Fasting on the Day of 'Arafah
- Details
- Tajuddin B. Shu'aib
The ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah (the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar) is the Day of 'Arafah. It is the day when pilgrims stand on the plain of 'Arafah to pray. On this day, Muslims all over the world who do not witness the annual Hajj should spend the day in fasting, in preparation for the three days festivity following 'Eid ul-Adha (the celebration marking the end of the Hajj commemorating the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness of sacrifice).
Abu Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"Fasting on the Day of 'Arafah absolves the sins for two years: the previous year and the coming year, and fasting on 'Ashura, (the tenth day of Muharram) atones for the sins of previous years." [Reported by all except al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]
In another saying the Prophet's wife Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
"Four things the Messenger of Allâh never neglected: Observing fast on the day of 'Ashura, 'Arafat, three days every month, and offering fajr sunnah prayers early in the morning." [Muslim]
These statements are proof that fasting on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, the day before 'Eid ul-Adha was a lifelong practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as his wife reported.
There are some reports that fasting is prohibited on the Day of 'Arafah. However, it must be understood that this refers to a person performing the Hajj. If a person is on the Hajj, there is no fast for him or her on the day of 'Arafah. That is undoubtedly a blessing for him because of the hardships of the pilgrimage. In a saying reported by Umm al-Fadl, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
"The companions doubted whether the Prophet was fasting on 'Arafah or not. She decided to prove to them that he was not, so she said, 'I sent to him milk, which he drank while he was delivering the khutbah (sermon) on 'Arafah.' " [Recorded by al-Bukhari]
Prohibiting the pilgrims from fasting on these days is a great mercy for them, for fasting will exert undue hardship on the person performing the Hajj, while they are primarily concerned with their pilgrimage. Above all, the pilgrim would not be fasting anyway because he is travelling.
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Comments
.. basiclly my question is that we say haram to those thing that we r not prmishned to do in quran ..so please can u tell me y we say muharamul haram. its really 1 of important month.then y we say haram to tis month?
kindly help me...
Please refer to this article for further detail.
"Haram" = Squire Shaped Building.
We need to get back to being an Ummah again and stop all this divide that we have between the arab world and the south asian world. Revive the Khilafa!!
Eid mubarak btw!!
Asalaamu alaikum
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I live in India as well, The question of fasting on the day of Arafah is well explained with the releavant Hadith in the above article.... Now the question which every one has is, 9th Dul Hajj is different for different countries so when are we supposed to fast....(Arafah is the day which comes on 9th Dul Hajj)
So what is Arafah, Arafah is referred as the day of Hajj..... Day of Hajj i.e. Arafah is only one for the whole world and that is when it happens in Saudi Arabia.... Different people around the world might have the 9th Dul Hajj a day after Saudi Arabia.
So for you the 9th of Dul Hajj is according to nation you live in but make no mistake the Day of Arafah is only one for the whole world and that is the day of Hajj. On this day Allah subha na wa tala come on the first heaven (sky) and showers his blessings, The blessings are showered on the day of Arafah....
Now consider this, You miss the day of Arafah (day of Hajj) as per Saudi Arabia and pray (Supplication or Dua) on the next day, What happens then ? ..... Allah has alread showered his blessings, answered the prayers and the blessed occassion is over, Now as we people in India, observe the fast on the 9th Dul Hajj and offer Dua's, supplication as day after the actual day of Arafah (The day of Hajj), Are We not missing out the blessings of Allah...?
Summary of the above is, Day of Arafah (day of Hajj) is the day of Blessing and it is universal for all the people of the world i.e according to Saudi Arabia... Many learned scholars were not able to make up their mind hence they have advised to fast and pray on the Day of Arafah (day of Hajj) according to Saudi Arabia as well as fast on the day of 9th Dul Hajj as per your nation or region you live in....
Allah Knows best
jazakhallah for the clarification
Is it ok if i fast only on the 9th dhul-hijjah? or is it compulsory to fast for 2 days atleast? I am in india and i am confused as i missed my fast today..but it is 9th dhul-hijjah in india on friday.
i mean if arafah day in saudi is today is it in india same say are day after
bit confused
This is an area of a much differing of opinion and therefore we would strongly advise you to ask your local Imam or scholar in who you trust.
There is an opinion that holds each country must fast Arafah on its chosen day depending on its own moon sighting, and there is no necessity to follow the sighting of Makkah. This opinion is common amongst the scholars of Saudi Arabia. For example, please read this fatwa.
Was salam
The ninth of Dhul-Hijjah is the Day of Arafah, so the terms are interchangeable . The sighting of the moon (according to the opinion cited above) is required for each locality, and a date must be agreed for the beginning of the month (be it Ramadhan, Shawwal or Dhul-Hijjah) locally. As such, whereas the moon of the new month may have been sighted in Saudi Arabia, it may not have been sighted in the UK, Pakistan, etc. and so they will have different start dates.
Many masajid will follow Saudi Arabia in respect of Dhul-Hijjah for the reason you have stated. However, it is clear that the scholars have differed about this issue and many consider it more correct to follow your local sighting with the more important aspect being unity (and this means unity on a local basis), so that you fast when the people around you fast.
Again we recommend you consult with your local Imam or scholar in whom you trust for clarity.
And Allah knows best.
Was salam
Allah sab ko Haj Naseeb karey Aameen
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