O Muslims! Believers. In two days time it is the Eid of al-Adha. It is the day that Allah swt ordered Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) to slaughter and to give as a sacrifice his son, to Allah swt.
And that is an important day that Ibrahim (as) has been tested and it was on `Arafat day, one day before Eid, when Allah swt wanted to see if Ibrahim (as) will listen and obey or not.
So before entering in the story, which we will summarize it, the Prophet mention many ahadith about the Day of `Arafat and I will quote one or two hadiths in order that it will benefit us.
من صام يوم عرفة غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه سنة ، وما تأخر سنة
`an abi hurayran `an an-Nabi (s), man saama yawma `arafa ghufara lahu maa taqadam min dhanbih wa maa ta-akhkhara sannah.
From Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (s): Whoever fasts the Day of `Arafat, will be forgiven all his sins for the preceding year and the sins of the coming year. (Ibn Hajr in al-Amaalee)
For Allah that is a very important day. All the pilgrims who went for hajj are asking Allah for forgiveness and saying: labayk Allahuma labayk, labayk laa shareek laka labayk. Inna al-hamda wa ’n-ni`mata laka wa ’l-mulk laa shareeka lak. They are showing unity in one cloth, one dress - king, president, normal people - all in one type of dress keeping the hadith:
لا فرق بين عربي و أعجمي إلا بالتقوى
laa farqa bayna `arabiyy wa laa `ajamiyy illa bi’t-taqwaa
There is no difference between Arab and non-Arab except through righteousness.
It is so simple if Allah will give us energy and support to fast that day which is Sunday the benefit is that all sins you made form before that day have been forgive and you will be as if newly born. and
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول :( من حج لله فلم يرفث ولم يفسق رجع كيوم ولدته أمه ) رواه البخاري
The Prophet (s) in another hadith said: Whoever make hajj and does not engage in (lawful) sexual relations and does no wickedness and does not argue, returns as the day his mother bore him. (Bukhari)
for as Allah said:
الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلاَ رَفَثَ وَلاَ فُسُوقَ وَلاَ جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُوْلِي الأَلْبَابِ
Al-hajju ashhurun ma`loomatun faman farada feehinna ’l-hajja falaa rafatha wa laa fusooqa wa laa jidaala fi’l-hajji wa ma taf`aloo min khayrin ya`lamhu Allahu wa tazawwadoo fa-inna khayra az-zaadi ’t-taqwa wa ’t-taqoonee ya oolee ’lal-baabi
For Hajj are the months well known. If any one undertakes that duty therein, Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) Allah knoweth it. And take a provision (With you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, o ye that are wise. Al-Baqara [2:197]
So: you cannot have any sexual relations with your wife and you cannot look at anything that is haraam and you must avoid arguing too much, then you return from hajj as if you are newly born.
So it means that Allah doesn’t like in hajj arguments or backbiting or rumors in hajj and he doesn’t allow any sexual relationship - because you are going for worship you cannot do that in worship.
So the most important principle of hajj is `Arafat, if you missed it you missed the main principle and fundamental of hajj. That is why `Arafat is the most important day of hajj and why the Prophet (s) recommended to fast that day.
When Allah revealed the verse about `Arafat:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا
al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu `alaykum ni`matee wa radeetu lakumu ’l-islamu deena.
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Surat al-Maa’ida, 5:3)
This day I have completed for you religion and I am continuously giving you my favor. And the Sahaba were happy that they have been victorious evil powers and they opened Mecca and they were able to go back and make pilgrimage. All were happy but Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, he was crying. They asked him, “why are you crying?” He said, “maa b`ad al-kamaal illa an-nuqsaan - When you achieve the highest level there is nothing except going down.” [It means] When the moon reaches the full there is nothing else but to go down.
He said, "we are going to see sadness in our lives. I feel that the Prophet (s) is not going to be among us.” And after exactly 80 days the Prophet (s) left dunya. So it was the last hajj and the last `umrah for the Prophet (s). and that hadith came for the importance of fasting on that day.
So O Muslims! Try to fast on that day. If you have excuse it is ok if you don’t have sickness or dizziness it is ok. Then if you can fast then Allah will forgive you your mistakes.
It is called `Arafat because `Arafat is from `arafa, it is that Allah introduced or made something clear. What did he make clear? He made it clear to Ibrahim (as) to sacrifice his son and that is one of the reasons it has that name. To make clear to Ibrahim (as).
And it is said in traditions, in the seerah, in Tafsir an-Nisaburi, that Hajar, the wife of Sayyidina Ibrahim (as), was not happy after Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) married her and she was feeling that there was a problem with his wife Sara, the first wife, and so she decided to leave. And when she was leaving she heard a message saying to her, “Where are you going? You are going to have a child. Too many offspring that are going to come from you. Stay where you are, don’t run away.”
