Arafat
By: Mohammed Khaku
Of the nights in a year, there are six nights
mark as a grandeur and majesty nights.
These are Shab-e-Qadr (Night of power),
Shab-e-Meraj (Night of Ascension), Shab-eBarrat (Night of deliverance), The night of
Arafat (Great gathering) and the nights of
two Eid (Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha).
However, the night of Arafat has great
political as well as religious
significance. But what is Arafat? Arafat
is a mountain or a granite hill, east of
Mecca. It is also known as the Mount
of Mercy (Jabal ar-Rahmah). The level
area surrounding the hill is called the
plains of Arafah. Arafat literally means
Knowledge and Science. Arafat is the
place where according to the Islamic
narrations, the repentance of Adam
was accepted by God after his fall from
heaven, Adam and Eve were united at
the mount of Arafat, prayed together,
asking for forgiveness and got married
by archangel Gabriel. Arafat is a site for
prayer, supplication and repentance but
also acquiring proper recognition of
God. Arafat which is marifat means
recognition This is a day for those
present on the plains of Arafah, who
stand/sit in two piece of clothes, in
scorching heat and ponder over just
two facts, to whom they belong and
where they are going
About two and half million Muslims
will converge on the plains of Arafah
for Waqafa (waiting) all afternoon for
sunset. It is a vivid representation in all
of humanity gathering at the end of
Time. It is the day of reckoning where
all pilgrims are repenting, supplicating,
with hands high. Arafat is the place,
where Prophet Muhammad gave his
last sermon 14 centuries ago by
proclaiming the equality of mankind,
justice and freedom for all in an
eloquent Human Rights manifesto. “All
mankind is from Adam and Eve. An
Arab has no superiority over non-Arab.
A white has no superiority over a black
nor a black has any superiority over a
white person, except by piety”. He also
emphasized the women’s rights and
demanded that husbands treat their
wives with kindness, respect and
gentleness and that abusing the wife is
immoral. The pilgrims ought to
remember and recite the famous
sermon on the mount Arafat is where
he explicitly gave instructions to the
Ummah in the following words: “I am
leaving behind you two weighty
things (the Saqalayn) the book of
God – the Quran and my progeny,
the Ahlul Bayt. Hold fast to them
and you will never go astray.”
The plain of Arafat is the high point of
the Hajj and Proph ]]Z[[XY\