Day of Arafah
Saturday 15 May 2027
9 Dhul Hijjah 1448. Eid al-Adha is the next day.
Day of Arafah 2027, fasting and the dua.
9 Dhul Hijjah 1448 is expected on Saturday 15 May 2027. Pilgrims stand at Arafah, and Muslims everywhere else fast, make dua and begin the takbir of tashriq.
The Day of Arafah begins in
--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds
Counting to Saturday 15 May 2027. The fast starts at Fajr.
The night before
Friday 14 May, after Maghrib
The Islamic day begins at sunset.
If the month starts a day later
Sunday 16 May 2027
Where the month began a day later by local moon sighting.
Guide
The Day of Arafah, the best day of the year.
The Day of Arafah is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, the day before Eid al-Adha. In 2027 it is expected on Saturday 15 May 2027, with Eid al-Adha on Sunday 16 May. Pilgrims spend the afternoon at the plain of Arafah, the central pillar of Hajj. For everyone else, fasting this day is one of the most rewarded voluntary fasts.
Fasting the Day of Arafah
The Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting the Day of Arafah and said: "It expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year."1 He also said: "There is no day on which Allah frees more of His servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah."2
Hanafi position
Fasting the Day of Arafah is mustahabb (recommended) for those not on Hajj. For the pilgrim at Arafah it is makruh if it weakens them from dua and the duties of the day, since the Prophet ﷺ did not fast at Arafah. Fasting the first eight days of Dhul Hijjah before it is also recommended.3
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i, Hanbali
- Recommended for those not on Hajj. For the pilgrim it is better not to fast; the Shafi'i school calls it makruh for them, the Hanbali school says leaving it is better.
- Maliki
- Recommended for those not on Hajj, and disliked for the pilgrim.
Which day if my country is a day behind?
Scholars differ here. Many, including most Hanafi muftis in South Asia, say you fast the 9th of Dhul Hijjah by your own local calendar, like every other date. Others say Arafah is the day the pilgrims stand at Arafah, so you fast with Saudi Arabia. Both views are held by sound scholars. If your masjid follows Saudi Arabia, the day is Saturday 15 May; if Dhul Hijjah starts a day later where you are, it is Sunday 16 May.
The dua of Arafah
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr
"There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things."
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3585: "The best dua is the dua of the Day of Arafah, and the best that I and the prophets before me said is..." Tirmidhi called its chain gharib; al-Albani graded it hasan through its supporting reports.
Spend the afternoon until Maghrib in dua, in your own language as well as in Arabic. Ask for forgiveness, for your family, for the ummah and for anything you need. Repeat the dhikr above often.
The takbir of tashriq begins
From Fajr on the Day of Arafah until Asr on 13 Dhul Hijjah (Wednesday 19 May), say the takbir once after every obligatory prayer. In the Hanafi school this is wajib. The full wording and times are on the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah page.
اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ، وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلّٰهِ الْحَمْدُ
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāhil-ḥamd
"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."
The wording narrated from Ibn Masud (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah), used in the Hanafi school.
A simple plan for the day
- Eat sehri and make the intention to fast before Fajr.
- Say the takbir after Fajr, and after every fard prayer that follows.
- Read Quran in the morning and give some charity.
- Keep the time between Asr and Maghrib for dua, as the pilgrims do.
- Break the fast at Maghrib, then prepare for Eid and your qurbani.
- Sahih Muslim 1162, from Abu Qatadah.
- Sahih Muslim 1348, from Aishah.
- Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Sawm; Sunan Abi Dawud 2437 on fasting nine days of Dhul Hijjah. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know.
When is the Day of Arafah 2027?
It is expected on Saturday 15 May 2027, 9 Dhul Hijjah 1448 by the Umm al-Qura calendar. Where Dhul Hijjah begins a day later, it is Sunday 16 May 2027.
What is the reward of fasting on the Day of Arafah?
The Prophet ﷺ said it expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year (Sahih Muslim 1162). Scholars explain this as the minor sins.
Can I fast Arafah if I have missed Ramadan fasts?
Yes. In the Hanafi school you may fast it as a voluntary fast before making up Ramadan, though making up what you owe soon is better. Some scholars of other schools say make up the Ramadan fasts first.
What is the best dua for the Day of Arafah?
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadir (Tirmidhi 3585). Then ask Allah for anything, in any language.
Should pilgrims fast on the Day of Arafah?
No. The Prophet ﷺ did not fast at Arafah, and it is disliked for a pilgrim if it weakens them from dua.