By Molana Mohamed Aadil Saleh (Bradford, UK) 

London, August 9, 2019 (AltAfrica)-Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu. More than two million pilgrims from Nigeria and around the world will converge on Mount Arafat tomorrow, Saturday, August 10, 2019  to mark the high point of Hajj.

The hill was where Prophet Muhammad was believed to have delivered his last sermon. It is also the place where Adam and Eve were said to have reunited following their departure from heaven.

Day of Arafat and staying in the place of Arafat is necessary for all the pilgrims, as their Hajj will not be complete  if they do not stay in Arafat. However, that is a different topic which will not be discussed today. Instead, I will be elaborating on the virtues and benefits of fasting on the day of Arafat in this post.

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Muslims on Mount Arafat in Hajj climax (Punch)

Fasting on the day of Arafat is only for those individuals who are not commencing Hajj and are staying at their homes. To demonstrate the benefits and virtues to fast on the Arafat day, I will now be narrating a few Ahadith.

Firstly, Abu Hafsah (رضي الله عنه) reported from our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that fasting on the day of Arafat erases the sins of the last year and also the year ahead. Therefore, if an individual fasts on the day of Arafat, their sins of two years will be erased – the fasting of Ashura also contains the same reward. This Hadith is reported by Muslim Shareef, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maja and Sunnah e Nasai. There are many other books which quote this Hadith, but the specified books are the six authentic books of Ahadith in which this Hadith has been quoted and explained to say that if an individual keeps a fast tomorrow, they will be given the reward of their sins being erased for two years; the last year and the coming year.

Another Hadith in Muslim Shareef mentions that there are four things that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) never neglected: Observing the fast of Ashura (10^th of Muharram), observing the fast of Arafat (tomorrow, when all the Hajji go to the place of Arafat), observing three fasts per month, and finally reading Fajr Sunnah early in the morning. This demonstrates that this is the time of a very blessed month and we should all be spending this valuable time in worshipping Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى).

The fast is on the 9th of Zul Hijjah which occurs one day before Eid Ul Adha, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)’s wife, Hazrat Hafsah (رضي الله عنها), reported that the companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) were in doubt about whether the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was fasting on the day of Arafat whilst he was performing Hajj. So, to prove that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was not fasting, she said that she sent the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) a glass of milk which he drank whilst delivering the Khutba, so all the Sahaba could see that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was not fasting. This Hadith is narrated in Bukhari and it shows that the fast on the day of Arafat is only for people living at home, and is prohibited for the people performing Hajj and staying in the place of Arafat.

On a final note, always remember that this fast is not compulsory, but if you keep it, then you will get the reward of having your sins erased for two years; the last year and the coming year. I would also like to make clear that the sins, which are erased, are only the minor sins – major sins are only forgiven when one truly repents and asks Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) for forgiveness with the firm intention of not committing the sin again and doing tauba.

May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) give us the ability to keep the fast tomorrow.

Published by Pure Islam