 'allah is greatest').

abdullah ibn `umar reported that prophet muhammad said:

"there are no days greater in the sight of allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to him than these ten days. so, during this time, recite a great deal of tahlil (saying la ilaha illa-allah: ‘there is no god but allah’), takbir and tahmeed." (ahmad)"

the day of `arafah

the first ten days of dhul-hijjah include the days of hajj. of particular importance is the day of `arafah, on which allah perfected his religion. fasting on this day is one of the most important sunnah fasts, which can expiate the sins of two years. fasting on all these days, however, is not obligatory, nor was it a constant practice of the messenger.

one of the wives of the prophet (peace be upon him) said: "allah's messenger used to fast the [first] nine days of dhul-hijjah, the day of `ashura', and three days of each month." (abu dawud)

the day of `arafah is the day when the pilgrims stand in worship on the mountain of `arafah. this has been called the best day of the year.

the prophet muhammad has been quoted as saying:

"fasting the day of `arafat expiates the sins of two years: a past one and a coming one. and, fasting the day of `ashura' (the tenth of the lunar month of muharram) expiates the sins of the past year." (muslim)

the day of `eid al-adha

the tenth of dhul-hijjah is `eid al-adha or the day of an-nahr (sacrifice). it marks the conclusion of the major rites of hajj. it also commemorates allah's bounty on his messenger ibrahim (peace be upon him), when he gave him a ram to sacrifice, as ransom for his son isma`il, (peace be upon him).

`eid al-adha is a day of festival for muslims who do not perform hajj. while the pilgrims complete their rites, other muslims continue with their `eid celebrations. here, they are prohibited from fasting. these are days of fun, happiness, eating, drinking and glorifying of allah.

the sacrifice

allah has mentioned the duty of the sacrifice together with the first and foremost worship in islam, namely prayer. this obviously signifies its great importance. in the qur'an, allah says what means:

*{therefore pray to your lord and sacrifice.}* (al-kawthar 108:2)

sacrificing an animal, as part of `eid observance, is an important sunnah, and a worship enjoined by the law of allah. the sacrifice is not only to be enjoyed by the one who sacrifices and his family. a main reason behind this ritual is to provide for the poor and let them share this moment of happiness. it is to give charity to the poor and give them portion of what you eat in your own house. thus, becoming one big family, sharing the same belief, as well as the same joy.