Arafat عرفات

Overview

Arafat (عَرَفَات) is a vast plain situated about 20 kilometers east of Mecca. The standing (وُقُوف, wuquf) on its grounds on the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah is the central and indispensable rite of Hajj. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared that Hajj itself is Arafat, and the gathering of pilgrims here is regarded as a foretaste of the assembly on the Day of Judgement.

Etymology

The name Arafat derives from the Arabic root ع-ر-ف, meaning "to know" or "to recognize." Classical commentators including Ibn Kathir relate that Adam and Hawwa met and recognized one another here after their descent to earth. Others connect it to Ibrahim, whom Jibril taught the rites of pilgrimage, with Ibrahim answering "I know, I know" ('araftu) as each station was shown to him.

Quranic references

The plain is named directly in the Quran. Surah Al-Baqarah 2:198 — 'But when you depart from Arafat, remember Allah at al-Mash'ar al-Haram.'

فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ

The day of standing is widely identified by classical tafseer with Surah Al-Maidah 5:3 — 'This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you.' Surah Al-Hajj 22:27 — 'And proclaim to the people the Hajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel.' Surah Al-Baqarah 2:197 — 'Hajj is [during] well-known months.'

Hadith and tradition

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Hajj is Arafah. Whoever catches the night of Jam' before the dawn breaks has caught the Hajj." — Jami at-Tirmidhi 889, graded Sahih by al-Albani

Aishah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah" (Sahih Muslim 1348). The Companions received the Farewell Sermon here, in which the Prophet ﷺ proclaimed the sanctity of Muslim blood, property, and honor.

Significance

Arafat is the spiritual climax of pilgrimage. Pilgrims dressed in إِحْرَام (ihram) gather on the plain from noon until sunset, devoting themselves to dua, salah, and remembrance. The standing prefigures the gathering before Allah at the Hour, when humanity will be assembled for reckoning. From Arafat the pilgrim proceeds to Muzdalifah and then to Mina, having completed the rite that no tawaf or sa'i can replace.

See also

• Hajj
• Mina
• The Kaaba
• Masjid al-Haram
• The Five Pillars

References

1. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, commentary on Surah Al-Baqarah 2:198.
2. al-Tabari, Jami al-Bayan an Ta'wil ay al-Quran, on Surah Al-Hajj 22:27.
3. al-Nawawi, al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Hajj.
4. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Hajj.