The Day of Arafah or Arafat is the best day of the year for Muslims. The Day of Arafah is also called Freedom from Fire. It is the day when Allah forgives most of the believers’ sins and the pinnacle for Muslims on pilgrimage to Mecca. Arafat is celebrated on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah or the Month of the Pilgrimage on the Islamic calendar. It is also the day when the Prophet Muhammad presented his farewell sermon on Mount Arafah to the Muslims who fulfilled Hajj. For this year, the Day of Arafah is on the ninth of July on the Gregorian calendar. The Day of Arafah is observed through pilgrimage or fasting.
Banknotes That Remind Us of Arafah Day
This Saudi Arabia 500 Riyal Banknote from 1983 reflects on the obverse of the Ka’aba in the courtyard of the Holy Mosque in Mecca. The banknote’s front side also shows a portrait of King Abdul Aziz who was the first king of Saudi Arabia. On the reverse is the Holy Mosque in Mecca, the cradle of Islam, where millions of Muslims go to pray to God on the Day of Arafah.
A mosque or masjid is a prayer place for Muslims. It usually contains a prayer niche “mihrab” that indicates the direction of Mecca. It also has ablution facilities where ritual purification or cleansing parts of the body are performed. A mosque also has a minaret where calls to prayer are announced.
The Great Mosque of Mecca which is also known as the Masjid al-Haram is the world’s largest mosque in the world. It includes the Black Stone which is believed to be an Islamic relic that originated from the time of Adam and Eve, the Zamzam Well, the Maqam Ibrahim, and the Safa and Marwa hills.
On the obverse of this Egyptian 20 Pound Banknote from 2016 is the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha. It is also called the Alabaster Mosque. It is situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt where almost 90% of the population are Muslims.
