Fasting 'Arafah day depends on sighting the month’s moon in each country

26/11/2009| IslamWeb

Question:

You say in your Fatwa: 'Arafah fast is not linked to a place but time. Could you kindly explain? Since Prophet Muhammad said fast on the day of 'Arafah, shouldn't it be both time linked and place linked? How can you separate both? As Prophet does not give any indication of separation.

 

Fatwa:

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

 

Our statement that the Fasting of the day of 'Arafah is linked to the time and not the place means that the day of 'Arafah may differ from one place to another. The pilgrims may stand on the Mount of 'Arafah on Friday for instance, but this day may not be 'Arafah day for other countries, rather 'Arafah for them could be on Saturday because the month in Makkah started before it started in those countries. So if they fasted on Friday, they would not really have fasted the day of 'Arafah, rather the Sunnah in their regard in to fast on Saturday. Therefore, what should be taken into account is the time in each country and not the place which is called 'Arafah, i.e. not the time of the country where the pilgrims stand on the Mount of 'Arafah.

 

Allah Knows best.

 

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb