Arafah

Thursday, November 26, 2009 is Arafah Day.

1. Submission to Allah (swt) in Arafah does not have a prescribed outward act. You have to be there on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah from Zuhr to sunset, that's all!

Wuquf (standing/staying) in Arafah in Hajj is really our second wuquf. Do you know about our first wuquf?

2. Some pilgrims miss out from reaping the full benefit of wuquf in Arafat during those approximately 5 1/2 hours.

Most pilgrims pray, recite The Qur'an, zikr, and du'a in Arafah during those hours but some also chat, smoke or take a nap. There is a fair amount of such wasteful activities caused by a lack of understanding of wuquf. The quotes on the right side of this page should be sufficient inducement to pilgrims to regard their presence in Arafat as among the most precious times in their lives.

Read about a good way to prepare for The Day of Arafah.

4. Pilgrims should not fast on Arafah Day. It is not Sunnah.

5. Some Hajj groups skip Mina and proceed straight to Arafah to escape the traffic nightmare. You'll have to pack accordingly to meet your needs for a night and a day's stay in Arafah. 

6. Bring along the following when you depart for Arafah: an extra pair of Ihram clothes; extra pair of glasses, mosquito repellent; foldable hand fan; foldable mat; plastic sheet (2 1/2' square); foldable umbrella; 2 bottles of 1 1/2 liter mineral water; torch and snacks. 

7. The toilet facilities in the tent area that I stayed were adequate. It is still advisable to carry a mini pail with you to fetch water from other places just in case the tap runs dry in your place. (This happened in Mina in our tent area).

You may want to consider a diet of water, dates and fruits in Arafah as this will reduce the need to go to the toilet frequently. This diet may also help to keep you more alert and not make you feel 'sleepy'. You will thus have more time for ibadah.

8. After Arafah, the next Hajj rite is at Muzdalifah. Prepare yourself psychologically for the possibility that you may not be able to perform this part of the Hajj rite. Instead of leaving Arafah after sunset, you may find yourself stranded in Arafah until the next morning because the bus to pick up your group did not turn up as planned.

9. If you are physically fit, consider walking to Muzdalifah. A two to three-hour walk is definitely better than an eight-hour imprisonment in a bus!

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