Preparation for the Day of Arafah

ASA Everyone,

With the Day of Arafah approaching we must make the most of this day.  A friend of mine sent these suggestions to help us prepare for it.  I am not sure where she got this from but may Allah(SWT) reward the person for putting this together.

Suggested schedule for Arafat day for those not doing hajj:

1. Sleep early the night before (this Thursday) to strengthen yourself for the special day.

2. Wake up before Fajr for suhoor.

3. Make wudoo, while consciously remembering that your sins are being washed away til the last drop of water. Pray at least 4 rakahs of qiyam and make duaa for your deen & dunya in your sujood. Cry to Allah, showing Him humility & ask Him to give you tawfeeq on this great day, and thank Him for making you of those who would experience this special occasion.

4. Spend some time (10-15 mins at least) making Istighfar before Fajr, to be like the righteous whom Allah described as “seeking forgiveness before dawn.”

5. Repeat after Fajr adhan & make duaa. Pray Fajr. Sit in your prayer place and do your morning adhkar. Make tasbeeh, tahleel, tahmeed, & takbeer. And as the Prophet (s) advised, increase in “la ilaha illallah, wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, wa huwa ala kulli shay’in qadeer.”

6. 15 minutes after sunrise pray 2 rakahs of shurooq. This all amounts to the reward of a complete Hajj & umrah. So do not waste it!

7. If you’re able to stay awake by all means, do so and do not waste a single minute. If you need to sleep, take a nap for an hour with the conscious intention of energizing yourself for the worship of Allah.

8. When you wake up, make wudoo and pray at least 4 rakahs of duha. The recite lots if Quran and make the dhikr mentioned above in breaks in between.

(Make dhikr after Dhuhr as you prepare food or as you do what is absolutely necessary.

9. After Asr, say the evening adhkar. Then recite Quran again til about an hour before Maghrib. At that point, make LOTS of duaa til Maghrib, while having yaqeen that Allah will answer. (Preparing a duaa list ahead of time helps!) Beg that the day will not come to an end except that Allah has forgiven you all your sins and written you of those He has freed from the Fire. Don’t forget the Muslims suffering all over the world. Remember as you break your fast that your duaa at that moment is accepted.

May Allah grant us  all tawfeeq on that day.

Another dua that would be beneficial to say is below:

O Allah, You are the Generous Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me.

Hajj Mabrouk to all whom Allah granted hajj.

May Allah(SWT) Bless you all and give you the best of what you seek in this life and the Hereafter.

Salam,