*The Excellence Of The Day Of ‘Arafah* Allaah, The Most High states in His Book: *﴿وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُود﴾‏* ❝And by the Promised Day [i.e. the Day of Resurrection]; And by the witnessing day [i.e. Friday], and *by the witnessed day [i.e. the day of 'Arafat [Hajj] the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah]…❞* [Qur’ān, Surah Al-Burooj, (2-3) | Translated By Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan] - From Abee Hurairah [رضي الله عنه] who said that the Prophet [ﷺ] said: ❝The Promised Day is: The Day of Resurrection; *and the day which is witnessed is: the day of ‘Arafah;* and the witness is: the day of Friday. And the sun has not risen nor has it set upon a day that is better than it. In it is an hour in which a believing servant does not coincide supplicating to Allaah for good – except that Allaah will answer him; and nor does he seek refuge from anything except Allaah will grant him refuge from it.❞ [Reported By At-Tirmidhee | Al-‘Allaamah Al-Albaanee: 'Hasan' In His Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmidhee, (No. 3339) | - Ibn Rajab [رحمه الله] said: ❝Upon this basis; if the day of ‘Arafah falls on a Friday – then there is incorporated into that day the witness and the witnessed.❞ [Lataa-if Wal Ma’aarif, (Page: 375) | Translated By Abū Haatim M. Farooq] - From ‘Umar Bin Al-Khattaab [رضي الله عنه] that a man from the Jews said to him: *❝'O leader of the believers; there is an Aayah in your Book which you read; if it had been revealed to the like of us Jews then we would have taken that day as an ‘Eid.' So he said: 'which Aayah is that?' he said:* ﴿الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإسْلامَ دِينًا﴾‏ «This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion» [Al-Maa-idah: 3] So ‘Umar said: *'Indeed we know of that day as well as the place in which it was revealed upon the Prophet [ﷺ] - and he was standing at ‘Arafaat on a Friday.'❞* [Reported By Al-Bukhārī, (No. 45) | Muslim, (No. 7443) - From ‘Aisha [رضي الله عنها] who said that the Messenger of Allaah [ﷺ] said: *❝There is no day in which Allaah sets free more slaves from the Hell-Fire than He does on the Day of ‘Arafah.❞* [Reported By Muslim, (No. 1277) | - *Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for two years:* Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah and he said: *“It expiates for the past and coming years.”* Narrated by Muslim (1162). According to another report: *“I ask Allah that it may expiate for (the sins of) the year that comes before it and the year that comes after it.”* - *Best Du`a on the Day of Arafah* لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ‏. `Amr bin Shu`aib narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: *“The best of supplication is the supplication of the Day of `Arafah. And the best of what I and the Prophets before me have said is:* *لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ‏.* Lā ilāha illallāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamdu, wa huwa `alā kulli shai’in qadīr.’ None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, Alone, without partner, to Him belongs all that exists, and to Him belongs the Praise, and He is powerful over all things. classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib (1536) Jami` at-Tirmidhi, 3585