This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Farooq Rafi Sahib's book Qurbani, Aqiqa, and Ashra Zil-Hijjah.
Fasting on the Day of Arafah is disliked in the plain of Arafat because on this day, strenuous rituals must be performed, which are quite difficult to carry out while fasting. Therefore, it is better for the pilgrims to refrain from fasting on the Day of Arafah. Also, the fact that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not fast on the Day of Arafah in Arafat is evidence of the dislike of this act.
① Sayyida Umm al-Fadl bint Harith (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
شك الناس يوم عرفة فى صوم النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فبعثت إلى النبى بشراب فشربه
"On the day of Arafah, people doubted the fasting of the Prophet ﷺ (whether he had fasted that day or not), so I sent a drink (milk) to the Prophet ﷺ to ascertain the truth, and he drank it."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 1658. Sahih Muslim: 1123.
② Also, the narration that prohibits fasting on the Day of Arafah in Arafat is weak and not reliable. It is a weak narration.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن صوم يوم عرفة بعرفة
"Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade fasting on the Day of Arafah in Arafat."
Reference: Weak: Sunan Abi Dawood: 2440. Sunan Ibn Majah: 1732. Al-Da'ifah: 404. It contains Mahdi bin Harb al-Abdi, an unknown narrator.
