Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Plains of Arafat
The Plains of Arafat
The Plains of Arafat
net/)
From the Annals of History
‘Arafāt is the plural of ‘Arafah. 9th Dhul Hijjah is also called ‘Arafah and ‘Arafāt too,
although this is actually the name of the region, not the day. Each part of this special
region is called ‘Arafah, therefore the whole region is referred to with the plural form
Multiple explanations have been provided to explain the origins of the name ‘Arafah:
1. ‘ ’َرَع فmeans ‘to recognise.’ At this place, Sayyiduna Adam َعـَلْيـِه الـَّس ـاَل مmet Sayyidah
Hawa َر ِضَی الـّٰلـُه َعْنَه اafter 300 years of separation and both of them ‘recognised’ each other,
(Tafseer Qurtubi, Surah Al-Baqarah, under verse 198, vol. 1, p. 320, juz 2).
2. At this place, Sayyiduna Jibril َعـَلْيـِه الـَّس ـاَل مtaught the prophet Ibrahim َعـَلْيـِه الـَّس ـاَل مthe
essential rites of Hajj, to which he َعـَلْيـِه الـَّس ـاَل مreplied: ‘ ’َرَع ْفُتi.e. ‘I have recognised.’
3. One meaning of ‘ ’رَع فis ‘to give’. On that day, Allah Almighty gives gifts of
4. Pilgrims admit their sins having reached there, which is another reason why it is
called ‘Arafah, (Khaazin Surah Al-Baqarah, under verse 198, vol. 1, p. 140; Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 4, p.
207).
Location
The plain of ‘Arafāt is a vast field on the east side of Makkah, on the way to Taif, at a
Mina, (Bahar-e-Shari’at, part one Terminologies). This field is roughly 12 kilometres in length
from North to South, and 5 kilometres wide from East to West. This is encompassed by
a hill called ‘Arafāt, (Urdu News web). It is better to perform the standing (wuqūf) in
between the plains of ‘Arafāt, near Jabal Al-Rahmah mountain where there is a
Rulings
Whoever enters ‘Arafāt for even a second, from 9th Dhul Hijjah, after the sun declining
(i.e. from beginning of Dhuhr Salah) till true dawn of 10th Dhul Hijjah, has become a
Haji; staying at this place is the greatest rite of Hajj, (Rafeeq-ul-Haramayn, p. 160).
There is a magnificent masjid on the Western corner of the plain of ‘Arafāt called
Masjid Nimrah. It is also called Masjid ‘Arafah and Masjid Ibrahim, (‘Aashiqan-e-Rasool ki
1. Many awliya َر ِحَم ُهُم الـّٰلـهand two prophets of Allah Almighty, Sayyiduna Khidar and
Sayyiduna Ilyas َعـَلْيـِهما الـَّس ـاَل مattend the plains of ‘Arafāt on the Day of ‘Arafah, (Fatawa
Razawiyyah, vol. 10, p. 748).
2. It is reported from Sayyiduna Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq َر ْحَم ُة الـّٰلـِه َعَلْيهthat ‘there are some
sins which can only be expiated by standing at ‘Arafāt (i.e. they are only wiped away
3. The Messenger of Allah َص َّلى الـّٰلـُه َعَلْيِه َو ٰاِلٖه َوَس َّلمsaid: ‘There is no day in which Allah
Almighty frees more people from Hell than the Day of ‘Arafah. The mercy of Allah
Almighty draws close (to His people), then he honours His people in front of the
angels, saying: ‘With what intentions have these people come?’ (Muslim, p. 540, Hadith
3288).