The pilgrims congregate at the mountain plain of Arafah on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah to pray and make supplication to their Lord; this day is known as the Day of Arafah. In fact, according to one hadith (Abu Dawud), “Hajj is Arafah.” As a result, Arafah is the essence and core of Hajj.

The day of Arafah is extremely notable since it is the day on which the wonderful ayah below 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.”

(Surah al Maa’idah 5:3)

What is the Day of Arafah?

On the day of Arafah, Allah (SWT) fulfilled the blessings He had sent to His beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), endorsed Islam as a way of life, and perfected His religion.

In his Tafsir, Imam Ibn Kathir states:

Imam Ahmad recorded that Tariq bin Shihab said, “A Jewish man said to `Umar bin Al-Khattab, `O Leader of the Believers! There is a verse in your Book, which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of celebration.’

Umar bin Al-Khattab asked, `Which is that verse?’

The Jew answered: “This day, I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”

Umar bin Al-Khattab replied, “By Allah! I know when and where this verse was revealed to Allah’s Messenger. It was the evening on the Day of `Arafah on a Friday.”

The fact that Allah swore by this day in Surah al Burooj makes the day of Arafah noteworthy as well. Since it is well known that Allah swears only by the great and powerful, the Day of Arafah has immense significance:

“By the sky containing great stars. And [by] the promised Day. And [by] the witness and what is witnessed” (85: 1-3)

It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the Day of ‘Arafah, and the witnessing day is Friday.” (Tirmidhi)

It is a suggested Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) for people who are not pilgrims to fast on this day because when the Prophet (PBUH) was questioned about fasting on the day of Arafah, he responded:

“It expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year.” (Muslim)

In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) stated:

“There is no day on which Allah frees people from the Fire more so than on the day of ‘Arafah. He comes close to those (people standing on ‘Arafah), and then He revels before His Angels saying, ‘What are these people seeking.” (Muslim)

Day of Arafah date in 2023?

On the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, it occurs. In case anyone is asking, “When is 9th Dhul Hijjah?” It is anticipated to fall on June 28, 2023, but the exact timing will depend on whether the moon will be visible.

“There is no day on which Allah frees people from the Fire more so than on the day of ‘Arafah. He comes close to those (people standing on ‘Arafah), and then He revels before His Angels saying, ‘What are these people seeking.” (Muslim)

What to do on the Day of Arafah?

1. Fasting on Arafah Day

Those who are not performing the Hajj are strongly encouraged to fast on the Day of Arafah.

“Fasting on the Day of Arafah expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year.” (Muslim)

2. Dua of Arafah Day

Regarding the Dua for the Day of Arafah, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

“The most excellent dua is the dua on the Day of Arafah, and the best of what I and the prophets before me have said is “There is nothing that deserves to be worshipped in truth except Allah; he is Alone and has no partner, to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is All-Powerful over all things.'” (Muwatta)

لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك ، وله الحمد ، وهو على كل شيء قدير

3. Making tahleel, takbeer, tahmeed, and tasbeeh

On the day of Arafah and days of Tashreeq (the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul Hijjah), it is Sunnah of our Prophet (PBUH) to recite the Tahleel, Takbeer, and Tahmeed as many times as you can.

To say “Laa ilaaha il-lal-laah” is Tahleel.

To say “Allahu Akbar” is Takbeer.

To say “Alhamdulillah” is Tahmeed.

To say “Subhanallaah” is Tasbeeh.

4. Ask Allah (SWT) for forgiveness.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“On this day, Allah, the most Exalted, descends to the nearest heaven, and He is proud of His servants on the earth and says to those in heavens, look at My servants, they have come from far and near, with hair dishevelled and faces covered with dust, to seek my Mercy. Even if their sins are as much the sand or the froth of the sea, I shall forgive them.”

5. Performing a Prophetic Qurbani

Finally, you might do an additional Qurbani, just like the Prophet (saw), to receive an even greater reward for your Qurbani.

Abu Talhah (ra) reported, ‘The Prophet (saw) sacrificed for the one who could not sacrifice from his Ummah, one who bore witness to the Oneness of Allah and [his] Prophethood’. [Tabarani and Ahmad]

Giving an extra Qurbani, as the Prophet (saw) did, is a great way for people who are able to do so to receive reward on the Day of ‘Arafah. By giving even more households a rare meal with meat over the days of Eid al-Adha, you will not only be restoring a lost Sunnah but also multiplying the impact of your actions.

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