The Day of Arafat and what will Show you what the Day of Arafat is?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Indeed, Hajj to the House of Allah (Kaaba) is a duty that every capable, adult Muslim must fulfill. Allah the Almighty says {What means}: " Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God,- those who can afford the journey;" {Al-Imran, 97}.
Hajj is an act of worship like any other act of worship, with its own Sunnah, obligations, and pillars. One of its pillars is standing at Arafat, which is the most important pillar in it, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Hajj is Arafat" [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]. This is because whoever misses standing there misses Hajj for that year.
The Day of Arafat and standing there have great importance and high status in our Islamic religion. Therefore, it is good for a Muslim to know its great virtue mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah.
The Day of Arafat is the ninth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, and Arafat is the name of the place where pilgrims stand. It is located approximately twenty-three kilometers east of Mecca. There are various opinions on the reason for giving it this name, with the most famous ones being:
1-Adam and Eve met at Arafat, and when one recognized the other, the day was named Arafat, and the location Arafat.
2-Adam learned the rituals of Hajj from Gabriel, and when he stood at Arafat, Gabriel asked him if he knew, and upon his affirmation, the day was named Arafat.
3-Gabriel taught Abraham the rituals and led him to Arafat, asking him if he knew how to perform Tawaf and where to stand. Upon Abraham's affirmation, the day was named Arafat.
The second opinion suggests that Arafat is derived from recognition because when pilgrims stand at Arafat, they acknowledge Allah`s lordship, majesty and self-sufficiency while they acknowledge their own poverty, humility, and neediness. It is also said that when Adam and Eve stood at Arafat, they confessed their wrongdoing, and God said, 'Now you have recognized your own selves.'
The third opinion suggests that Arafat is derived from 'araf, meaning a pleasant fragrance. This is based on the verse in the Quran: 'And He will admit them to Paradise, which He has made known to them [as]' (Surah Muhammad, 47:6). It implies that sinners, upon repenting at Arafat, cleanse themselves from the impurities of sins, gaining a pleasant fragrance in the sight of God." [Al-Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb,Vol. 5/P. 325, paraphrased].
The Day of Arafat has many virtues that make it one of the days of God Almighty that will never be forgotten. Some of these great virtues are:
It is the day on which Allah took the covenant from the descendants of Adam. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Allah took the covenant from the loins of Adam in Arafat. He extracted from his loins all of his descendants and spread them before Him like seeds, then He spoke to them directly, saying: When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful" Or lest ye should say: "Our fathers before us may have taken false gods, but we are (their) descendants after them: wilt Thou then destroy us because of the deeds of men who were futile?"(Al-`Araf, 172-173)" (Hadith reported by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad).
It is one of the days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, which is one of the sacred months that Allah has magnified in His saying: "The number of months in the sight of God is twelve (in a year)- so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred: that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that God is with those who restrain themselves." (At-Tawbah, 36). The sacred months are (Muharram, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Rajab)."
It is one of the days that Allah swears by, as mentioned in the Quran: 'And the [night] of intercession and the [day] of [its] brightness.' (Al-Fajr, 3). 'The intercession is the day of sacrifice (Yawm an-Nahr), and the brightness is the day of Arafat.' [Al-Tabari, Jami' al-Bayan, Vol. 24/P. 398]. Also, in the verse: 'And [by] the witness and what is witnessed.' (Al-Buruj, 3), 'The witness is Friday, and what is witnessed is the day of Arafat.' [Al-Tabari, Jami' al-Bayan, Vol. 24/P. 333]."
It is one of the ten blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah, which are the best days of the year in terms of reward and merit in the sight of Allah. The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: 'There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days.' They said, 'O Messenger of Allah, not even jihad in the cause of Allah?' He said, 'Not even jihad in the cause of Allah, except for a man who goes out with his self and his wealth and does not return with anything.' [Sahih al-Bukhari]. According to Abu Dawood: 'There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days,' meaning the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. They said, 'O Messenger of Allah, not even jihad in the cause of Allah?' He said, 'Not even jihad in the cause of Allah, except for a man who goes out with his self and his wealth and does not return with anything.' [Sunan Abi Dawood].
It is the day on which Allah perfected the religion and completed His favor upon His slaves. Allah says: 'This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.' [Al-Ma'idah, 3] Ibn Kathir comments on this verse, 'This is the greatest blessing of Allah upon this Ummah, as He completed their religion for them. They do not need another religion, nor another Prophet besides their Prophet, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him. That is why Allah made him the Seal of the Prophets and sent him to both mankind and jinn. There is nothing lawful except what he made lawful, and nothing prohibited except what he prohibited. There is no religion except the one he legislated, and everything he informed us about is true and authentic, with no falsehood or betrayal.' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/26] This verse was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his Farewell Pilgrimage on the day of Arafat. In the narration of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), a Jewish man said to him, 'O Amir al-Mu'minin, there is a verse in your Book that if it had been revealed to us Jews on the day it was revealed, we would have taken that day as a festival.' Umar asked, 'Which verse?' The Jew said, 'This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.' Umar replied, 'We know the day and the place where it was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was revealed while he was standing at Arafat on a Friday.' [Sahih al-Bukhari].
It is a day on which Allah frees many individuals from the Hellfire, and He boasts to the angels about the people of Arafat. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Hellfire than on the Day of Arafat. He comes close to them and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, "What do these people want?"' [Sahih Muslim]. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood at Arafat, and the sun was about to set. He said, 'O Bilal, call the people.' So Bilal called, 'Listen to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).' The people listened, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Gibrael (Gabriel) came to me a moment ago and greeted me with peace. He said, "Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has forgiven the people of Arafat and the people of Muzdalifah and has guaranteed them safety from the consequences."' Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, is this exclusive for us?' The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, 'This is for you and for those who come after you until the Day of Judgment.' Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) then exclaimed, 'May Allah's goodness and pleasure increase!'" [Al-Mundhiri, Al-Targhib wa Al-Tarhib].
If a Muslim fasts this day, it expiates the sins of two years. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Fasting on the Day of Arafat expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.' [Sahih Muslim] The meaning, as explained by Al-Nawawi, is that it expiates the sins of the person fasting it, whether they are minor sins or, if not, it is hoped that it will reduce the severity of his/her major sins. If there are no minor sins, then it raises the person's status." [Sharh Sahih Muslim].
The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafat. The best thing that I and the prophets before me have said is: 'There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone, without any partners. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things competent.'" [Sunan At-Tirmidhi]. Therefore, it is recommended for a Muslim to seize the opportunity of this great day for supplication, especially with comprehensive and inclusive prayers. Moreover, there is no restriction if one wishes to personalize the supplication for oneself and their loved ones.
The Messenger of Allah said: "The day of Arafat, the day of sacrifice, and the days of Tashriq are our celebrations, we the people of Islam. They are days of eating and drinking." [Sunan At-Tirmidhi].
The day of Arafat is the greatest day with Allah, especially for the forgiveness of sins, including major sins. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned its significance, stating, "There is no day more virtuous with Allah than the day of Arafat. On this day, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens about the people of the earth. He says, 'Look at My servants who have come to Me with disheveled hair and covered in dust, from every distant pass. They come hoping for My mercy, though they have not seen My punishment. There is no day when more people are freed from the Hellfire than the day of Arafat.'" [Saheeh Ibn Hibban]. The Prophet also mentioned that Satan does not see a day when he is more humiliated, small, distant, and angry than the day of Arafat. This is due to the overwhelming mercy and forgiveness granted by Allah on this day. [Muwatta Imam Malik].
In conclusion, the Day of Arafat is known to all Muslims, and they are aware of its great virtues, magnificence, majesty, and blessings. It is imperative for them to utilize every moment of this day in obedience to Allah. It is a significant breath of the eternal breaths of Allah and a great day among His everlasting days throughout time.
