The Day of Arafat (Arafah) is an Islamic holiday that falls on the ninth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijah in the Islamic calendar. It falls on the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage. On this day, pilgrims on the way to Mecca visit Mount Arafat, a high plain that is the site from which the Prophet Mohammad gave a famous sermon near the end of his life.
Because the Day of Arafat is based on a lunar calendar, its date shifts from year to year. Here are the dates of the next few years:
- 2019: Saturday, August 10
- 2020: Thursday, July 30
- 2021: Monday, July 19
- 2022: Saturday, July 9
- 2023: Wednesday, June 28
- 2024: Sunday, June 16
- 2025: Friday, June 6
During the Day of Arafat, roughly two million Muslims head to Mecca will make their way to Mount Arafat from dawn to dusk, where they make prayers of obedience and devotion and listen to speakers. The plain is located about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) east of Mecca and is a required stop for pilgrims on their way to Mecca. Without this stop, a pilgrimage is not considered to be fulfilled.
Muslims worldwide who are not making the pilgrimage observe the Day of Arafat by fasting and other acts of devotion.
