Duties of the Day of Arafah (Complete Guide)

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Tomorrow, Thursday 5th June 2025, is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah and one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar. It is the Day of Arafah, following the Meccan calendar.

The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no day on which Allah ﷻ frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.” (Sahih Muslim)

On this day, Allah ﷻ draws near, forgives His servants, and proudly mentions them to his angels, even those not physically present in Arafah.

It is a day overflowing with mercy, reward and forgiveness.

Recommended actions on this day:

1) Fasting (for those not performing Hajj)

Fasting on this day erases the sins of the previous year and the year to come. Remember fasting means that your tongue, eyes, and all organs, must fast too, especially your heart.

In her Sohbah yesterday, Hjh Rukiye spoke about the immense reward of this fast, which has been likened to fasting for 10,000 days or even two years. She shared that each person who fasts receives the reward of everyone who fasted, as well as those who should have fasted.

And on Judgement Day, 70,000 angels will accompany those who observed this fast.

2) Spending the day in Worship

In addition to our daily Adab, Awrad, devotions above, and Qur’an recitation and reflection, it is recommended to recite the full Hizbul Azam on this day. Both the complete and abridged versions are available in the Google Drive folder titled “Day of Arafah Devotions”, accessible via the following link:

https://tinyurl.com/bdee6m8k

Between Zuhur and Asar*, we are encouraged to pray Solatul Arafah — a four rakaat Sunnah prayer with the intention that Allah ﷻ forgives the pilgrims and includes us in their du‘as. Additionally, do complete Solatul al-Khusoma, as taught by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilaniق.

In her Sohbah, Hjh Rukiye reminded us of a special prayer to be done during the first ten nights of Dhul Hijjah. You can pray two rakaats on any night during these ten nights. It is best to do it tonight or tomorrow. There is a lot of rewards even if you do it on just one night. In each rakaat, recite:

• 1 time Surah Al-Fatihah
• 1 time Ayatul Kursi
• 3 times Surah Al-Ikhlas
• 3 times Surah Al-Falaq
• 3 times Surah An-Nas

After finishing the prayer with salam, ask Allah ﷻ for forgiveness, mercy, and anything else you need in this life and the next. Do include your loved ones, those who asked for your prayers, and the whole Ummah.

It is also the night preceding Eid al-Adha, a night the Prophet ﷺ would spend in worship and would not sleep. This blessed night is a time of divine mercy, when sincere prayers are accepted by Allah. It is one of the five sacred nights during which du‘as are not rejected.

The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:
“Whoever stands in worship during the nights preceding the two Eids, seeking reward from his Lord, his heart will not die on the Day when hearts will die.” (Ibn Majah)

3) Making heartfelt du‘as

This is one of the best times for supplication, especially during Wuquf (standing at Arafah), which is from 12:19 pm to 7:01 pm Mecca time. In Singapore, that is 5:19 pm to 12:01 am.

• Make du‘a for yourself, your family, and your loved ones.
One of the du’as to be recited abundantly on 9th and 10th Dhul Hijjah (as taught by Hjh Rukiye), “Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil akhirati hasanatan waqina adhaban nar.“
• Ask Allah ﷻ to accept you as one of the Ḥujjāj (pilgrims).
• Pray for those who have requested your du‘as.
• Pray for the safety and peace of the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
• Pray for the appearance of Sayyidina al-Mahdī ʿalayhi’s-salām.

4) Engaging in Dhikr (remembrance of Allah ﷻ)

• Takbir: Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)
• Tahlil: La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah)
• Tahmid: Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah)
• Tasbih: Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah)

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There are no days greater in the sight of Allah ﷻ and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him ﷻ, so during this time recite a great deal of Tahlil (“La ilaaha ill-Allah”), Takbeer and Tahmeed.”

5) Turning to Allah ﷻ in sincere repentance

In his Sohbah, Mawlanaق reminded us that sins weigh heavily on both our bodies and our souls. Every time we do something wrong, knowingly or unknowingly, it adds to that burden.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us to keep asking for forgiveness, saying Astaghfirullah, again and again. Allah ﷻ, in His mercy, forgives — so we should ask as much as we can.

This is a precious opportunity to seek forgiveness for both the sins we are aware of and those we may not even realize.

6) Takbir of Tashreeq

From the Fajr prayer on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah until the Asar prayer on the 13th of Dhul Hijjah, it is obligatory for every Muslim to recite the Takbir of Tashreeq after each obligatory (Fard) prayer. The Takbir is recited as follows:

“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha Illallahu, Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahilhamd.”

“There is no God but Allah and Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.”

7) Keep Excellent Character

Engage wholeheartedly in worship and righteous deeds, such as increasing acts of charity, multiplying good actions, and maintaining family ties.

Avoid idle talk, arguments, and disputes, for these detract from the spirit of this blessed day.

Good character and sincere deeds are beloved to Allah ﷻ and carry immense reward, especially in this sacred time.

Let us strive to emerge from this day purified, renewed, and closer to Him.

May Allah ﷻ accept our fasts, prayers, and du’as, and grant us His infinite mercy and forgiveness. And may He grant us the honour and blessing of being spiritually at Hajj, insyaAllah.

* For prayers (namaz), continue to follow your local prayer times as usual. However, for making du‘as during Wuquf, it is best to align with the Wuquf time in ‘Arafah. Please calculate the corresponding time based on your country, as shown below:

More on the blessed Day of ‘Arafah here.

Google Drive to the full devotions can be found here.

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Wassalam.