As a servant of Allah who constantly strives to increase your good deeds and attain as many blessings as possible, you might wonder about the Surahs to read on Arafah. this question could arise from your desire to make the most of this day and achieve the highest level of Allah’s approval, as every Muslim seeks to spend each moment on Arafah in worship through prayer, fasting, reading the Quran, and other recommended acts of devotion on this day.
However, which Best surah to read on Arafah, and why are they recommended over others?
What Is the Day of Arafah?
It is known that the Day of Arafah is a special day that people wait for from year to year and seek to gain the greatest amount of its blessings, but what is the Day of Arafah?
The Day of Arafah is the day that precedes Eid al-Adha specifically, starting from the beginning of the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah until the Fajr of Eid al-Adha, and this day carries many benefits that accrue to the Muslim servant, and therefore every Muslim takes advantage of that day to obtain the greatest amount of mercy and forgiveness from Allah.
Which surah talks about Arafat?
The Day of Arafah is mentioned multiple times in the Quran, it is directly referred to as “Arafah,” and there are also references to Mount Arafat.
This is clear in the following verse:
- “There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord, but when you depart from Arafat, remember Allah at al-Mashar al-Haram, and remember him as he has guided you for indeed you were before that among those astray.”
“ليس عليكم جناح أن تبتغوا فضلاً من ربكم فإذا أفضتم من عرفات فأذكروه عند المشعر الحرام وأذكروه كما هداكم وإن كنتم من قبله لمن الضالين”.
Another verses also refers to the Day of Arafah, where Allah says:
- “Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed my favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.”
This verse refers specifically to the Day of Arafah.
«اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم الإسلام دينا».
- “By the witnessing day and the witnessed day”
Some scholars interpret “the witnessing day” as Friday and “the witnessed day” as the Day of Arafah, the day witnessed by pilgrims at Arafat. And Allah knows best.
“وشاهد ومشهود”
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Read also: Which Surah to Recite After Zuhr Prayer?
Day of Arafah hadiths
The Day of Arafah is special, and it is mentioned not only in the Quran but also in the Sunnah.
In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated by Aisha may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet peace be upon him said:
- On the Day of Arafah, God descends and says, “Come unto Me are My slaves, disheveled, from every faraway pass, longing for My mercy. Then “He says to the Pilgrims” Be your sins like unto the grains of sand, the drops of rain, the foam on the sea, yet I forgive them, So go forth, My slaves, with all forgiveness, and for whatever and whomever you have pleaded.”
“في يوم عرفة ينزل الله فيقول: تعالوا عبادي شعثاء من كل فج بعيد راغبين في رحمتي، ثم “يقول للحجاج” كل ذنوبكم كحبات الرمل، وكقطرات المطر، وكزبد البحر، فإني أغفرها، فاخرجوا عبادي بكل مغفرة، وبما دعوتم به، ومن دعوتم به.”
- “There is no day on which Allah frees more of His servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He draws near, then boasts about them to the angels, saying: ‘What do these people want?”
“ما من يوم أكثر أن يعتق الله فيه عبدا من النار من يوم عرفة، وإنه ليدنو، ثم يباهي بهم الملائكة، فيقول: ما أراد هؤلاء؟”
There is also another hadith narrated by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him:
- “The Promised Day is the Day of Resurrection, and Al-Yawmul-Mashhud the Attended Day is the Day of Arafah, and Ash-Shahid the witness is Friday.”
“واليوم الموعود هو يوم القيامة، واليوم المشهود هو يوم عرفة، والشهيد هو يوم الجمعة.”
Read about: Dua for Intention of Umrah
Is Arafah better than Laylatul Qadr?
Laylat al-Qadr and the Day of Arafah are two of the most important days of the year, they are often compared, as everyone wants to know which is better to dedicate more worship and avoid wasting even a moment, to simplify the matter, we can summarize it as follows:
- The night of Laylat al-Qadr is better than the night of Arafah because Allah says: “The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months”
“ليلة القدر خير من ألف شهر”
- On the other hand, the daytime of Arafah is considered better than the daytime of Laylat al-Qadr, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” They asked, “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said, “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, except for a man who goes out with his life and wealth and returns with nothing.”
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“ما من أيام العمل الصالح أحب فيها إلى الله من هذه الأيام يعني أيام العشر قالوا يا رسول الله ولا الجهاد في سبيل الله؟ قال ولا الجهاد في سبيل الله إلا رجل خرج بنفسه وماله فلم يرجع من ذلك بشئ.”
- It is the day when our religion was completed by Allah from when it was first sent down on the night of Laylat al-Qadr, within the last ten days of Ramadan, till it was made complete on this day the Day of Arafat.
Through this evidence, we can conclude the virtues and the importance of the Day of Arafah.
Read About: Laylatul Qadr Surah in English
Best surah to read on Arafah
There is no explicit text that states one Surah of the Quran is preferred over another for reading on the Day of Arafah.
However, scholars through their efforts have agreed on certain Surahs as particularly suitable due to the verses they contain about the tawheed Allah, worshiping Him alone with no partner, and dedicating worship, words, and actions sincerely to Allah.
These surahs are:
- Surat Al-Ikhlas
- Al-Mu’awwidhat
- Ayat Al-Kursi
- Surat Al-Buruj
- Al-Hajj
- Al-Anbiya
- Al-Fajr
- Surah Al-Baqarah
- Surah Al-Imran
If you are facing a problem in reading the Quran in Arabic, you can get a Quran Classes For Adults, to be able to read the Quran correctly.
