Short answer
Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, falls on 10 Dhul Hijjah, the day after the pilgrims stand at Arafah. Muslims pray the Eid prayer, sacrifice an animal in memory of Ibrahim, share the meat and visit family. In the Hanafi school the Eid prayer and qurbani are both wajib for those they are due on.
The Eid prayer is wajib on men who must attend Jumu'ah, qurbani is wajib on those with the nisab, and Takbir al-Tashreeq is wajib after fard prayers from Fajr of 9 to Asr of 13 Dhul Hijjah. Fasting on 10 to 13 Dhul Hijjah is forbidden.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i and Maliki
- The Eid prayer and qurbani are stressed sunnahs.
- Hanbali
- The Eid prayer is fard kifayah (a communal duty) and qurbani a stressed sunnah.
Explanation
When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, its people had two days of play from pre-Islamic times. He told them Allah had given them two better days: the day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr. Eid al-Adha is the greater of the two. It comes in the middle of the Hajj and marks the pilgrims' day of sacrifice at Mina.
Sunnahs of the day:
- Ghusl, your best clothes and perfume for men.
- Say the takbir aloud on the way to the prayer.
- Do not eat until after the prayer, then eat from your qurbani if you can (see eating before the prayer).
- Go to the prayer by one route and return by another.
- Pray the Eid prayer (see how to pray Eid salah) and listen to the khutbah.
- Sacrifice after the prayer, on the 10th, 11th or 12th (see why Muslims sacrifice).
- Visit relatives, feed people and share the meat with neighbours and the poor.
The days of tashreeq (11 to 13 Dhul Hijjah) are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah, so fasting on them is not allowed. Say the takbir after each fard prayer through them (see Takbir al-Tashreeq). This year's date is on our Eid dates page.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:28
لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍۢ مَّعْلُومَٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ ﴿٢٨﴾
That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.
The days of sacrifice are days of remembering Allah.
Quran, Surah Al-Kawthar 108:2
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ ﴿٢﴾
So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].
The Eid prayer and the sacrifice are the two acts of the day.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1134
Graded sahih... إن الله قد أبدلكم بهما خيرا منهما يوم الأضحى ويوم الفطر ...
"Allah has given you two better days in their place: the day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr."
Eid al-Adha is one of the two festivals of Islam.
Sahih Muslim 1141
Sahih... أيام التشريق أيام أكل وشرب ...
"The days of tashreeq are days of eating and drinking."
The days after Eid are for celebration, not fasting.
Sahih al-Bukhari 986
Sahih... كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا كان يوم عيد خالف الطريق ...
"On the day of Eid, the Prophet would take a different route back."
A sunnah of the Eid day.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the two Eid prayers. The Eid prayer is wajib and lists the sunnahs of the day.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on the two Eids. Sunnahs of Eid al-Adha including delaying eating until after the prayer.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab Salat al-Idayn. The Hanbali view that the Eid prayer is a communal duty.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.