A Concise Summary of Authentic Virtues Pertaining to the Day of ’Arafah

All praise is due to Allāh alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, says in His Noble Book: "And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses..." up to His saying: "And to Him you will be returned." Shaykh As-Sa’dī (may Allāh have mercy on him) commented: «ﻫﺬﻩ اﻵﻳﺎﺕ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻋﻤﻮﻡ ﺧﻠﻘﻪ ﻟﺴﺎﺋﺮ اﻟﻤﺨﻠﻮﻗﺎﺕ، ﻭﻧﻔﻮﺫ ﻣﺸﻴﺌﺘﻪ ﺑﺠﻤﻴﻊ اﻟﺒﺮﻳﺎﺕ، ﻭاﻧﻔﺮاﺩﻩ ﺑﺎﺧﺘﻴﺎﺭ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺨﺘﺎﺭﻩ ﻭﻳﺨﺘﺼﻪ، ﻣﻦ اﻷﺷﺨﺎﺹ، ﻭاﻷﻭاﻣﺮ، ﻭاﻷﺯﻣﺎﻥ، ﻭاﻷﻣﺎﻛﻦ» "These Āyāt indicate the comprehensive nature of His creation of all beings, the efficacy of His Will in all creation, and His exclusive authority in choosing and favouring whomever He wills—whether persons, commands, times, or places." [End of quote] Among the times that Allāh has chosen and favoured are the four sacred months, which include Dhul-Ḥijjah. He has selected the first ten days of Dhul-Ḥijjah, and among them, He has specifically chosen the Day of ’Arafah. Many eminent scholars have authored works on the virtues of the Day of ’Arafah, including Abū Bakr Al-Warrāq (d. 378 AH), Ibn ’Asākir (d. 571 AH), and Ibn Nāṣir Ad-Dīn al-Dimashqī (d. 842 AH) — may Allāh have mercy on them. These works, now printed, include both authentic and unauthentic reports. This brief treatise outlines only the authentic virtues of this day, and success is from Allāh. Why is it called [’Arafah]? Muffassirs such as Al-Baghawī, Al-Qurṭubī, and others, including Ibn Nāṣir Ad-Dīn in his treatise on the Day of ’Arafah, mentioned many opinions on the origin of the name—most lacking evidence. The most authentic narration is that reported by Aḥmad and Aṭ-Ṭayālisī, originally found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, from the ḥadīth of Ibn ’Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with them both), in which Abū Aṭ-Ṭufayl asked him about certain aspects of Ḥajj. Ibn ’Abbās responded: “Do you know why it was named ’Arafah?” He said, “No.” Ibn ’Abbās replied, “Because Jibreel said to him (i.e. Ibrahim peace be upon him): ‘Do you recognise (أعرفت)?’” [End of narration] This was authenticated by Al-’Allāmah Al-Albānī (may Allāh have mercy on him), and it has corroborating reports. While the origin of names typically pertains to linguistic sources and common usage, a Sharʿī proof lends strength to specific views. And Allāh knows best. From the Virtues of the Day of ’Arafah: 1. It is among the first ten days of Dhul-Ḥijjah, which Allāh swore by in His saying: “By the ten nights” [Al-Fajr: 2]. This interpretation is attributed to Ibn ’Abbās and is considered the consensus of the Mufassirs, as reported by Ibn Jarīr. The virtues of these ten days are well-known and documented. 2. Allāh swore by it again in His statement: “By the even and the odd” [Al-Fajr: 3]. According to one interpretation, authentically attributed to Ibn ’Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with them): «اﻟﻮﺗﺮ: ﻳﻮﻡ ﻋﺮﻓﺔ، ﻭاﻟﺸﻔﻊ: ﻳﻮﻡ اﻟﺬﺑﺢ» The 'odd' refers to the Day of ’Arafah, and the 'even' refers to the Day of Sacrifice (’Eid Al-Aḍḥā). This is reported by several chains in Ibn Jarīr’s Tafsīr and others and corroborated by ’Ikrimah and others. 3. It is the witnessed day mentioned in the Āyah: “By the witness and the witnessed” [Al-Burūj: 3], according to one tafsīr. At-Tirmidhī narrated from Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: ((اﻟﻴﻮﻡ اﻟﻤﻮﻋﻮﺩ ﻳﻮﻡ اﻟﻘﻴﺎﻣﺔ ﻭاﻟﻴﻮﻡ اﻟﻤﺸﻬﻮﺩ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻋﺮﻓﺔ ﻭاﻟﺸﺎﻫﺪ ﻳﻮﻡ اﻟﺠﻤﻌﺔ، ﻭﻣﺎ ﻃﻠﻌﺖ اﻟﺸﻤﺲ ﻭﻻ ﻏﺮﺑﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺃﻓﻀﻞ ﻣﻨﻪ)) "The promised day is the Day of Judgment, the witnessed day is the Day of ’Arafah, and the witnessing day is Friday. No day has the sun risen or set on that is more virtuous than it." Although the chain includes Mūsā ibn ’Ubaydah Ar-Rabadhī, who is weak, Al-Albānī noted a supporting narration from Abū Mālik Al-Ash’arī with a similar meaning, thereby rendering the ḥadīth ḥasan in overall strength.