Arafat in the Sufi Context

Arafat: A Sufi and Philosophical Approach on Being, Seeking, and Transcendence

Dr. Özer Akpınar – Researcher / Historian

Arafat is not merely a stop on the pilgrimage (Hajj); it is an ontological space where a person comes face to face with their own existence, their Lord, and the entire realm of being.
In Sufism and philosophy, such places transcend geographical meaning and transform into symbolic stations of the soul.

Arafat in the Sufi Context

It is the threshold and space of self-knowledge.
According to Sufism, Arafat represents a rehearsal for the Day of Judgment, where
"He who knows himself, knows his Lord."
When a pilgrim enters the state of ihram, they strip away worldly identities; and upon reaching Arafat, they search for the absolute “Self” within that state of identitylessness.
This is the soul’s journey of disciplining the ego and turning toward truth.

The word Arafat comes from the root “‘arafa”, meaning to know, to recognize.
The “standing” (waqfa) that takes place here is not merely physical — it is also a moment of spiritual confrontation with the self.
The deceptive veils of the ego are lifted; in the presence of the Divine, one abandons the self and turns toward the station of nothingness.

As Mawlānā Rumi said:
“Find yourself in nothingness, for truth resides there.”

Beyond Time and Space at Arafat

The Day of Arafat, in the Sufi sense, is the moment when the primordial covenant is remembered —
the echo of the divine address in the realm of souls:
“Alastu bi Rabbikum” (Am I not your Lord?).
This echo awakens in each pilgrim a desire to go beyond the self and turn toward the Absolute Being.

This state, stripped of time, is an experience of transcendence —
similar to Plato's turning toward the world of ideals,
the Sufi turns toward the Absolute Truth.
Here, knowledge transcends the boundaries of reason and becomes intuitive and spiritual insight.

Arafat: The Essence of Being Human

Arafat is far more than just a place on Earth.
It is the most radiant stop in the spiritual journey inward (Seyr-i Sülûk).

The prayer made here is not simply an act of speech; it is the soul’s cry.
As the person turns toward the Power that created them, they also reach their own truth.

Here, the deep intuition of Sufism and the sharp questioning of philosophy merge.
Arafat is a realm of gnosis, where a person comprehends both what they are and what they can become.

In a sense, every human being lives through their own “Arafat” —
that moment when they search for and discover themselves.