The first 10 days of the new month of Dhul Hijjah are the holiest days of the entire Islamic year, even greater than Ramadan
19:18, 27 May 2025Updated 19:24, 27 May 2025
Eid ul Adha celebrations taking place in Small Heath Park, Birmingham, where thousands gather each year for the two main Eid festivities(Image: Martin O’Callaghan)
A leading Birmingham mosque has made an official announcement on the month of Dhul Hijjah and the celebrations of Eid ul Adha.
Dhul Hijjah is the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar. It’s when several key events, including the Hajj pilgrimage, Eid ul Adha, and the Day of Arafah, take place.
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar-based and lasts around 354 days, it is not in sync with the 365-day, solar-based Gregorian calendar of the Western world. Dates of months and key events move forward by 10 or 11 days every year.
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All the Islamic dates are decided after a verified sighting of the first slender crescent appearing around the edge of the new moon. Astronomers and members of the public look to the skies for this celestial sign on the 29th day of each month, which in this case is Tuesday, May 27.
Saudi Arabia authorities have now announced that the crescent was sighted, meaning Dhul Qadah has ended and the new month of Dhul Hijjah could begin.
This then means other key dates can be worked out. The three-day festivities of Eid ul Adha will begin on June 6, and the Day of Arafah – when Hajj pilgrims ask for forgiveness at Mount Arafat – will be on June 5.
It’s important to be aware that Islamic days run from sunset to sunset, so they actually begin the night before.
The Saudi declarations are followed by Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) in Small Heath, Birmingham, which organises the city’s huge outdoor prayer gatherings for Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha.
In an official announcement, GLMCC said: “Dhul Hijjah 1446 (2025) has been announced to begin on the evening of Tuesday 27th May, with the first day being Wednesday 28th May 2025.
“We should be feeling extremely grateful to Allah for blessing us with yet another opportunity to be here in this dunya (life) and to make the most of this holiest of months.
“The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the holiest days of the Islamic year, which include the Day of Arafah (9th day of the month).”
Urging worshippers to “reap the benefits of these very valuable days”, mosque leaders said: “If you do a good deed, such as donating to the house of Allah during these days, then your deed will be multiplied greatly. Imagine how many bad deeds will be wiped out by this.”
GLMCC is encouraging its congregation to take advantage of this special time in the calendar, explaining: “Many people don’t know that the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are better than all the other days of the year, the 10 best days with no exception. They are even better than the days of Ramadan.
“Prophet Muhammad said ‘there are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days’ – meaning the (first) ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
“After the holy month of Ramadan, maybe you feel that you could have done more throughout the sacred month? Perhaps you’ve since let go of that Ramadan feeling?
“Well, these beloved ten days offer another chance to gain immense rewards, have our sins forgiven and reach great levels of piety.
“A month of increased spirituality, we witness two very special events. Not only is this the month of Hajj, but also the blessed day of Eid al-Adha. On this day, each and every one of us, who is able, offers Qurbani – just as Prophet Ibrahim did – in devotion to Allah and to help vulnerable communities in need across the globe.”
GLMCC has yet to announce any details of this year’s Eid ul Adha celebrations in the city in June.
While some mosques and organisations such as GLMCC fall in line with the Saudi declarations, others look for the moon in British skies, so separate announcements are expected later for UK-based moonsightings.
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