Excellence of Fasting on the Day of Arafah The day of Arafah is the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah and it comes before

the day of Sacrifice, Eed al-Adhaa which is the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah. It is related on the authority of Aboo Qataadah al-Ansaaree that Allaahs Messenger ( )said, I hope by Allaah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding year and the coming year.1 In another narration, Aboo Qataadah al-Ansaaree related that Allaahs Messenger ( ) said, I hope by Allaah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding year and the coming year, and I hope by Allaah that fasting on the day of Aashooraa may atone for the sins of the preceding year.2 In another narration, Aboo Qataadah al-Ansaaree said: Allaahs Messenger ( ) was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah, and he ( ) said, It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. Then he ( ) was asked about fasting on the day of Aashooraa (the tenth day of Muharram), and he ( ) said, It expiates the sins of the preceding year.3 In another narration, Aboo Qataadah al-Ansaaree said: Allaahs Messenger ( ) was asked about fasting on the day of Arafah, and he ( ) said, It expiates the sins of two years. Then he ( ) was asked about fasting on the day of Aashooraa, and he ( ) said, It expiates the sins of a year.4 In another narration, Aboo Qataadah al-Ansaaree related that Allaahs Messenger ( )said, The fasting on the day of Arafah expiates sins of two yearsthe preceding year and the coming year and the fasting on the day of Aashooraa (the tenth day of Muharram) expiates the sins of the preceding year.5 In another narration, Qataadah ibn an-Numaan related that Allaahs Messenger () said, Whoever fasts on the day of Arafah, he will be forgiven the sins of the previous year and the following year.6 In another narration, Sahl ibn Sad related that Allaahs Messenger ( ) said, Whoever fasts on the day of Arafah will have his sins for two consecutive years forgiven.7
Endnotes 1. Collected by at-Tirmidhee (no. 749) and Ibn Maajah (no. 1730) and it was authenticated (Saheeh) by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhee and Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, no. 1406. 2. Collected by Muslim [Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol. 2, pp. 566-7, no. 2602], Ahmad [Musnad al-Ansaar] and Aboo Daawood (no. 2425) and it was authenticated (Saheeh) by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, no. 2096. 3. Collected by Muslim [Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol. 2, p. 568, no. 2603] and Ahmad [Musnad al-Ansaar]. 4. Collected by Ahmad [Musnad al-Ansaar] and it was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Irwaa al-Ghaleel, vol. 4, pp. 108-9, under hadeeth no. 952. 5. Collected by Ahmad [Musnad al-Ansaar] and it was authenticated (Saheeh) by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Jaami as-Sagheer, no. 3806 in Irwaa al-Ghaleel, vol. 4, pp. 111, hadeeth no. 955. 6. Collected by Ibn Maajah (no. 1731) and it was authenticated (Saheeh li-ghayrihi) by Shaykh alAlbaanee in Saheeh at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, no. 1011 and Saheeh al-Jaami as-Sagheer, no. 6335.

7. Collected by Aboo Yalaa and it was authenticated (Saheeh) by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheeh atTargheeb wat-Tarheeb, no. 1012.
DAWAH UNIT, THE MUSLIM-PATIENT WELFARE ASSOCIATION, MUSLIM COMMUNITY, G.H., LAGOS.

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