The Day of Arafat, observed on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic lunar calendar, is widely regarded as the most sacred day of the year. For the year 2025, this corresponds to Thursday, 5 June, for pilgrims performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Friday, 6 June, in South Africa. This momentous day is celebrated for its immense potential for forgiveness, and its status as the best day of the entire year.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) highlighted its supreme virtue, stating, ‘There are no days greater and more beloved to Allah than these (first) ten days of Dhul-Hijjah’ [Ahmad], with the Day of Arafat being the pinnacle of these blessed days, much like Laylat al-Qadr is the best night of Ramadan.
It is a day when Allah (swt) “frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He comes close and expresses His fulfillment to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?'” as narrated by Aisha (ra) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) [Sahih Muslim].
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Embracing the Blessings: Observances for Non-Pilgrims
For Muslims not performing the Hajj pilgrimage, the Day of Arafat offers abundant opportunities for spiritual enrichment and drawing closer to God. Key among these practices is fasting.
Fasting: It is a highly recommended Sunnah for non-pilgrims to fast on this day. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah, replied, “It expiates for the past and coming years”. This act of devotion is a profound means of seeking atonement for sins. Pilgrims performing Hajj, however, are generally not expected to fast, as the physical demands of the pilgrimage and the importance of their prayers and supplications at Arafat take precedence.
Du’a (Supplication): The Day of Arafat is renowned as a time when prayers are readily accepted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘In it, there is an hour in which no believing worshipper makes a supplication to Allah for good, except that Allah answers it for him, and he does not seek Allah’s protection from evil, except that He protects him from it’ [Tirmidhi]. The most potent time for supplication is between the Dhuhr (midday) and Maghrib (sunset) prayers.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also taught that, ‘The best of du’a is du’a on the Day of ‘Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me said is: La ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu’l-mulku wa lahu’l-hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the dominion, to Him be praise, and He has power over all things)’ [Tirmidhi].
Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfar): This day is a paramount opportunity to seek Allah’s pardon. It is a day of immense forgiveness, where even grave sins can be overlooked by Allah’s boundless mercy. So profound is this divine compassion that it is reported, ’Shaitan is not considered more abased or more cast out or more contemptible or angrier on any other day than on the Day of ‘Arafah. That is only because he sees the descent of the mercy and Allah’s disregard for great wrong actions…’ [Malik].
Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah): Engaging in the remembrance of Allah through practices such as reciting tahleel (La ilaha ill-Allah), takbeer (Allahu Akbar), and tahmeed (Alhamdulillah, SubhanAllah) is highly encouraged throughout the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and especially on this blessed day.
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The Climax of Hajj: The Vigil on the Plains of Arafat
For nearly two million Muslims undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage, the Day of Arafat represents its spiritual zenith. Dressed in simple white garments (ihram), pilgrims converge at sunrise on the vast plains of Arafat and the nearby Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal ar-Rahmah (Mountain of Mercy), located about 20 kilometres southeast of Mecca.
From noon until sunset, pilgrims engage in wuquf – ‘standing before God’. This is a period of intense, contemplative vigil, spent in earnest prayer, heartfelt supplication for forgiveness, repentance for past sins, and listening to sermons delivered by Islamic scholars. The significance of this ritual is underscored by the Prophetic saying, “Hajj is ‘Arafah’” [Nasa’i], meaning that the Hajj is considered invalid if a pilgrim does not spend this afternoon on the plains of Arafat. It was from this sacred site that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered one of his final and most memorable sermons during his Farewell Hajj.
After sunset, pilgrims depart from Arafat to Muzdalifah, where they combine prayers and spend the night under the open sky before proceeding with the remaining Hajj rituals, including the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina and the animal sacrifice marking Eid al-Adha.
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A Day of Divine Perfection and Enduring Hope
The Day of Arafat holds a unique place in Islamic history as the day when Allah (swt) perfected the religion of Islam. It is narrated that a Jewish man remarked to Umar ibn Al-Khattab (ra) about a verse in the Qur’an, stating that if such a verse had been revealed to them, they would have taken that day as a festival. When Umar (ra) enquired which verse, the man cited: ‘“Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed upon you My blessing and I have chosen for you Islam as [your] religion”’ (Qur’an, 5:3). Umar (ra) confirmed, ’We surely know that day and the place where it was revealed upon the Prophet (saw). He was standing at ‘Arafat on a Friday’ [Bukhari].
This divine pronouncement on such a sanctified day further elevates its spiritual stature. The Day of Arafat is thus not merely a ritualistic observance but a profound reminder of Allah’s infinite mercy, His willingness to forgive, and the completion of His guidance for humanity. It is a day for deep reflection, sincere repentance, and renewed commitment to faith, offering a powerful opportunity for spiritual cleansing and drawing nearer to the Divine, whether one is standing on the plains of Arafat or observing its sanctity from afar.
Image credit: SKT Welfare
