Allah Almighty says:
ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًا
Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.
(Surat al-Ma’idah 5:3)
This ayah, or this part of the ayah, was among the final revelations received by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before he departed from this world. It was revealed on the Day of Arafah, while the Prophet ﷺ was standing at Arafah during Hajj.
Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a Jewish man said to him, “O Commander of the Believers, there is a verse in your Book which you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a day of celebration.” Umar asked, “Which verse?” He replied, “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.” Umar said, “We know the day and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. It was while he was standing at Arafah on a Friday.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Arafah is important for many reasons. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform Hajj until the tenth year after Hijrah. The obligation of Hajj had been revealed before that, and in the ninth year he sent Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as the amir of Hajj.
Although the Prophet ﷺ had purified the House of Allah and the Haram from idols after the conquest of Makkah, some practices from Jahiliyyah still remained until the ninth year. Abu Bakr was sent to lead the Hajj, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) was later sent to announce that, after that year, no polytheist should perform Hajj and no one should perform tawaf around the Ka‘bah naked.
Some people in Jahiliyyah used to perform tawaf naked, men and women. It is a long story, but this practice existed. This is why the Prophet ﷺ did not perform Hajj until these practices had been purified and abolished completely.
In the tenth year, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ announced that he was going for Hajj. The ninth year had been the Year of Delegations. Madinah was flooded with delegations coming from different tribes, cities and regions. People were entering Islam in multitudes. The Prophet ﷺ was teaching them and conveying the message, while Abu Bakr was leading the Hajj and the announcement was being made.
By the tenth year, almost the whole of Arabia had accepted Islam. When the Prophet ﷺ announced that he was going for Hajj, the Ummah came with him in huge numbers. The narrations vary, but it is estimated that around 100,000 to 150,000 people performed Hajj with him.
The most important part of Hajj, until today, is Arafah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الْحَجُّ عَرَفَةُ
Hajj is Arafah.
(Tirmidhi)
In the fuller narration, the Prophet ﷺ said:
الْحَجُّ عَرَفَاتٌ، الْحَجُّ عَرَفَاتٌ، الْحَجُّ عَرَفَاتٌ، أَيَّامُ مِنًى ثَلَاثٌ، فَمَنْ تَعَجَّلَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَنْ تَأَخَّرَ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ عَرَفَةَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ الْحَجَّ
Hajj is Arafah. Hajj is Arafah. Hajj is Arafah. The days of Mina are three: whoever hastens to leave in two days, there is no sin upon him, and whoever delays, there is no sin upon him. Whoever reaches Arafah before Fajr rises has caught the Hajj.
(Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)
So those who have not yet performed Hajj should make the intention now. Say, “Ya Rabb, I want to perform Hajj. I want to fulfil my obligation. Make it easy for me, Ya Rabb.”
Why is the barren landscape the place Hajjis gather on the most blessed time of the year?
When you go to Arafah, there is nothing there in the way there is something at other places. When you go to the Haram, there is the Ka‘bah. When you go to Mina, there are the Jamarat. But when you go to Arafah, there is nothing obvious. You look left and right and you may ask: why is this the most important ritual of Hajj?
If you miss Arafah, your Hajj is invalid. Some rites can be compensated if they are missed, but Arafah cannot. So why did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ make Arafah the heart of Hajj?
Arafah is like a reminder of the Day of Resurrection. You are wrapped in your ihram like a shroud. You are waiting. You sit, you stand, you pray, you make dua, and you wait until sunset. There are no complex outward rituals there. It is a station of waiting, reflection and exposure before Allah.
The people at Arafah wait for the sun to set, just as humanity will wait on the Day of Resurrection for the reckoning to begin. People will be waiting, not knowing what news awaits them. Will there be good news from the angels or bad news? Have we passed the test or failed it? Have we forgotten wrongs we committed against others? Did we settle our accounts before the Day of Judgement?
Arafah gives us a small glimpse of that reality. It connects us to the Hereafter and makes us ask ourselves whether we are ready to meet Allah.
On the Day of Arafah, Allah Almighty frees people from the Fire and boasts about the people of Arafah to the angels.
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَدْنُو، ثُمَّ يُبَاهِي بِهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، فَيَقُولُ: مَا أَرَادَ هَؤُلَاءِ؟
There is no day on which Allah sets free more servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He draws near, then boasts of them to the angels and says, “What do these people want?”
