On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of Arafah, Muslims around the world commemorate one of the holiest and most spiritually significant days in the Islamic calendar. Described in authentic hadiths as the greatest day in the sight of Allah, this day holds immense virtues and unmatched opportunities for forgiveness, salvation, and divine closeness.
According to a narration by Jabir (RA), the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “The best day is the Day of Arafah” (Sahih Ibn Hibban). Another narration from the same source reveals that on this day, Allah descends to the sky of the earth and proudly boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens about His servants who have come from distant lands, disheveled and dusty, seeking His mercy despite never having witnessed His punishment. No other day sees as many souls saved from Hellfire as the Day of Arafah.
For Muslims, the day carries immense significance as it coincides with the central pillar of Hajj—the standing at the plain of Arafat. Without this ritual, the pilgrimage is considered incomplete. As reported by Abdur Rahman Ibn Ya’mur (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Hajj is Arafah,” meaning that standing at Arafat is the essence of Hajj itself (Nasai, Hadith: 3016).
The Day of Arafah is also the day when Allah completed the religion of Islam. The Qur’an records in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:3): “This day I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” According to hadith, this verse was revealed during the Prophet’s Farewell Sermon on the Day of Arafah (Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3044).
Fasting on this day carries immense reward for non-pilgrims. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Fasting on the Day of Arafah, I hope from Allah, expiates the sins of the year before and the year after” (Muslim, Hadith: 2636). It is a day of accepted supplications, as the Prophet also declared, “The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafah” (Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3585).
Muslims are encouraged to maximize acts of worship on this day—fasting, supplicating, remembering Allah, repenting, and reciting the Takbir of Tashreeq. They are urged to guard themselves from sin and seek Allah’s pleasure in every possible way.
May Allah enable all believers to act upon the virtues of this blessed day and grant them salvation, forgiveness, and closeness to Him. Ameen.