Virtues of the Day of Sacrifice

Are there any special features of the tenth dayof Dhu'l-Hijjah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to
Madeenah, he found that they had two days on which they usedto play.
He said, "Allaah has given you two days better than these, the day of
al-Fitr and the dayof al-Adha." Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1134; classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2021.
Allaah has given this ummah two days for playing and leisure, two days
for remembering Allaah and thanking Him,and asking Him for
forgiveness.
In this world the believers have three festivals or Eids:
One Eid which is repeated each week, and two Eids which come once a year.
The Eid which is repeated every week is Friday (Jumu'ah).
The Eids which are not repeated, which come only once each year, are:
1 – Eid al-Fitr, the breaking of the Ramadaan fast. This comes upon
the completion of the monthof Ramadaan, which is the third pillar of
Islam. When the Muslims have finished fasting the month that is
enjoined upon them, Allaah has prescribed that they should follow the
completion of their fast with a festival on which they gather to thank
Allaah, remember Him and glorify Him for His guidance. On that Eid it
is prescribed for them topray and give charity.
2 – The second Eid is Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice), which is
the tenth day of the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah. This is the greater and
better ofthe two feasts, which comes after the completion of the Hajj,
for when the Muslims complete their Hajj they are forgiven.
Rather Hajj is completed on the Day of 'Arafah [the 9th of
Dhu'l-Hijjah] with the standing in 'Arafah, which is the major pillar
of Hajj, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Hajj is 'Arafah." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (889) and classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa' al-Ghaleel (1064).
The day of 'Arafah is the day of ransom from the Fire, when Allaah
ransoms from Hellfire those who stood at 'Arafah and Muslims whodid
not stand at 'Arafah. Hence the day that follows it is a festival for
all Muslims in all regions,those who attended Hajjand those who did
not.
It is prescribed for all of them to draw closer to Allaah by means of
the ritual of shedding the sacrificial blood.
The virtues of this day may be summed up as follows:
1- It is the best of days before Allaah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma'aad
(1/54): The best of days before Allaah is the Day of Sacrifice, which
is the greatest day of Hajj as it says in Sunan Abi Dawood (1765),
where itis narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "The greatest of days before Allaah is the Day of
Sacrifice." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
2- It is the greatest dayof Hajj.
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood between
the Jamaraat on the Day of Sacrifice during his Hajj and said, "This
is the greatest day of Hajj." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1742.
That is because the greatest actions of Hajj take place on this day,
when the pilgrims do the following:
(i) Stoning Jamrat al-'Aqabah
(ii) Offering the sacrifice
(iii) Shaving the head or cutting the hair
(iv) Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah)
(v) Saa'i (running between al-Safa and al-Marwah)
3- It is the Eid day of the Muslims
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
dayof 'Arafah, the day of Sacrifice, and the days ofal-Tashreeq are
our festival, us Muslims, and they are days of eating and drinking."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 773; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
And Allaah knows best.