(Muslim)
Allah’s nearness is in a way that befits His majesty and greatness, without resemblance or comparison. He shows the angels the honour of those standing at Arafah. They have left their homes, spent their wealth, tired their bodies and come seeking Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
The answer to the question, “What do these people want?” is clear. They want forgiveness. They want Allah’s pleasure. They want mercy. This is what the people of Arafah are asking for, and this is what all of us ask for every day.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُبَاهِي مَلَائِكَتَهُ عَشِيَّةَ عَرَفَةَ بِأَهْلِ عَرَفَةَ، فَيَقُولُ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى عِبَادِي أَتَوْنِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا
Indeed, Allah Almighty boasts to His angels on the afternoon of Arafah about the people of Arafah, saying, “Look at My servants. They have come to Me dishevelled and dusty.”
(Ahmad)
It is also narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَاهِي بِأَهْلِ عَرَفَاتٍ، يَقُولُ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى عِبَادِي أَتَوْنِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا
Indeed, Allah boasts about the people of Arafah, saying, “Look at My servants. They have come to Me dishevelled and dusty.”
Jabir ibn Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، فَيُبَاهِي بِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَهْلَ السَّمَاءِ، فَيَقُولُ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى عِبَادِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا ضَاحِينَ، جَاءُوا مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ، يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتِي، وَلَمْ يَرَوْا عَذَابِي، فَلَمْ يُرَ أَكْثَرُ عَتِيقًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ
There is no day more virtuous in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven and boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens about the people of the earth, saying, “Look at My servants: dishevelled, dusty and exposed to the sun. They have come from every distant path, hoping for My mercy, though they have not seen My punishment.” There is no day on which more people are freed from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.
(Ibn Hibban)
Ibn Mandah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated in Kitab al-Tawhid:
إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ عَرَفَةَ يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، فَيُبَاهِي بِهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، فَيَقُولُ: انْظُرُوا إِلَى عِبَادِي أَتَوْنِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ، أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ، فَتَقُولُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ: يَا رَبِّ، فُلَانٌ مُرْهَقٌ، فَيَقُولُ: قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ، فَمَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرُ عَتِيقًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ
When it is the Day of Arafah, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and boasts about them to the angels, saying, “Look at My servants. They have come to Me dishevelled and dusty from every distant path. I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them.” The angels say, “O Lord, so-and-so is burdened with sins.” Allah says, “I have forgiven them.” There is no day on which more people are freed from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.
Another wording adds:
أُشْهِدُكُمْ يَا عِبَادِي أَنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِمُحْسِنِهِمْ وَتَجَاوَزْتُ عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ
I make you witnesses, O My servants, that I have forgiven the righteous among them and pardoned those who sinned.
What good news for the people of Arafah. What good news it will be on the Day of Judgement when a person receives their book in their right hand. That is real good news. Winning something in this dunya may feel like good news, but the greatest good news is to secure your place in Jannah.
Arafah is also a place that reminds us of the universality of Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered several khutbahs during his Hajj: two in Mina, one in Makkah and one at Arafah. Among the themes of his final call before he departed this world was unity. He called not only for unity among Muslims, but for the shared humanity of all people.
Allah Almighty says:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.
(Surat al-Hujurat 49:13)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى أَعْجَمِيٍّ، وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ، وَلَا لِأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ، وَلَا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ، إِلَّا بِالتَّقْوَى، أَبَلَّغْتُ؟ قَالُوا: بَلَّغَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
O people, your Lord is One, and your father is one. All of you are from Adam, and Adam was from dust. The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most taqwa. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab except through taqwa. Have I conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness.
This is a call for unity. We are equal in our humanity. The only thing that makes one person better before Allah is taqwa. It is not race, colour, tribe, lineage, nationality, background or social status. The true measure of superiority is one’s deeds, one’s relationship with Allah, the quality of one’s actions, words and character.
The call for unity
We need this call for unity today. We see hate speech flooding the media and also on the streets. The language of hatred and arrogance is the language of ignorance, pride and division. Diversity and pluralism are not sources of weakness; they are sources of richness and strength. Allah made people into different nations and tribes so that they may know one another, not despise one another.
How greatly we need to stand together today in facing the different challenges around us: economic, social, political and security-related. Hate speech brings nothing but destruction, harm and crime. No one benefits from hatred except those who wish harm for people and society.
