Day of Arafah

The Day of Arafah () is an Islamic holiday that falls on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and is followed by the holiday of Eid al-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafat and the Plain of Arafat in Saudi Arabia. It was from this site that the Islamic prophet Muhammad gave one of his last sermons in the last year of his life. Some Muslims hold that part of the Quranic verse announcing that the religion of Islam had been perfected was revealed on this day.

Location Mount Arafat is a granodiorite hill about southeast of Mecca on the plain of Arafat. Mount Arafat reaches about in height and is known as the "Mountain of Mercy" (Jabal ar-Rahmah). According to Islamic tradition, the hill is the place where Muhammad stood and delivered the Farewell Sermon to Muslims who had accompanied him during the Hajj towards the end of his life.

Customs On 9 Dhu al-Hijjah before noon, pilgrims arrive at Arafat, a barren plain some east of Mecca where they stand in contemplative vigil: they offer supplications, repent and atone for their past sins, seek mercy of God, and listen to Islamic scholars giving sermons from near Mount Arafat. Lasting from noon through sunset, this is known as 'standing before God' (wuquf), one of the most significant rites of Hajj. At Masjid al-Namirah, pilgrims offer Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at noon time. A pilgrim's Hajj is considered invalid if they do not spend the afternoon on Arafat.

Arafah prayer As Husayn ibn Ali recited the prayer during the Hajj at Mount Arafat on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah, Shia Muslims during the Hajj recite the Arafah prayer from Dhuhr to sunset. This day is called prayer day, specially for people who stand on Mount Arafat. On the Day of Arafah, those who cannot make it to Mecca will go to other holy places such as mosques to recite Arafah prayer.

Fasting on the Day of Arafah

Fasting on the Day of Arafah for non-pilgrims is a highly recommended Sunnah which entails a great reward: Allah forgives the sins of two years. It was narrated from Abu Qatadah that Prophet Muhammad was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafah and he replied:

It expiates for the past and coming years.

Imam An-Nawawi mentioned in his book al-Majmu', "with regard to the ruling on this matter, Imam As-Shafi'i and his companions said: It is mustahabb (recommended) to fast on the day of Arafahday of Arafah for the one who is not in Arafah. As for the pilgrim who is present in Arafah, Imam As-Shafi'i in his book Al-Mukhtasar and his followers declared 'It is mustahabb (recommended) for him not to fast'."

Prohibiting pilgrims from fasting on these days is considered a great mercy for them, for fasting will exert undue hardship on the person performing the hajj. Above all, Prophet Muhammad did not fast while he stood before Allah offering supplications in Arafah. On the other hand, those who are not performing their Hajj may observe fasting to gain the merits of the blessed day. In solidarity with the pilgrims and in symbolic connection to the rites performed at Arafah, non-pilgrims may re-enact the standing (wuquf) and other Arafah rituals elsewhere. For example in 2001 in Tanzania the day of Arafah was used to express complaints about the perceived marginalisation of the Islamic community and to offer prayers to God for support.Van de Bruinhorst, Gerard C. "Siku Ya Arafa and the Idd El-Hajji: Knowledge, ritual and renewal in Tanzania." Knowledge, renewal and religion: Repositioning and changing ideological and material circumstances among the Swahili on the East African coast. Uppsala: Nordic Africa Institute (2009).

In hadith Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrated that Prophet Muhammad was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah, whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.

Additionally, in Sahih Muslim it was narrated from Aisha that Prophet Muhammad said:

Day of Arafah

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