Arafah from Fajr to Dusk

Born on the Day of Arafah

Arafah from Fajr to Dusk

Sheikh Hany Hilmy
Saturday, 06 December 2008

Follow this schedule as much as you can:
Sleep well at night because you will wake up at dawn time. So, pray Isha'a and recite some Quran and go to bed.

Make sure you get enough sleep because you will wake up one to two hours before Fajr time. When you get enough sleep at night, you will be able to function during the day. At that time, you start whisper talking to Allah and begging Him. Get ready to recite at least one hundred verses. If you have time, read one thousand verses and that is by reading Tabarak part (juzu' 29). Repeat those steps during the ten days until you reach the Day of Arafat.

After that you eat your Suhur (late dinner) and make Istighfar the last fifteen minutes before Fajr prayer where you are very close to Allah {وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ} {And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness} [Az-Zariyat: 18]. At the same time you get closer to Allah and say: Oh my Lord make me succeed in obeying You and worshiping You correctly on the Day of Arafat and free me from the hellfire. Make Dua'a for yourself and all the Muslim.

Before the Fajr Azan by five minutes, make ablution and get ready for the prayer. On your way to Fajr prayer, anticipate to do Hajj and Umrah by staying up until sunrise. It is like Hajj because you are going to perform a ritual (praying) in the mosque. And whoever performs a confirmed ritual praying, is considered like performing Hajj (pilgrimage). «Whoever walks to perform a written prayer in congregational is like doing Hajj and whoever walks for a voluntary pray is like Umrah» [Classified as good by Al Albani in Sahih Al Jame'e].

Resemble your eagerness to perform Haj with all its meanings through anticipating Itikaf (seclusion).. Listen to the prayer call and finish your remembrances and get ready to go the Masjid with your intention to make Itikaf and ask Allah to bless that night for you.

You will perform the regular rituals by praying the two Raka's of Fajr which are better than everything in life. Sit until sunrise and don't forget to anticipate the reward. Read the remembrance while you are waiting for the sun to rise and read the Quran.

Boost your soul by reciting some of the Quran to get the mercies from Allah. {وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآَنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا} {And we send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believer (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss} [Al-Isra': 82]. Thus you earn the Allah's sympathy which will be your fuel for the day. Allah's mercy and sympathy will enable you to read a lot of Quran. Insha'Allah reading Quran will help you get through the day awake. As soon as you feel sleep creeping into your body, make ablution to drive Satan's whispers away. We said: {وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ} {Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah} [Al-Alaq: 19].