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What date
Like other Muslim holidays, Arafah Day is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, which means that the date changes every year. According to tradition, the pilgrimage to Mount Arafat falls on the ninth day of the month of Zul Hijjah. In 2022, this day falls on July 8. The day after the Day of Arafah, Muslims celebrate one of the main holidays of the year – Eid al-Adha.
History of Arafah Day
The day of standing on Mount Arafat is inextricably linked with the history of Adam and Havva (Eve) – the first people on earth in both Christian and Muslim traditions. According to the Qur’an, Allah created Adam from clay and his wife from his rib. They succumbed to the temptation of Satan and ate the forbidden fruit, for which they were expelled from paradise.
For Muslims, this story, known to everyone, contains references to the geography of the Arabian Peninsula. It was on Mount Arafat that Adam and Havva, expelled from paradise, met and got to know each other for the first time. It was also where Adam received the remission of his sins.
In memory of this act, Muslims come to the foot of Mount Arafat on the penultimate day of the Hajj, a mandatory pilgrimage for believers to holy places.
Arafah Day has been celebrated since the early years of the Islamic religion. Like most other memorable days, it is revered by all Muslim branches – both Sunnis and Shiites.
Arafah Traditions
The second name of the Day of Arafah – the Day of standing on Mount Arafat, speaks of the main tradition of this holiday. Ideally, a Muslim should meet him during the Hajj, the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca. Mount Arafat stands twenty kilometers from this sacred city for believers.
According to tradition, if the pilgrim did not stand on Mount Arafat, then his Hajj is considered unfulfilled, which means that in any case he will have to repeat the whole path again.
Hajj pilgrims spend this day on the slopes of the mountain itself and in the valley near it. It must be understood that we are talking about the Arabian Peninsula, most of which is occupied by deserts. Mount Arafat itself is small, which means there is no shadow in the valley. Believers voluntarily take on themselves the test of heat and sun.
Before visiting the valley of Mount Arafat, Muslims do a full bath. Near the mountain itself, believers pray until sunset and listen to sermons. There is also a minaret nearby, from which calls to prayers and sermons themselves are heard.
On the Day of Arafah, it is desirable to fast, but pilgrims are exempted from fasting. It is believed that they need to save strength for a long standing in the Arafat valley.
How to spend Arafah Day
As you know, true Muslims are required to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lives. This means that the vast majority of believers will meet the Day of Araf not during the Hajj, but at home. How to celebrate the Day of Arafah, what should be done on this day and what should not be done?
According to tradition, on this day, Muslims should keep a voluntary, optional fast. So you can eat only in the early morning before sunrise and after sunset. You need to eat only halal food, any violation is permissible only if necessary, and you should ask for forgiveness from Allah.
Any housework must be completed before lunch, this applies not only to cleaning or household chores, but also to preparing food for dinner. Orthodox Muslims spend the second half of the day in prayers.
It is believed that on this day any sins increase many times over, and any good deeds are encouraged before Allah. Therefore, on the Day of Arafah, it is customary to ask for forgiveness for sins and insults. And first you need to apologize directly to the one you offended, and only then sincerely ask God for forgiveness of sins in prayer.
Many believers believe that such requests relieve them of responsibility for sins over the past two years.
What prayers should be read on Arafah Day
Muslims try to read as many prayers as possible on the Day of Standing on Mount Arafat. Theologians advise reading any dua, especially those dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad, since it was in this valley that the founder of the Islamic religion delivered his last sermon.
Such prayers, of course, include Salavat. Almost every Muslim knows this dua, because it ends the obligatory daily prayer – prayer.
You can read any other prayers, there are no strict requirements for their set. You can ask both for yourself and for your loved ones, because according to tradition, on this day, Allah especially listens to prayers and requests.