The Day of Arafah

The best day of the Islamic Year is here

"There is no day on which Allah S.W.T. frees people from the Fire more so than on the Day of ‘Arafah. Indeed, He draws near and then boasts of them to the angels then says, “What do these want?" The Prophet (Muslim)

We might have heard about the blessed Day of Arafah (or Arafat), but do you know the meaning of the word Arafah?

Arafah means ‘to know’, or ‘to acknowledge’.

While it’s a day of repentance and forgiveness, it’s also a day for us to acknowledge our sins before we fully absorb ourselves in remorse towards Allah S.W.T.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY OF ARAFAH?

Seek forgiveness and multiply your worship on the holiest day of the Islamic Year, the day Allah S.W.T. perfected the religion of Islam.

On the Day of Arafah, this amazing verse was revealed:

This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." (Surah al Maa'idah 5:3)

WHERE IS MOUNT ARAFAH?

Mount Arafah is a historic site of Islam which is situated on a plain of land around 20km southeast of Mecca. It is a huge granite hill standing 230 feet tall and also known as the ‘Mount of Mercy’ or Jabal ar-Rahmah. Mount Arafah is where Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. gave his Farewell Sermon to the companions who had accompanied him on his Hajj pilgrimage in his later years.

DURING HAJJ, WHAT DO PILGRIMS DO ON THE DAY OF ARAFAH?

The Day of Arafah is the Hajj in itself and for those going on Hajj, the second day of rituals will be all about Mount Arafah.

At dawn, millions of Muslims will make the journey from Mecca to the nearby hillside of Mount Arafah on the plain of Arafah. These blessed pilgrims will stand in sincere devotion from dawn to sunset, praying and supplicating to their Lord.

HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF THE DAY OF ARAFAH?

On the blessed Day of Arafah, it is highly recommended to recite prayers and dua as much as possible, with the best dua to continuously recite being this:

‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb reported: The Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “The best supplication is that which is made on the day of Arafah. The best of it is what was said by myself and the prophets before me:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“There is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, unto Him belong the dominion and all praise and He has power over all things.” On this blessed day, let’s keep our tongues moist with dhikr and our minds filled with the remembrance of Allah S.W.T.

It’s also highly recommended to fast from dawn to sunset on the Day of Arafah!

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Together, let's make the best out of the Day of Arafah and reap the rewards as best as we can.