Day of Arafat the best Invocation

The Day of Arafah is an Islamic holy day, in which the verse of the Qur'an was revealed which explained that is said that the religion had been perfected. The Day comes on the 9th day of (Dhul Hijjah) of the lunar Islamic calendar. This happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and the day after is the first day of the major Islamic Holiday of Eid-ul-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafat and the Plain of `Arafah. It was from this site that our Holy Prophet Muhammad gave his famous Last Sermon (Khutbatu l- Wadah) in his final year of life. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: “It redresses the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.”

Arafat precisely means knowledge and recognition. It symbolizes the knowledge and recognition that Allah gave to Adam and Hawwah. Hence it is a reminder of the common origin of all mankind. When Adam and Hawwah prayed to Allah Almighty to forgive their lapse, Allah forgave them and gave them knowledge and recognition of each other. Adam and Hawwah stood in prayer and thanked Almighty Allah for His Compassion and Mercy. Here on the plain of Arafat gather the sons and daughters of Adam, from all corners of this earth, to affirm their common humanity and to thank Allah for His Great Generosity.

The level area surrounding the hill is called the Plain of Arafat. The term Mount `Arafah is sometimes applied to this entire area. It is an important place in Islam because during the Hajj, pilgrims spend the afternoon there on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah .Failure to be present in the plain of Arafat on the required day abrogates the pilgrimage.

On the morning of the ninth day of Dul Hijja the high point of the Hajj takes place in the form of group vigilance, called the Day of Standing Together (Yawm al-Wakuf). Indeed, Arafat is the Hajj. The important requirements of Umrah are Ehram, Talbiya, Tawwaf, but Arafat is what makes the difference between Hajj and Umrah. Here the Khutbah of Hajj is narrated and Zuhr and Asr prayer are prayed together.

The Prophet (SAW) said:

1- “ The best invocation is that of the Day of Arafat, and the best that anyone can say is what I and the Prophets before me have said: ”

2-“This day have I perfected your Deen, completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen.”

3-“None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things. ”

Reference: At-Tirmithi. Al-Albani graded it good in Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/184, and also Silsilatul-'Ahadith As-Sahihah 4/6. Reference: Qur'an Aal-'Imran 3: 190-200; ; Muslim 1/530.