This is a critical time that requires wisdom, vigilance and caution. If hatred is allowed to spread, the greatest loser will be the people themselves. Clear hate speech directed against Islam needs to be addressed, otherwise its consequences may be severe. Likewise, hate speech against any religion or any group is unacceptable. Islam teaches us justice, dignity and restraint.
For those who are not performing Hajj, it is Sunnah to fast on the Day of Arafah. Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah and he said:
صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ، وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ
Fasting on the Day of Arafah, I hope from Allah, expiates the sins of the previous year and the current year.
(Muslim)
So those who can fast should fast. This is an extra reward, and we are all in need of reward from Allah Almighty. But fasting is not just hunger and thirst. We must also be careful with our limbs, our tongues and our behaviour.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمٌ مَنْ مَلَكَ فِيهِ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ غُفِرَ لَهُ
This is a day on which whoever controls his hearing, his sight and his tongue will be forgiven.
(Ahmad)
This narration has been graded weak by some scholars, so it should not be presented with the same strength as an authentic hadith. However, its meaning is supported by the wider teachings of Islam: a believer should guard their hearing, sight and tongue, especially on such a sacred day.
The forgiveness we seek on the Day of Arafah should not be treated casually. We should not fast while allowing our eyes to look at haram, our ears to listen to haram, or our tongues to speak in a way that displeases Allah. We need to be careful not only on the Day of Arafah, but always.
The Day of Arafah is one of the great seasons of Allah’s mercy. Allah has preferred some days over others, and these blessed days are opportunities for His gifts and mercy. In them, sins are forgiven, ranks are raised, and hearts are brought back to Allah. Among the greatest of these days is the Day of Arafah.
Arafah is a place on the road between Makkah and Ta’if. It is around 22 kilometres from Makkah, around 10 kilometres from Mina, and around 6 kilometres from Muzdalifah. Pilgrims stand there on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, calling upon Allah and seeking His forgiveness.
When the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah draws near and boasts to the angels, this shows the honour of the people standing at Arafah. Allah shows the angels their state, praises them, and displays their devotion. They have left their families and homes, spent their wealth, tired their bodies, and come only seeking forgiveness and Allah’s pleasure. Allah does not boast of people drowning in sin except after repentance and forgiveness. This is why Arafah is a day of immense hope.
The Day of Arafah connects us to the reality of the Hereafter. As we look forward to meeting Allah Almighty, we need to prepare for that meeting.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ
Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and whoever dislikes meeting Allah, Allah dislikes meeting him. (Bukhari and Muslim)
In the longer narration, it says:
The companions asked whether this meant disliking death, because everyone dislikes death. The Prophet ﷺ explained that this refers to the moment of death: when the believer is given glad tidings of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, they love to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet them; but when a person is given tidings of punishment, they dislike meeting Allah, and Allah dislikes meeting them.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
But love is not just a claim with no preparation. We need to prepare. Arafah is one of the stations where we prepare ourselves as though we are standing on the Day of Judgement, waiting for the news.
We should also increase in supplication. These days are days of dhikr, dua, Qur’an, salah and repentance. So let us roll up our sleeves and increase our remembrance of Allah Almighty.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ، وَلَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ الْعَمَلُ فِيهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ، فَأَكْثِرُوا فِيهِنَّ مِنَ التَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّحْمِيدِ
There are no days greater before Allah, nor days in which deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so increase in them your tahlil, takbir and tahmid.
(Ahmad)
So increase in saying:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
There is no god but Allah.
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allah is the Greatest.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
All praise is due to Allah.
Increase the remembrance of Allah during these days at any time. Pray on time. Add extra recitation of the Qur’an. Make extra dua for yourself, your loved ones and the Ummah. Fill these days with worship, repentance and hope.
Hajj is Arafah. It is a day of standing, waiting, humility, forgiveness and unity. It reminds us that we will one day stand before Allah with nothing but our deeds. It reminds us that the measure before Allah is not race, colour, status or lineage, but taqwa. It reminds us that hatred destroys, while faith calls us to justice, mercy, dignity and unity.
O Allah, our Lord, Most Merciful, Creator of the heavens and the earth, enable us to honour these days. Make us from the people of taqwa, forgiveness and sincerity. Allow those who have not yet performed Hajj to fulfil their obligation. Forgive the pilgrims standing at Arafah, forgive those fasting and remembering You across the world, and make us among those who love to meet You and whom You love to meet. Ameen.
Based on the Khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 22nd May 2026