The Hadith on the Value of Arafat is Fully Understood Only by Being There

(Patria) - Today is the ninth day of the last month of the Hijri calendar, known as the Day of Arafat. Arafat is a plain about twenty kilometers from Mecca, and staying in Arafat is an obligation for every pilgrim, an integral part of the Hajj ritual, and all pilgrims gather at this place the day before Eid al-Adha.

The first group of pilgrims from Bosnia and Herzegovina arrived in Arafat after midnight last night, and all remaining groups arrived by the dawn prayer. The ceremonial Arafat program began at the time of the noon prayer, during which imams and performers of ilahis and qasidas performed.

"What makes us satisfied is that all our pilgrims are in good health and visibly in good spirits. I would say, in the Arafat spirit. We all know that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that Hajj is Arafat, which makes it the most prominent pillar of the three pillars of Hajj as an act of worship. This is also a particularly demanding part of Hajj; staying in the heat after two sleepless nights," said Izet-ef. Čamdžić.

A relevant lecture was given on this occasion by the reisul-hudžadž dr. Enes-ef. Ljevaković, who, among other things, emphasized that Arafat is linked to the spiritual peace that the pilgrim feels, but also to the difficulty of this part of the worship.

"We have gathered in Arafat, which is a chosen place and a meeting place. This is the only place and the only time when all pilgrims from all over the world are together, as on the Day of Resurrection. No matter how much we try to understand the significance and meaning of the hadith that emphasizes the value of Arafat, until we come and feel the spirit, meaning, and difficulties of Arafat, we cannot fully understand it," said dr. Ljevaković.

Reporters from the Media Center of the Islamic Community spoke with pilgrims staying in Arafat, and according to their testimonies, the impressions they carry are difficult to articulate in words.

"It is beautiful here, I wish I could come again and I wish everyone could feel this. We are spending our time well, worshipping and remembering God in good conditions. When a person is in this place, they are truly very satisfied," says Hasema Handanagić from Cazin.

Mujo Smajlović from Sapna says it is difficult to describe what he has experienced here. "A person simply needs to experience and feel this with their being. Regardless of the high temperatures that might be unbearable for other forms of activity, we feel great satisfaction," emphasizes Smajlović.

The Arafat supplication will be recited before the evening prayer, and it will be recited by prof. dr. Enes Ljevaković.

Then the pilgrims will head to Muzdalifah, where they will stay for some time and perform the Maghrib and Isha prayers together during the Isha time. They are expected to head to Mina and the jamarat at midnight. After throwing pebbles, they will return to their hotels, shave, and remove their ihrams.