The Days of Tashriq are the three days following Eid al-Adha – the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. The name comes from the Arabic root shariqa, related to the drying of meat from the Eid sacrifice in the sun. They are the days on which the pilgrims at Mina complete the final rites of Hajj – the stoning of the three pillars and the farewell tawaf.

The Qur’an refers to these days as the “numbered days”: “And remember Allah during [specific] numbered days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days – there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [until the third] – there is no sin upon him – for him who fears Allah.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:203).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) described the character of these days clearly: “The days of Tashriq are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah.” (Sahih Muslim 1141). The takbir continues – Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah – after every obligatory prayer, completing the cycle of takbir that began on the Day of Arafah.

Fasting during the Days of Tashriq is prohibited for the general body of Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Abdullah ibn Hudhafah through Mina, calling out: “Do not fast these days, for they are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah.” (Musnad Ahmad 16732). The one narrow exception is the pilgrim who entered Hajj as a mutamatti’ or qarin and who could not find or afford an animal to sacrifice; such a pilgrim is permitted to fast these three days as an expiation, per Surah al-Baqarah 2:196.

For non-pilgrims, the Days of Tashriq are an extension of the joy of Eid al-Adha: meals shared, sacrifice meat distributed to the poor, and the takbir continuing through the streets and homes. They close on the afternoon of the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, after which the year’s cycle of major Islamic observances is complete – until the next Muharram begins the cycle again.