#175: Ruling on the Fast of `Arafah
187. QUESTION
ON THE FAST OF ‘ARAFAH
“Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh, I have a question, please I need clarification on the hadith of fasting on the 9th of dhul hajj (yaumul arafah) , because I heard from someone that, it expiate sins of previous and following year is innovation”
Answer:
Alhamdulillah! That observing the fast on the Day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous and the following year is an authentically reported unequivocal statement attributed to the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallaam – and saying it is a bid’a is a bid’a in itself. The ulamaa, as Imaam Ibn al-Mundhir – rahimahullah – reported in ‘Maraatibu al-Ijmaa’ are at a consensus (Ijmaa) on the authenticity of the Hadith and the importance of observing its fast, to such an extent that some of them (Ulamaa) explain that other than Ramadaan, it is the best of fasts.
ﺭﻭﻯ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﻭﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﺃﻥ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺻﻴﺎﻡ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻋﺮﻓﺔ ﺃﺣﺘﺴﺐ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻜﻔﺮ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻗﺒﻠﻪ ﻭﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺑﻌﺪﻩ. ﻭﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ
Imaam Muslim bn al-Hajjaaj reported in his Sahih that the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:
“I expect and hope from Allah that Observing the fast of the Day of Arafah will expiate (for its observer) the sins of the previous and the following year” (Sahih Muslim and others)
This Hadith is sound and clear, unequivocal on this matter. Only that the majority of the Fuqahaa maintain that the sins spoken about in the Hadith are the minor sins and not the major ones.
Jazaakumullaahu khayran, may Allah reward the questioner and the answerer.
Allaahu A’alam!
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