The 9th of Dhul Hijjah is the day of Arafah; the day in which millions of believers are forgiven and freed from the Fire. On this day, Allah (swt) turns to us and seeks out those beseeching Him.
“As for the standing at ‘Arafah: Allah the Almighty descends to the lowest heaven [On that day], and boasts about you to the angels, saying: ‘Here are My slaves! They have come to Me with dishevelled hair and with pale faces seeking My Mercy and Forgiveness. If your sins are as many as the grains of sand or the drops of rain or [as much as] the foam on the sea, I would forgive you. Go My slaves after being forgiven, and after the ones whom you asked forgiveness for have been forgiven.” [Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr]
Such is the mercy of our Creator, that despite our shortcomings, He showers us with His blessings and continues to forgive us time and time again. We may fear that our deeds weigh too heavy on the scale, but one of the great injustices we can do to Allah (swt) is thinking we are undeserving or unable to ask for forgiveness.
“Say: O Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Qur’an 39:53)
It is never too late to turn back, to turn a new leaf and earnestly ask for forgiveness. There is no better day to do this than on the day of Arafah; a day that Anas (ra) said was is equal to 10,000 in virtue!
Last year, we provided Your 5-Step Plan to Acing Arafah, a 5 minute read which will help transform your day and leave you with no regrets. This year, however, we have also prepared something a little extra special for you, focusing on the theme of forgiveness.
Although we will not be on the plains of Arafah, the mercy of Allah (swt) reaches us, within our home and hearts. He is waiting for us to call out to Him, to forgive us and free us from the Fire.
“On the day of Arafah, Allah frees (from the Fire) even those who are not physically in Arafah. Therefore, the next day is Eid for all” (Ibn Rajab)
So we have prepared 5 Prayers of Forgiveness You Don’t Want to Miss on Arafah.
- Allah will forgive him, even if he fled from battle
The Messenger of Allah, (saw) said, “Whoever says this supplication, Astaghfirullaha al-‘Adheem alladhi Laa ilaha illa huwa al-hayyul-qayyum wa atubu ilayh, ‘I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, besides whom there is no God, the Living, the Sustainer, and I repent to him,’ then Allah will forgive him even if he fled from battle.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3577)
The act of fleeing battle is mentioned both in Quran and Hadith as one of the gravest sins, due to the harm it can cause to the rest of the believers engaged in defending the Muslims. We are warned of the outcome for those who do flee the battlefield.
“O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turn not your backs to them. And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day- unless he turns aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a company then he, indeed, becomes deserving of Allah’s wrath and his abode is hell; and an evil destination shall it be.” (Qur’an 8:15-16)
This shows the weight of this du’a, that if even an act as heinous as fleeing from the battle can be forgiven, then surely our sins can be forgiven.
2. 100 times a day – Greater rewards, easier actions
Everyone loves a shortcut, an easier way to get things done. This can be applied when gaining rewards also. On the day equal to 10,000 in virtue, we still want to maximise and make the most of it. Therefore, if you knew you could recite a prayer 100 times a day, for greater rewards, surely you wouldn’t miss out.
’La ilaha ‘illa Allahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’ “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things”
“Whoever says this prayer one hundred times in one day, then it is equivalent to him freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds are written for him, a hundred bad deeds are erased, it is a protection for him against Shaytan during that day until the evening, and no one comes with a better deed than him except for the man who does more actions than him.” (Bukhari)
This was actually considered the best supplication for the Day of Arafah, by the Prophet (saw) as well as the Prophets who came before him (saw). As one of the daily recommended supplications, we should try to do this at least in the morning and evening regularly. It should not take you more 5 minutes and the rewards are too great to miss out on!
3. Sayyid-ul-Istighfar – The Master Supplication for Forgiveness
We all want the best, so that desire for the best shouldn’t stop when supplicating. The Prophet (saw) “The best supplication for seeking forgiveness (Sayyid-ul-Istighfar) is to say:
Allâhumma Anta Rabbî, lâ ilâha illâ Anta, khalaqtanî wa anâ ‘abduka, wa anâ ‘alâ ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, a’ûdhu bika min sharri mâ sana’tu, abû’u laka bini’maktika ‘alayya, wa abû’u bidhanbî, faghfir lî, fa innahu lâ yaghfirudh-dhunûba illâ Anta
“O Allah! You are my Rabb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.”
Whoever makes this dua during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening) he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise); and whoever makes this dua during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise).” [Al-Bukhari]
We are not guaranteed a second longer on this earth. On the day of Arafah, if it written for us to leave this world, and we have read this Dua we will among the dwellers of paradise. We should get into the habit of reciting this du’a too, every morning and evening as it is part of the recommended daily supplications.
4. 33 times after every prayer
The Prophet (saw) said, “He who recites after every prayer:
- Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection) thirty-three times;
- Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times;
- Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times;
And completes the hundred with: ’La ilaha ‘illa Allahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’ (There is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned, even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea.” (Muslim)
5. Supplicating after eating
The Prophet (saw), “Whoever eats a meal and says, al-Hamdul lillahi alladhi at’amani hadha wa razaqnihi min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah ‘All praise is due to Allah, who fed me this from his provision without any capability or strength on my part,’ his previous minor sins will be forgiven.” (at-Tirmidhi)
On the day of Arafah we are strongly encouraged to fast, as “it expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year” (Muslim). However, even if you are unable to, then reciting this after your meals, will allow you to have your previous minor sins forgiven. Also, if you are fasting, then reciting this after your suhoor and iftar, will enable you to attain this great reward.
The day of Arafah is a great opportunity for you to give Sadaqah. A primary benefit of giving Sadaqah is the forgiveness of sins.
“Sadaqah extinguishes sin as a water extinguishes fire.” (Tirmidhi)
Use this day of Arafah by seeking forgiveness and elevating your status in the hereafter; a day filled with virtue and blessings.