God’s Best Day of the Year
We continue for the new Muslim explaining the special days of the Islamic calendar, with God’s Best Day of the year.
From sunrise on the ninth day of the Month of Pilgrimage, the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, pilgrims begin arriving in droves to the plain of Arafat which is east of Mecca. They are on a mission to perform the greatest task and rite of the whole pilgrimage after they spent the night in the Mina Valley the day before. This is the legacy which Abraham left to humanity and the same location where events from his life transpired long ago.
Muslims throughout the world who are not on pilgrimage can also gain favour with God on this special day by taking advantage of it in ritual worship and devotional acts.
The Day of Arafa is one of the special Days of God which He has sanctified and honored with many different virtues.
- It is one of the days of the four sacred months. 9:39
- It is one of the days of the Pilgrimage months. 2:197
- It is one of the identified special ten days of the year. 22:28
- It is one of the ten days which God swore by to signify their importance. 89:2 Good deeds are multiplied many fold in these ten days, more than any other time of the year.
- It is the best day of the whole year where God Almighty is proud of His servants who have come to Him in a most humble way with repentance and devotion.
- It is the day that God designated as a completion of the rituals of Islam at the time of the completion of the Quran’s revelation and the end of the messenger’s life and mission. 5:3
The Muslims were finally able to perform their first pilgrimage and this is how they were able to apply Islam in full. In that event the pilgrimage was restored to the way of Abraham pure and unadulterated. All changes which were introduced by the pagans to the way of Abraham throughout the ages were eliminated. Polytheism and idolatry came to an end in Arabia. Pagans were no longer allowed to desecrate the House of God which Abraham had dedicated for the pure worship and service of the One True God. - The completion of God’s favor takes place through forgiveness. No favor is greater than God’s forgiveness. 48:2
- It is a festival and a day of celebration which returns annually.
- Fasting on this day expiates one’s sins and inadequacies for two years, the current and the future year.
- It is a day where God frees people from the fire of Hell and expiates and forgives their sins. He shows pride in His righteous servants who have repented.
Some acts of devotion which are recommended on this day in the tradition of the messenger Muhammad. New Muslims should try to implement some of these acts:
- Fasting by refraining from food, drink and sexual intimacy along with anything that diminishes the fast from dawn to sunset on this day.
- Increasing in mentioning God’s names and praises through litany, reciting the Quran and glorifying the name of God who is greater than everything.
- Praying and supplication to God.
- Performing extra ritual devotion (Salah).
- Charity and service.
- Feeding the poor.