Day of Arafah

The Day of Arafat (9th Dhu al-Hijjah) is considered the most important and blessed day of the entire Islamic year — a day on which Allah SWT's mercy descends in abundance and millions of pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat in the ultimate act of worship during Hajj. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Hajj is Arafat" (Ahmad, Abu Dawud) — meaning that standing on Arafat is the essential pillar of Hajj without which the pilgrimage is invalid. It was on this day, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, that the final verse of the Quran was revealed: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." (5:3).

A Jewish scholar once told Hazrat Umar R.A that if this verse had been revealed to them, they would have taken that day as a festival — Umar R.A replied that it was indeed revealed on two days of celebration: a Friday and the Day of Arafat. For those not performing Hajj, fasting on this day carries immense reward — the Prophet ﷺ said: "Fasting on the Day of Arafat expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year." (Muslim). Allah SWT descends to the lowest heaven on this day (in a manner befitting His Majesty) and boasts to the angels about the pilgrims: "Look at My servants — they have come to Me disheveled and dusty from every distant path." The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafat." (Muslim).

The best supplication is the dua of Arafat — the Prophet ﷺ said: "The best dua is the dua on the Day of Arafat, and the best thing that I and the prophets before me said is: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadeer." Muslims worldwide — whether performing Hajj or not — are encouraged to spend this day in fasting, dua, Dhikr, and seeking forgiveness from Allah SWT.