Day of 'Arafat

[Sweet Madinah]

Allah with His name I begin; The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful.

Imam Muslim narrates:

(Sayyidah) 'A'ishah - Allah, The Almighty, be pleased with her, said:

"Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam, said: There is no day in which Allah, the Almighty, frees more of His servants from the Hell-fire than on the Day of 'Arafat. He, (SWT) approaches them and reveals His pride of them to the Angels and says:'What do these people want?' "

[Musa Kareem]

Subhanallah, a very important topic for all Muslims and Hajjis.

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The Virtues of the Day of Arafat
All Praise be to Allah and His Most Beloved Messenger


(1.) It is the day on which the religion was perfected and Allah's Favour was completed.

In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from Umar ibn al-Khattaab (Radi Allahu Anho) that a Jewish man said to him, 'O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, there is an Ayah in your Book which you recite; if it had come to us Jews, we would have taken that day as an Eid (festival).' Umar said, 'Which Ayah?' He said: 'This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.' [al-Ma'idah 5:3 interpretation of the meaning].

Umar said, 'We know on which day and in which place that was revealed to the Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) It was when he was standing in Arafah on a Friday.'

(2.) It is a day of Eid for the people who are in that place.

The Most Beloved of Allah (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: 'Yawm Arafah (the day of Arafah), Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice) and Ayam al-Tashreeq (the 3 days following Yawm al-Nahr) are Eid (festival) for us, the people of Islam. These are days of eating and drinking. This was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan.

It was reported that Umar ibn al-Khattab said: 'It i.e., the Ayah 'This day I have perfected' was revealed on a Friday, the Day of Arafah, both of which praise be to Allah are Eids for us.'

(3.) It is a day by which Allah swore an oath.

The Almighty cannot swear by anything except that which is mighty. Yawm Arafah is the 'witnessed day' mentioned in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

'By the witnessing day [Friday] and by the witnessed day [the Day of Arafah].' [al-Burooj 85:3].

It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu Anho) that the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: 'The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the Day of Arafah, and the witnessing day is Friday.' Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

It is the 'odd' [i.e., odd-numbered, Witr] by which Allah swore in the Ayah (interpretation of the meaning):

'And by the even and the odd' [al-Fajr 89:3]. Ibn Abbas said: 'The even is the Day of al-Adha [i.e., 10th Dhul-Hijjah] and the odd is the Day of Arafah [i.e., 9th Dhul-Hijjah]

(4.) Fasting on this day is an expiation for two years.

It was reported that the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah. He said, 'It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.' Narrated by Muslim.

This (fasting) is mustahab for those who are not on Hajj. In the case of the one who is on Hajj, it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the Day of Arafah, because the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) did not fast on this day in Arafah. It was narrated that he forbade fasting on the Day of Arafah in Arafah.

(5.) It is the day on which Allah took the covenant from the progeny of Adam.

It was reported that Hadrat Ibn Abbas (Radi Allahu anhu) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Allah took the covenant from the ...[offspring] of Adam in Na'man, i.e., Arafah. He brought forth ... all his offspring and spread them before Him, then He addressed them, and said: 'Am I not your Lord? They said, 'Yes, we testify,' lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'Verily, we have been unaware of this.' Or lest you should say: 'It was only our fathers aforetime who took others as partners in worship along with Allah, and we were (merely their) descendents after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practised Al-Batil (i.e., polytheism and committing crimes and sins, )?' [al-A'raaf 7:172-173 interpretation of the meaning].' And there is no greater day than this and no greater covenant than this.

(6.) It is the day of forgiveness of sins, freedom from the Fire and pride in the people who are there:

In Sahih Muslim it was narrated from Hadrat Aysha (Radi Allahu anha) that the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: 'There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, 'What do these people want?'

It was reported from Hadrat Ibn Umar that the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: 'Allah expresses His pride to His angels at the time of Isha on the Day of Arafah, about the people of Arafah. He says, 'Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.'

And Allah knows best.