What is the virtue of fasting on the Day of Arafah?

Fasting on the Day of Arafah — the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the day pilgrims stand at the plain of Arafah during Hajj — is one of the most highly recommended voluntary fasts in the Islamic calendar for those not performing Hajj that year. The Prophet was asked about it and said it expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year (Sahih Muslim 1162). Scholars note this expiation applies to minor sins, since major sins generally require sincere repentance rather than being erased by a good deed alone. Pilgrims actually performing Hajj are not encouraged to fast that day; the Prophet himself did not fast on Arafah during his own Hajj, since the physical demands of the pilgrimage rites make fasting impractical and even discouraged there, so this virtue is specifically for those observing the day from elsewhere. Because Dhul-Hijjah's start depends on moon sighting and can vary slightly by region, many Muslims fast both the 8th and 9th as a precaution to make sure they do not miss the correct day, though only the 9th carries this specific virtue.

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