About two million Muslims, including over 70,000 from Nigeria, who have converged on Mecca, Saudi Arabia from all over the world to perform this year’s hajj, will move enmass to Arafat to observe Arafat day, to be followed tomorrow across the Muslim world with Eid-el-Kabir, known as big Sallah, where rams and other recommended animals will be slaughtered.
The pilgrims had, yesterday, moved enmass from their various locations in Mecca, Jedah and Medinah Munawara to Minna to await the Arafat Day.
Arafat is a massive plain where pilgrims are expected to go and stay, supplicating and praying extensively up to the sun set when they would move to Muzdallifa in the evening and Jamrah tomorrow morning.
The Saudi Arabian government’s agencies have made elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims from Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, Riyadh, Taif and Dammam into the tent city. The pilgrims will spend the day and night in prayers and then head to the plains of Arafat this morning.
The Day of Arafat is an Islamic Holy Day, in which the verse of the Qur’an was revealed which explained that the religion had been perfected. The Day falls on the 9th day of Dhul Hijja 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-Aha. 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 Arafat. It was from this site that Muhammad gave his famous Farewell Sermon in his final year of life.
There are numerous virtues claimed for the 9th of Dhu ’l-Hijjah which is known as Yawmi al-‘Arafat. This is the day where the pilgrims assemble on the plain of ‘Arafat to complete one of the essential rituals of the Hajj.
It is claimed that this is the day the religion was perfected and the blessings of Allah were completed. The following verse was revealed to Muhammad on the day of ‘Arafat, Allah says: “Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and chosen Islam as Dīn (religion and a way of life) for you”. (Al Maidah: V3)
The completion of Allah’s blessing refers to forgiveness for ones sins by Allah, as without it the blessings of Allah cannot be complete. This brings to light the importance of being forgiven by Allah.
Fasting on Arafah day is expiation for sins committed the year before and the year after.
Abu Qatadah is reported to have said that Muhammad said: “Fasting on the day of ‘Arafat is an expiation (of sins) for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. (Reported by Ibn Majah).
In Saheeh Muslim, it was narrated from Aa’ishah that Muhammad said: ‘There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafat. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?’ [myad]
