The Power of Supplication on the Day of ‘Arafah: Key Prayers and Their Significance
The Messenger of ALLĀH (ﷺ) said: “The best of supplications is the supplication on the day of ‘Arafah and the best which I and the Prophets before me have said is:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَی كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ
None has the right to be worshipped but ALLĀH alone, Who has no partner. HIS is the dominion and HIS is the praise, and HE is Able to do all things.
{At-Tirmidhi #3585}
Amr bin Shu’aib reported from his father and his grandfather, who said that on the Day of Arafah the Prophet (ﷺ) mostly supplicated in these words:
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ بِيَدِهِ الخَيْرِ وَهُوَ عَلَی كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ
“Laa ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, biyadihil-khair wa huwa ‘ala kulli shai in qadir.
There is no deity worthy of worship but ALLĀH Alone. HE has no partners. To HIM alone belongs the Kingdom, and all praise. In His hand is all the good, and He has power over all things.”
{Ahmad #6961}
Al-Hussain bin Al-Hasan Al-Maruzi reported:
“I asked Sufyan bin ‘Oyainah, ‘What is the best supplication for the Day of ‘Arafah?’ He said, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu laa sharika lahu.’
I said, ‘But this is glorification of ALLĀH and HIS praise, and it is not a supplication.’
Thereupon Sufyan said, ‘Don’t you know the hadith of Malik bin Al-Harith which explains it.’
I said to him, ‘Tell me about it.’
He said, ‘Mansur narrated from Malik bin Al-Harith that he said “ALLĀH, the Almighty, and the Exalted One, says: ‘If a servant of Mine occupies himself in extolling and praising ME instead of asking ME for his needs I give him better than what I give to those who ask for their needs.”’ (At-Tirmidhi #2926) Then he added, ‘This explains the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ).’
He continued and said, “Haven’t you heard what Ummaya bin Abi Al-Salt said to Abdullah bin Jad’an when he sought the hand of Na’ilah in marriage?”
I said, “No.”
At this he said, “Ummaya recited ˹these lines of poetry˺ to Abdullāh bin Jadaan: Do I have to tell you my need, or your modesty is enough ˹to plead my case˺, for modesty is your disposition, you are conversant with rights ˹and obligations˺ and come of a family polite and respectable, When someone praises you once he need not repeat it again!”
Then Sufyan added, “O Hussain, you see how the humans are pleased with praise and are ready to grant requests without even asking. What about their Creator then?”
{Fiqh as-Sunnah}