3 Most Important Things to Do on the Day of Arafah
There are many recommended acts of worship on the Day of Arafah that strengthen the bond between Allah and His servant. However, the most common and prioritized acts on this day are:
1-Fasting: The Prophet peace be upon him said: “Fasting on that Day atones for the sins of the past year and the following year .”
2-Dhikr: The Prophet peace be upon him said: “The best Duas is the Duas on the Day of Arafah, and the best thing that I and the prophets before me said is, there is no god but Allah alone without a partner.
3-Dua: The Prophet peace be upon him said: “The best Duas is the Duas on the Day of Arafah.”
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Benefits of fasting on Arafat day
Fasting on the Day of Arafah has great merit, a hadith from the Prophet, peace be upon him states:
There are no days more beloved to Allah that He be worshiped in them than the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, fasting every day of them is the equivalent of fasting a year, and standing every night of them is the equivalent of standing on the Night of Qadr.
The Day of Arafah is one of those great days, highlighting the immense forgiveness that descends during this period, we can conclude from this hadith many benefits of fasting, which are as follows:
- Fasting on the day of Arafah erases the sins of the previous year completely.
- Allah completed our religion of Islam on that day, so it is a day full of forgiveness.
- Allah told us through the hadiths that He forgives all sins for whoever fasts on that day, no matter how great they are.
- It is a special day to ask for what the servant hopes for from Allah of mercy, forgiveness, and worship throughout the day to attain the highest ranks with Allah.
What is the best Dhikr for Arafah?
Dhikr is recommended on the Day of Arafah, and reciting them frequently increases blessings and forgiveness on that unique day. Among those recommended dhikr are the following:
- La ilaha ila Allah
- Subhana Allah
- Alhamdulillah
- Allahu akbar
To learn more about the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, you can do so through the course Seerah.
Best Dua on the day of Arafah
On a day like the Day of Arafah, it is recommended to increase duas that carry the meanings of Tawheed and Tahlil.
There is an explicit text from the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraging a specific supplication that is beloved to be recited on this great day, this supplication is mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as follows:
- La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lahla, lahul mulku wa lahul hamd
wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer.
لا إله إلا الله، وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شئٍ قدير.
This means:
There is no god but God alone, with no partner. His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He is over all things competent.
Duas for the Day of Arafah
You may be wondering, What duas should I make on the day of Arafah? We can answer that there are many recommended Duas on that blessed day, we have previously explained the Best dua on the day of Arafah and the Best surah to read on Arafah, and we can continue by mentioning some of the Duas that you can make on the blessed day of Arafah:
- Allahumma inni asaluka al-jannah wa auzu bika min an-nar.
- O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and I seek refuge in You from Hell.
اللهم إني أسألك الجنة وأعوذ بك من النار.
- Allahumm aghfir li, warhamni, wa hdini, wa afini, warzuqni.
- O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, heal me, and provide for me.
اللهم أغفر لي، وارحمني، وعافني، وأرزقني.
- Allaahumma innee aouthu bika minal hammi, wal huzni wal ajzi, wal kasali, wal bukhli wal jubni, wa dala aldayni, wa ghalabatir rijaal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, helplessness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debt and being overpowered by men.
اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الخم والحزن، والعجز والكسل، والبخل والجبن، وضلع الدين وغلبة الرجال.
- Rabbana ghfir lana zhunuubana wa israfana fi amrina wa thabbit aqdamana wansurna alal qawmil kafireen.
Our Lord forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty, establish our feet, and help us against those that resist Faith
ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا وإسرافنا في أمرنا وثبت أقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم الكافرين.
Conclusion
Everyone cares about and strives for Allah’s approval so they constantly draw closer to Him with good deeds and take advantage of blessed days, like the great Day of Arafah.
That’s why every Muslim is eager to learn more details about Arafah including which is the best Surah to read on Arafah, to gain the highest levels of forgiveness and mercy from Allah on this blessed day.
Every Muslim seeks to learn the details of that blessed day and the most important Duas that he can make, the benefits of fasting on Arafah, and the best things that he can do, and this is what we have presented, you can also learn more about the rules and regulations of Islam through Fiqh Islamic Jurisprudence.
FAQ
What Dua to recite on Arafat?
The best thing to say on that day is whatever carries the meaning of Tasbih, Tahmid, Tawheed, and Tahlil of God from Duas, as there are hadiths that urge this type of Dua and that it is recommended on this blessed day.
What do pilgrims do on Hajj on the Day of ’Arafah?
The first thing the pilgrims do after the Fajr prayer on the Day of Arafah is to leave Mina and go to Mount Arafat and ask God for forgiveness.
Then, upon arriving at Arafat they Zuhr pray and Asr pray in 4 rak’ahs instead of 8 rak’ahs, and they stand at Arafat and continue asking God for forgiveness.
How can I read the Quran?
You certainly want to read the Quran in Arabic and you face difficulty in doing so because you do not know the Arabic language, so we offer you Arabic and Quran courses so that you can learn to read the Quran correctly and you can get many other courses that will help you strengthen your faith and learn more about Islam like Learn Quran Tafseer Online.
Many other courses are useful to you as a Muslim and that will increase your work and knowledge of Islam, you can also learn Arabic easily through the Arabic Foundation Course.