Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Scholars state that while you may combine intentions for the first 8 days of Dhul-Hijjah with missed fasts, the Day of `Arafah (9th) should be fasted with a specific intention to gain its unique reward. Doing so ensures you receive the full benefit of this highly virtuous day.
Responding to your question, Dr. Mahmud Al-Khayami, Head of Islamic Studies Dept., Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, stated:
The Virtue of Fasting on the Day of `Arafah
All Muslims should do their best to do good deeds in these best days of the year; the days of Dhul-Hijjah.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “No days in which the good deeds are better than these days – referring to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.” (Al-Bukhari)
Can You Combine `Arafah Fasting with Missed Ramadan Fasts?
It is permissible to combine the intention on fasting the missed days of Ramadan and the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, except the ninth day, the Day of Arafah. Fasting this day expiates the sins of both a previous and coming year.
Why `Arafah Requires a Specific Fasting Intention
A man asked the he Prophet (PBUH) about fasting the Day of Arafah, he said, “I hope it expiates the sins of the previous and the next year.” (Muslim)
Therefore, you should fast this day with a particular intention, not combining any intention with it, so that you can get the great reward which the Prophet promised in the above hadith.
Almighty Allah knows the best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.