Fasting the Day of Arafah

Born on the Day of Arafah

Fasting the Day of Arafah

Sheikh Hany Hilmy
Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Fasting the Day of Arafah expiates two years worth of wrong deeds: The year that passed and the year to come.

Narrated by Imam Muslim according to Abi Qutada, May Allah bless him, that the prophet peace be upon him was asked about fasting the Day of Arafat. He said: «It expiates two years, the past year and the coming year».

Ibn Al Qayem mentioned in (Al Zad book) a nice incident: "A man told him that he fasted the Day of Arafat and Ashoura with the intention of expiating his sins for sure. He added, the main important thing is to fast the Day of Arafat and Ashoura's then do whatever you want".

Ibn el Qayem replied: "this is the condition of the person who doesn't know anything about God. You arranged the reward according to the deeds without looking for acceptance".

That man assumed all his mistakes and sins will be expiated. But who said that his fasting was accepted?

There was a man who stayed with us with the intention of E'tekaf (a form of worship, in which a person remains in seclusion, generally, in a mosque, for sometime) during the Day of Arafat's night. He was a company manager. I told him that he should abstain from speech and business discussions. I asked him to turn off his mobile phone too. He said that he would put it on silent mode for emergency calls only. Then, he received a call and it seemed that the one who called was insulting him. The manager replied that he wouldn't answer him until after Maghrib. When it was Maghrib time he broke his fasting.. called that man and started insulting him back. This is not acceptable at all. It contradicts the essence of worshiping Allah in seclusion.

Yes Arafah is the day where sins will be expiated and we think and expect good from Allah but how would we know that we got accepted?