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The Day of Arafa (Arabic: يوم عرفة) is an Islamic Holy Day, in which it is said that the religion had been perfected. The original day was on a Friday, but now the Day falls on the 9th day of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic Calendar. This happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and the day after it is the major Islamic Holiday of Eid ul-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafa and the Plain of Arafa. It was from this site that Muhammad gave his famous Farewell Sermon in his final year of life.

It is said that a believer who fasts on this day expiates for the past year's sins and the sins for the year coming. It is thus a day of forgiveness from sins, similar to the Jewish day of Yom Kippur.

Occurrence in Hadith Literature[link]

Abu Qatada al-Ansari reported that Muhammad was asked about his fasting. He was asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (Muhammad) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the fasting of my brother David. He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year. The Book of Fasting (Kitab Al-Sawm) Muslim :: Book 6 : Hadith 2603

In Saheeh Muslim it was narrated from Aa'ishah Muhammad said:^[1]

'There is no day on which Allaah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafaah. He comes close and expresses His pride to the angels, saying, 'What do these people want?'

Day of Arafa in the Gregorian calendar[link]

While the Day of Arafa is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. Each year, the Day of Arafa (like other Islamic holidays) falls on one of two different Gregorian dates in different parts of the world because the boundary of crescent visibility is different from the International date line. Furthermore, some countries follow the date in Saudi Arabia rather than the astronomically determined local calendar.

• 2006: December 29
• 2007: December 19
• 2008: December 7
• 2009: November 26
• 2010: November 15
• 2011: November 5

See also[link]

• Hajj
• Eid ul-Fitr
• List of Islamic terms in Arabic
• Muslim Holidays

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Virtues of the Day of Arafa
• About.com explanation

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Ahmed Abdur Rahman Bukhatir (Arabic: أحمدعبدالرحمن بوخاطر‎) (born 16 October 1975) is an Emirati Nasheed singer. He is the only Nasheed singer from the UAE to ever top a Virgin music chart.^[1]

Biography[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir was born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.^[1] He was the fifth child of ten born into his family. His father is Abdul Rahman Bukhatir,^[2] who became a successful businessman during the economic boom that occurred in the UAE during the 1970s and 80s.^[3] As a child Bukhatir spent several years at an Islamic center in Sharjah learning a form of Quranic recitation called Tajwid, in which the voice is used a cappella and other instruments are not used.^[1] Bukhatir began singing professionally at the age of 20, and released his first album in 2000 entitled Entasaf Al-Layl.^[3] Throughout his recording career he has continued to sing without musical instruments according to the islamic Sharia law.^[1] His live performances have attracted sizeable audiences, such as at a Global Peace and Unity (GPU) event in the United Kingdom in 2006 that gained an audience of 35,000 attendees to see the various speakers and performers.^[4] He has participated in many charity events including the Muslim Aid Event in London, United Kingdom, in 2010.^[5][6][7] Along with Islamic nasheeds, Ahmed also performs nasheeds which place emphasis on community issues in multiple societies both within and outside the world of Islam.^[8] Today Bukhatir is considered to be among the ten most prominent singers of the Nasheed in the world.^[9]

Business career[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir graduated in 1999 from Al Ain University of Science and Technology. At the age of 29 he became the CEO of Promax ME, a public relations company in the UAE. In 2005 under his stewardship the company won the Gulf Marketing Review Marketing Effectiveness Award for the best public relations agency in the Middle East.^[10] He is currently chair of the Mcfadden Group of Companies, which is involved in UAE construction as well as several other ventures.^[11] In addition, Bukhatir is a member of the board of Directors in the Bukhatir Group. In politics, he iis an appointee by the Ruler of Sharjah to become a member of Sharjah Council as a senator.^[12][13] While in office he has been a vehement defender of Dubai's construction boom.^[3] His business interests also include the role of brand ambassador for "du", a telecommunications company in the UAE.^[14]

Discography[link]

Ahmed Bukhatir has released many albums covering many topics that include Islam and community issues. He has recorded songs in English, Arabic, and French.^[15]

Performances & concerts[link]

Ahmed first performed at a major concert in 2002, attended by members of the Royal Families of UAE.^[16] He performed at the "Holy Qura'an" competition attended by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the imam of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.^[17][18] In addition to many regional performances, Ahmed has toured in various other nations including India, South Africa, Australia and, most notably, at the Global Peace and Unity event which was held in London, United Kingdom, in 2006.^[19] He has performed several other notable concerts in London, including a concert at Excel Hall in London in front of over 25,000 people and several concerts at the Natural History Museum in London.^[1][20] On 3 July 2010, Ahmed performed at the 3rd Annual “Journey of Faith” Conference which was held in Toronto, Canada. This was the first time Ahmed had performed across the Atlantic.^[21] Ahmed has also attended many other fundraising events as a performer. For example, on April 4, 2012 he performed before H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahya at a benefit for the Sightsavers Middle East foundation.^[22]

Bukhatir's first concerts on US soil took place in April of 2012, when he appeared at events sponsored by the Al-Furqaan Foundation's Furqaan Academy that were held in Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.^[23] In May he then performed at conference events cohosted by the Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society staged in Hartford, Connecticut.^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website