Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I read in one of the hadees as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"Yawm `Arafaah (the day of `Arafaah), Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice or Eid day) and Ayyaam al-Tashreeq (the 3 days following Yawm al-Nahr) are Eid (festival) for us, the people of Islam. These are days of eating and drinking."

The above hadees says that these days are of eating and drinking. Then why we are asked to fast. Please clarify if I have not understood the above hadees correctly.

Jazak Allah Khair

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Day of arafah festival to eat

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The hadith which you have quoted is indeed considered authentic, and the scholars and the jurists in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the guidance of the prohibition of fasting on the day of Arafah in the above quoted hadith is specific only for those believers who are actually on the Hajj pilgrimage.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade fasting on the day of Arafah for one who is actually at Arafah."

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.

The believers who are not at the Hajj pilgrimage are guided by the Messenger of Allah (saws) to observe a voluntary fast on the Day of Arafah.

Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it.’

Related by Muslim.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2419 Narrated by Abu Qatadah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘The observance of three days' fast every month and of one Ramadan to the other (i.e. the fast of Ramadan every year) is (equivalent to) a perpetual fast. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming year,’

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan