Eid al-Adha 2027: Date, Eid Prayer, Udhiyah and Tashreeq

Eid al-Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice, falls on 10 Dhul Hijjah, the day after the pilgrims stand at Arafah. In 1448 AH it is expected on Sunday 16 May 2027 (Umm al-Qura), with the three days of tashreeq following on Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 May. Where Dhul Hijjah began a day later, Eid is Monday 17 May. The actual date depends on moon sighting or the local authority and may differ by a day.

The day before: Arafah

Eid is preceded by the Day of Arafah (Saturday 15 May 2027), the best fasting day of the year for non-pilgrims. If you are reading this in advance, the Day of Arafah guide covers the fast and the dua; the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah page covers the run-up from Friday 7 May.

The night and morning of Eid

The night before: the takbir after Maghrib on Arafah continues after every obligatory prayer until Asr on the last day of tashreeq (the majority view). Many people also stay up part of the night in prayer, though there is no specific obligation.

Morning:

• Ghusl, the best clothes, perfume for men.
• Unlike Eid al-Fitr, where the Prophet ate dates before leaving for the prayer (Bukhari 953), on Eid al-Adha the sunnah is to delay eating until after the prayer, ideally eating from the sacrifice.
• Go to the prayer ground saying the takbir, and return by a different route (Bukhari 986).
• No sunnah prayer before or after the Eid prayer at the prayer ground.

The Eid prayer is two rak'ahs with extra takbirs, followed by a khutbah. The Hanafi school counts it wajib; others count it an emphasised sunnah or a communal obligation. Timing is from shortly after sunrise until just before Dhuhr. The number of extra takbirs differs between schools (Hanafi: three in each rak'ah; the majority: seven in the first and five in the second). Our Eid prayer guide walks through it step by step; the local time is on the prayer times page.

The udhiyah (qurbani)

The sacrifice commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son and Allah's ransom of him with a ram. The Qur'an instructs: pray to your Lord and sacrifice (108:2), and reminds us that neither the meat nor the blood reaches Allah, but piety does (22:37).

Who offers it

Both views are established. For your own situation, ask a scholar or imam you trust.

When

The time begins after the Eid prayer on the 10th; a sacrifice slaughtered before the prayer is not counted as udhiyah and must be repeated. It ends:

• in the Shafi'i school and one view among the Hanbalis: at sunset on the 13th (the last day of tashreeq), giving four days: Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May 2027;
• in the Hanafi and Maliki schools: at sunset on the 12th, giving three days: Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May 2027.

If you are appointing a charity or a butcher, Sunday afternoon to Tuesday is safe in all views.

What

A sheep or goat counts for one person (and, in the majority view, their household); a cow or camel for up to seven shares. The animal must be of the minimum age (commonly a six-month-old lamb if well grown, a one-year-old goat, a two-year-old cow, a five-year-old camel) and free of obvious defects such as blindness, lameness or illness.

The meat

The Qur'an says: eat from it and feed the needy (22:36). The common recommendation is to divide it into thirds: your household, gifts to relatives and neighbours, and the poor. There is no fixed obligation on the proportions in most views, but giving a part in charity is strongly encouraged, and none of it may be sold.

Hair and nails

A hadith in Sahih Muslim states that one who intends to sacrifice should not cut hair or nails from the start of Dhul Hijjah until the sacrifice is done. Hanbalis treat this as prohibited, Shafi'is and Malikis as disliked, and Hanafis do not consider it required. The window for 2027 is from the evening of Thursday 6 May until your animal is slaughtered.

The days of tashreeq

11, 12 and 13 Dhul Hijjah (Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 May 2027) are the days of tashreeq. The Prophet described them as days of eating, drinking and remembrance of Allah (Sahih Muslim). Three things to know:

1. No fasting. Fasting is forbidden on these days as on Eid itself, with a narrow exception for pilgrims who could not offer the hadi in some schools. This also means the white days of Dhul Hijjah lose their 13th; many fast 14, 15 and 16 instead.
2. The takbir continues after each obligatory prayer until Asr on the 13th.
3. The sacrifice continues on the 11th, 12th and, in some views, the 13th.

A worked timetable for 2027

Expected dates, Umm al-Qura:

Eid in a Muslim-minority country

Eid falls on a Sunday in 2027, which helps. If your country observes it on Monday 17 May instead, ask for the day in advance; many employers will grant it once the expected date is known. Masjids often hold two or three Eid prayers to fit the crowd; check the times with your masjid the week before. If you cannot attend any, the schools differ on praying alone (see FAQ). Visiting, phone calls to family and the meat of the sacrifice reaching neighbours of any faith are all part of the day.

For the other Eid of the year, two months earlier, see Eid al-Fitr 2027; for the whole year's dates, the Islamic calendar 2027.