Of the nights in a year, there are seven nights mark as a grandeur and majesty nights. These are Shab-e-Qadr (Night of power), Shab-e-Meraj (Night of Ascension), Shab-e-Barrat (Night of deliverance), the night of Arafat (Great gathering), 15th of Shaban 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 significant. 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 the 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.
The plain of Arafat is the high point of the Hajj and Prophet Muhammad has said Arafat is the Hajj. While Imam Hussein inscribe an excellent supplication of Arafah, which is one of the famous in the Shiite Annals. Thirty days separate Arafah and Ashura. There exist many similarities and strong bondage between these two days as regard to the message. One clear link is that both of these days have a direct association with Imam Hussein –Doyen of Martyrs. The day of Arafah is all about journey in to the ocean of Gnosticism, which presents in the supplication and recommended to be recited on the day of Arafah.
If one takes a journey through this supplication with understanding and pondering will realize what divine lord and his lordship is all about and how dare one commit any sins. The most trembling state of this dua comes, when he utters the statements, whereby he say “O’ Allah, if you do full fill this one desire of mine, then all other needs which have fulfilled is of no benefit to me, and whatever you have not given me will not do any damage to me. And that one desire is that you relieve my neck from the fire of Hell”. This verse of this Dua, tell us that whether my worldly desires are fulfilled or not, it won’t make any difference if at the end I cannot free myself from the fire of hell.
The Martyrdom Anniversary of Hazrat Muslim Ibn Aqeel (A.S)
The ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, is also the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Muslim Ibn Aqeel.
Hazrat Muslim ibn Aqeel was the cousin of the third infallible Imam, Hadrat Husain ibn Ali (A.S), and was the son of Aqeel ibn Abu Talib (A.S).
Muslim ibn Aqeel was sent ahead by Imam Husain (A.S) as his envoy to Kufa to see if the people could be trusted to be loyal. The people of Kufa swore allegiance to him and he sent word back to Imam Husain (A.S) saying that the people of Kufa were loyal to him. But Hazrat Muslim ibn Aqeel was brutally murdered by the governor of Kufa, Ibn Ziyad on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah 60 A.H.
