Allah سبحانه و تعالى has created 7 heavens and He favoured the 7th one over the others, He created the stars and the moons but He favoured planet earth above them all. Allah سبحانه و تعالى created & sent many Prophets and Messengers but He favoured the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ above them all. Just like all the days and nights, from Ramadan to Eid, Allah سبحانه و تعالى favoured the day of ‘Arafah from amongst them all. This day is the most valuable day in a Muslim’s life – for who knows if we will be here to witness the ‘Day of ‘Arafah’ AGAIN.

 

 

We all know the rewards of Fasting, so imagine fasting on the Day Of ‘Arafah. Why?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explains why exactly in the following Hadith:

Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allahﷺ said:

“Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah is an expiation for two years, the year preceding it and the year following it. Fasting the day of ‘Ashura is an expiation for the year preceding it.” [This is related by “the group,” except for al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi]

A blessed day on which, Muslims are united from all around the world – from the young to the old, different ethnicities, cultures, and races – for simply one reason, ‘Islam’. A day on which, if you fast, your sins from the past year and coming year will be forgiven by the Most Merciful, if you make du’aa, it will be accepted (and Allah will grant you that which He knows is best for you), and any good or bad that you do on this day will be presented to Allah; your Book will be presented to Allah. The very same day on which we were brought in front of Allah in the Heavens, before being sent down on this Earth, and we all, every single one of us, testified that He was Our Lord.

Hence, we are encouraged by the Prophet ﷺ to repeat this testimony on the Day of ‘Arafah and it is the highest form of Dhikr on this day:

لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير

Brothers and sisters do NOT let this day go by without giving it a farewell and hoping that you will witness the day of ‘Arafah again. This is a day on which Allah سبحانه و تعالى free the most people from the Hell fire, as mentioned in the famous Hadith:

There is no day on which Allah frees people from the Fire as He does on the day of ‘Arafah. He comes close (to those standing on ‘Arafah) and then revels before His angels, saying: “What are these people seeking?” [Muslim]

So make Du’aa, make tons of Du’aa! And believe that Allah سبحانه و تعالى will answer your Du’aa. Make Du’aa as you have never made Du’aa before – with hope, tears, and a sincere heart. As humans, we may get tired of asking but Allah سبحانه و تعالى, the Lord of the heavens and earth, will never get tired of giving us. For those who may not have made the most of these 10 days of Dhul Hijjah and might be feeling hopeless, for them I say ‘It’s never too late until your last breath’. Allah سبحانه و تعالى is the most Merciful and the most Forgiving. He loves us more than our own mothers and wants the best for us. At times we may not see that, especially during a trial or tribulation – but those trials are there to remind us that no one can help us but Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Trials are a wakeup call so that we can turn back sincerely to our Lord and ask only from Him. Allah سبحانه و تعالى tells us in the Qur’an.

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Qur’an 39:53)

So let’s not waste any more time, for time is of the essence. Let’s raise our hands to our Lord and continue asking from Him until the heart is content. Promise yourself ‘I will change’, engage your tongue in the remembrance of your Lord and remove all enmity from your heart.

‘Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, La Illaha Illalla, Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, Wa lillah hil hamd!’