The Day of Arafat: merits, fasting and invocations

The 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of Arafat, holds a unique place in the Islamic calendar. It is the central day of the pilgrimage, the day on which Allāh ﷻ chose to complete the religion, and one of the days on which His mercy manifests most visibly, according to the words of the Prophet ﷺ. For pilgrim and non-pilgrim alike, it is an appointment not to be missed.

This article reviews what is authentically transmitted about this day within the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah on the path of the Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ: the verse of the perfection of the religion, the ḥadīth on the expiation of sins through fasting, the best invocation transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ and the prophets before him, and the recommended conduct for those not performing the pilgrimage this year.

1. Why Arafat is the most important day

1.1 The verse of the perfection of the religion

Allāh ﷻ reserved the Day of Arafat for the revelation of the verse of the completion of the religion, in the meaning:

"This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion."

(Quran, Sūrat al-Māʾida, verse 3)

This verse was revealed on the Day of Arafat during the final pilgrimage of the Prophet ﷺ, as reported in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī through the account of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), to whom a man among the Jews said that had this verse been revealed to them, they would have taken its day as a festival.

The scope of the verse is immense. It marks the completion of the sharīʿah, the conclusion of the Prophet's ﷺ mission, and the entirety of the guidance the believers need until the Day of Judgment.

1.2 Arafat, a day of emancipation from the Fire

The Prophet ﷺ informed us that Allāh ﷻ frees a great number of His servants from the Fire on this day. The meaning of what is reported by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ: there is no day on which Allāh frees as many servants from the Fire as the Day of Arafat. He draws near to His creation, then He praises them before the angels, saying: "What do these seek?"

This merit applies primarily to the pilgrims standing at Arafat, but the mercy of the day extends to all Muslims who turn to Allāh ﷻ through repentance, invocation and remembrance.

1.3 Arafat, the peak of the Ḥajj

The Prophet ﷺ said, in the meaning of the ḥadīth reported by the authors of the Sunan and authenticated by the muḥaddithūn:

"Ḥajj is Arafat."

This means that the standing at Arafat is the cardinal rite of the pilgrimage: whoever misses it misses the Ḥajj. This prophetic word frames the importance of the day for the one performing the pilgrimage.

2. The ḥadīth of Muslim on the expiation of sins

2.1 Text and meaning

For the non-pilgrim, fasting the Day of Arafat is the most emblematic act. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Fasting the Day of Arafat, I hope from Allāh that it expiates the sins of the year that precedes it and the year that follows it."

Reported by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.

This ḥadīth is explicit. Fasting the Day of Arafat erases two years of sins, by the mercy of Allāh ﷻ and according to the prophetic phrasing "I hope from Allāh."

2.2 Which sins are concerned

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, including Ibn ʿUthaymīn (raḥimahullāh), clarify that the expiation reported in this ḥadīth concerns minor sins (al-ṣaghāʾir). Major sins (al-kabāʾir) require a specific repentance: sincere regret, abandoning the sin, firm resolve not to return to it, and restitution of rights if a human being has been wronged.

This distinction is constant in the writings of the Salaf scholars, referring to other texts that establish the necessity of tawbah for major sins. The fasting of Arafat is an immense mercy, but it does not dispense with repentance for grave sins.

2.3 The weight of "I hope from Allāh"

The prophetic phrasing "I hope from Allāh" (aḥtasibu ʿalā Allāh) carries weight. When the Prophet ﷺ expresses a hope, it is in truth a certainty: what he hopes for from his Lord's generosity comes about. The phrasing preserves adab toward Allāh ﷻ without presuming upon the divine decree.

3. Fasting Arafat for non-pilgrims

3.1 Religious status

Fasting the Day of Arafat is a sunnah muʾakkadah (confirmed Sunnah) for non-pilgrims. Ibn Bāz and Ibn ʿUthaymīn (raḥimahumullāh) insisted in their fatāwā on the special value of this fast: it is one of the most rewarding deeds of the Islamic year for those not on pilgrimage.

3.2 The case of the pilgrim

For the pilgrim present at Arafat, fasting is not recommended. The Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ reported by Maymūnah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhā) in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: the Companions doubted whether the Prophet ﷺ was fasting at Arafat, so he sent for a container of milk and drank it openly, thus dispelling the doubt. The pilgrim needs all his energy for invocations, dhikr and standing; fasting reduces his availability.

3.3 Practical aspects

Fasting Arafat follows the classical rules of supererogatory fasting:

• Intention: may be formulated the evening before or during the morning as long as nothing has been eaten or drunk.
• Suḥūr: recommended, as for any fast, in accordance with the word of the Prophet ﷺ reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim: "Take suḥūr, for in suḥūr there is barakah."
• Breaking the fast: at sunset, without delay, in accordance with the Sunnah.
• If breaking is imposed by a need (illness, travel with hardship, menstruation), the fast need not be made up, being supererogatory; but it is preferable to make it up if one wishes to obtain its reward.

