My Birthday & Arafah Day

I'm born on 9 Dzulhijjah in the Islamic calendar. It is an important day for all Muslims all around the world because it is Arafah Day or Day of Arafah.

It is an Islamic Holy Day, in which the last verse of the Qur'an was revealed which explained that the religion had been perfected. 

This day is the culminating event of the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafah and the Plain of Arafah. 

It was on Mount Arafah that Prophet Muhammad SAW recited his Farewell Sermon in his final year of life.

Watch the Final Sermon narrated by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

The day after Arafah Day is Eid'ul Adha when Muslims honour the day Prophet Abraham, in an act of submission to Allah's command, willingly wanted to sacrifice his young first-born son, Ishmael. Allah intervened to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead.

My birthday was always celebrated on Eid'ul Adha with the family. Dad would order a huge cake so that relatives who come on that day for Eid would be able to enjoy it too.  

Since last year, my Birthday on Eid is celebrated in a different way. 

Now, before my birthday, I will remind myself of the significance of Arafah Day and Eid'ul Adha. This then leads me to ponder on why this day was chosen by Allah for me to be born. 

I haven't yet found the answer to this of course but this leads me to find out the purpose of my life on God's earth and to try to be a better person.