She stayed and Allah made her pregnant with Sayyidina Isma`eel (as). And after the boy grew up Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) was taking care of that child and used to love him so much and one day, Allah swt, in a certain moment ordered Jibreel, “go, Ya Jibreel and tell Ibrahim (as) to slaughter his son for me!” and Jibreel (as) he said, “Ya Rabbee. I made a good relationship with Ibrahim (as). You were sending me with revelation to him. I cannot [bring him this difficult order]. I will do Your order, but if there is a way he for him to get that order directly from You without me giving him that news that will be great.” Allah is the Merciful One, and therefore [in response to Jibreel’s request] He sent that ru’ya to Ibrahim (as).
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاء اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ
Falamma balagha ma`ahu as-sa`ya qaala ya bunayya innee araa fi ’l-manaami annee adhbahuka fa unzhur madhaa taraa qaala ya abatee if`al maa tumaru sa-tajidunee insha- Allahu mina as-saabireen
Then, when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy!" As-Saffat [37:102]
Qaala ya bunaya innee araa fi’l-manaami… he is seeing the dream one after another time.
So the first time he sacrificed 100 sheep for the sake of his son.
So that is why sincere people today when they have a serious sickness like cancer, they go and sacrifice 100 sheep and many times we observe that the patient was cured due to the sacrifice.
So after that he saw the dream another time. And he thought Allah would accept the slaughter of 100 sheep. But he saw dream again and then 3rd time.
Then he told his wife to put oil on the head of his son and he would take him. And the wife asked where are you taking him. He said, “I have been ordered by Allah to sacrifice my son.” She looked at her son and looked at Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) and said, “if Allah ordered you to do that you do it.” And then she took his son up to the mountain and then told him, “Let us play as they play today, hide and seek, put on the blindfold.”
Isma`eel (as) said, "O my father why are you wasting my time. Do what you have been ordered. I am not afraid. He wants me to be a sacrifice let it be. O my father be patient on difficulty, on problems. Don’t lose your temper. I am ok, take me and slaughter me but take the shirt that is on me and take it to my mother before it gets blood on it. And take it to my mother so she will remember me with that shirt, and tell my mother that I left my son to the One who is better than everyone. I left my son to Allah swt.”
Faqaala Ibrahim yaa rabb irham d`afee wa kibra sannee. Ibrahim said, “O Allah be merciful with me,” fa in lam tarhamnee farham hadha al-walad alladhee laa dhamba lah. They say he was 7 or 9 years and the angels fell into crying and doors of heavens opened, as soon as that happened he took the knife and put it on his neck and in some narrations they say that Isma`eel (as) smelled some meat barbecuing. He said, “O my father what happened? I am smelling barbecue.” He said, “O my son this is the smell of my heart burning.”
Look how Allah is giving us good life and we are complaining. Allah ordered Jibreel to go quickly adrik-hu idhaa qata` as-sakeen shaya la-mahwanaak. If you don’t stop it I will take you from My Presence and Jibreel ordered the knife to stop fa lam taqta` shayan and in the Tafsir of an-Nasafi, Ibrahim (as) felt he didn’t fulfill the order of Allah and he took it and threw it as if it became a useless knife. Allah hid from him that He had ordered Jibreel to prevent the knife from cutting. The knife asked, “Why are you angry?” to Ibrahim (as) and he said, “Because you didn’t cut what Allah wants you to cut.” And the knife said, “If you are angry with me why were you not angry with the fire of Nimrod that they threw you in and it didn’t not burn you?” He said, “because Allah ordered the fire not to burn me,” and the knife said, “and Allah ordered me not to cut your neck.” And the knife said, “Jibreel ordered me 70 times not to cut - you were cutting and I was ordered not to cut.”
And then Isma`eel (as), when Ibrahim (as) took him out and Allah ordered him to slaughter a ram for safety of Sayyidina Isma`eel (as) he said to his father, “Let me ask this question of you. Am I more generous or you?” a-anaa akramu minka aw anta.” Qaala Ibrahim (as), ..anaa akram minka fa anaa takaramtu waladee… Ibrahim (s) said, “I gave my son.” And Isma`eel (as) said, and Sayyidina Isma`eel (as) is carrying the light of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) so how is he going to die? It is test for Sayyidina Ibrahim (as). It is test for us. Are we going to sacrifice for sake of the Prophet (s) or not. Are we going to follow his Sunnah or not? Are we going to obey or not?
So Sayyidina Isma`eel (as) said, “No I am better. You were generous to give me but I gave my soul - Anaa takaramtu roohee. I am the one who is losing. You are not giving your soul. You are giving me.” He gave himself for the sake of the whole Ummah. He is carrying the secret of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)
This `Arafah is an important day and it is day of sacrifice. let us try to fast that today and asking Allah:
“O our Lord! Forgive us our sins, for the sake of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), for the sake of Sayyidina Ibrahim (as); for the sake of Sayyidina Isma`eel (as) and for the sake of those standing on `Arafah. Share us with their pilgrimage and write us from those who went for this pilgrimage and with every pilgrimage and share us with the Prophet’s pilgrimage.”
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