3.4 Practical date

The Day of Arafat falls on 9 Dhul-Hijjah, determined by lunar sighting or by the official calculation of the country. When the Day of Arafat coincides with the standing of the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and the local calendar differs by a day, contemporary scholars including Ibn Bāz have held that each country follows its own sighting: the divergence does not invalidate the fast, and both the pilgrim and the non-pilgrim are rewarded.

4. The best invocation according to Tirmidhī

4.1 The text of the ḥadīth

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"The best invocation is that of the Day of Arafat, and the best thing that I and the prophets before me have said is: Lā ilāha illā Allāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-ḥamd wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr."

Reported by al-Tirmidhī, authenticated by al-Albānī.

4.2 Meaning of the formula

The formula means: "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allāh, alone, with no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, and He is All-Powerful over all things." This statement contains the summit of tawḥīd: negation of any deity other than Allāh, affirmation of His total oneness, recognition of His sovereignty, His praise and His omnipotence.

4.3 How to use it

This formula may be repeated throughout the Day of Arafat, particularly in the final third of the day, after ʿaṣr, until sunset. The scholars have noted that the moment preceding sunset is one of the most favorable times for invocation in the year.

One may alternate this formula with other transmitted invocations: requests for forgiveness, requests for Paradise and protection from the Fire, requests for the good of this world and the Hereafter, invocations for one's parents, family and community.

What matters is not quantity but presence of heart, humility and trust in the generosity of Allāh ﷻ.

5. Recommended conduct on the Day of Arafat

5.1 For the pilgrim

• Standing at Arafat from just after the zawāl (passage of the sun at the zenith) until sunset.
• Combined and shortened ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers at Namira, behind the imām.
• Continuous invocations and dhikr, especially facing the qiblah with raised hands.
• Energy management: no fasting, hydration, shelter from the sun.
• Patience with the heat and the crowd, keeping in mind the greatness of the day.

5.2 For the non-pilgrim

• Fasting from fajr to sunset.
• Multiplied invocations, especially after ʿaṣr.
• Quran recitation with attention.
• Takbīr muqayyad after each obligatory prayer from the fajr of this day.
• Ṣadaqah, even modest.
• Maintaining family ties and mutual seeking of forgiveness.
• Firm and sincere seeking of forgiveness for past faults, with firm resolve for amendment.

5.3 What every Muslim can do

Whether pilgrim or not, the Day of Arafat calls for particular recollection. Reducing distractions (screens, social media, idle conversations), withdrawing part of the day for invocation, reading passages of the Quran that recall the greatness of Allāh ﷻ, and concluding the day with the breaking of the fast for the non-pilgrim, followed by a moment of gratitude.

6. Frequently asked questions

When exactly does the Day of Arafat begin and end?

The Day of Arafat begins at fajr on 9 Dhul-Hijjah and ends at sunset of the same day, as with any Islamic day with regard to fasting.

Can the fast of Arafat be combined with a Ramaḍān make-up?

The scholars have differed on combining intentions between a supererogatory fast and an obligatory make-up. For safety, it is preferable to first make up the days of Ramaḍān and, if time permits, to add the fast of Arafat with a dedicated intention. Wa Allāhu aʿlam.

If I fall ill on the morning of Arafat, may I break the fast?

Yes. A supererogatory fast may be broken in case of need, with no obligation to make it up. But the loss of the specific merit of Arafat is significant; maintaining it if health allows, even partially, remains preferable.

What if I forget the intention the night before?

For a supererogatory fast such as Arafat, the intention may be formulated during the morning as long as nothing has been consumed. This is the position of the majority, contrary to the obligatory fast where the intention must be taken before fajr.

Should I fast if the date of Arafat in my country differs from that of Saudi Arabia?

Contemporary scholars including Ibn Bāz have held that each country follows its local lunar sighting. If 9 Dhul-Hijjah in your country falls on a different day from that of Saudi Arabia, you fast according to your local calendar and you are rewarded.

What is the best invocation for this day?

The best statement is the one reported by Tirmidhī: "Lā ilāha illā Allāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-ḥamd wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr." To this one adds any invocation in keeping with the Quran and the Sunnah, in your own language or in Arabic: what counts is sincerity and presence of heart.

Conclusion

The Day of Arafat is an opportunity that comes only once a year. For those who do not perform the pilgrimage this year, two simple acts open an immense door: fasting the day, which by the mercy of Allāh ﷻ erases two years of minor sins, and invocation, which places the servant in the wake of the best statement transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ and the prophets before him.

Prepare in advance. Take suḥūr, organize your day to preserve quiet moments for invocation, and hold the final third of the day for the most intense supplications. Let simplicity take precedence over performance: a present heart is better than a thousand distracted words.

May Allāh ﷻ accept from us the fast and the invocation, forgive our past and future faults, and count us among those He frees from the Fire on this blessed day.

Wa Allāhu aʿlam.