Fellow Muslims, we eagerly await witnessing a marvelous sight in the coming days. A sight that stands as a proof of our unity. Muslims of many different races and languages gather under the banner of tawhid. This banner that brings them together on one land supplicating to the Lord, Allah who no one is God but Him.
Muslims on the land of ^Arafah call out:
لبيك اللهم لبيك لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك إنَّ الحمدَ والنعمةَ لك والملك لا شريك لك
This is indeed a site that attracts attention and for which hearts yearn. Tears roll down missing Makkah, Mina, and ^Arafah and wanting to take part in the acts of hajj performed therein.
In the ayah: واعتصموا بحبل الله there is an order to remain steadfast to the religion, abide by its rules thus preventing ourselves from what is forbidden.
And the ayah also orders the believers to stand united because in unity there is strength while division is weakness. Allah also reminds the muslims of the great blessing, namely, the endowment of belief.
In the Qur’an, Allah informs us that the Prophet’s companions were united and gathered on believing in Allah and in His messenger. Their hearts came together like one and they were joined like brothers under the banner of: “No one is God except Allah, محمد is His messenger.” They had one goal in mind, to raise the call and be firm on the road of piety, sincerity, and sacrifice for the sake of Allah.
Dear fellow Muslims, what causes one to be saved is to abide by the Qur’an and to follow the footsteps of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Reflect on how great is the saying of the Prophet when he addressed the people during the farewell hajj, “O people, I am leaving among you something that if you hold on to it, then you will never go astray, the book of Allah and my sunnah, sunnah here means the way of the Prophet. Certainly, Every Muslim is a brother to his fellow Muslim; Muslims are brothers. The person cannot take from his brother’s money except that which he gives him out of the goodness of his heart. Do not be unjust and do not go back to killing each other unjustly”
In the Qur’an Allah said وكنتم على شفا حفرة من النار فأنقذكم منها this means: {and you were close to going to hell but then you were saved} they were saved from hellfire by Islam since the one who dies associating partners with Allah or falling in any other type of blasphemy like negating Allah’s existence, mocking Allah, belittling the religion of Islam or belittling any of the prophets, or one of the angels will go to hellfire and remain there forever. He will not come out nor will he get rest from its torture.
Fellow Muslims, our message is to adhere to the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah. It is said in a hadith that whoever Allah willed goodness for him Allah grants him knowledge in the religion. The plague of ignorance and the disease of misguidance have become widespread. The only way to confront these issues is by learning and practicing the religious knowledge. One should also be moderate by following the truth, Allah said in the Qur’anوكذلك جعلناكم امة وسطا this means that Allah made this nation a moderate nation.
Fellow muslims, in these blessed days we renew the call for knowledge, moderation and brotherhood centered around abiding by the boundaries of this great religion. We call to learning, knowing the proper belief in Allah and in His Prophet and knowing the boundaries set forth by the religion so that the Muslim will have the proper scale by which to differentiate between the good and the bad, the lawful (halal) and the unlawful (haram) and between the truth and the falsehood.
Dear Muslims, those performing hajj today await the best day of the year that is the day of ^Arafah, which the Prophet, may peace be upon him, said “The best (day on which to perform) دعاء supplication is the day of ^Arafah and the best of what I and the prophets before me have said is لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير which means no one is god except Allah, He does not have partners to Him, He owns everything, and all praise is due to Him, He has Power over everything.”
Fellow Muslims, It is recommended for the one not performing hajj, to fast the day of ^Arafah; when asked about fasting it the Prophet said it erases the sins of the past year and the remainder of the current one. It is recommended for the person performing hajj not to fast, but instead it is recommended for him to increase his recitation of Qur’an, supplication, and saying لا إله الا الله .
In this day, the one performing hajj should show humbleness, should be God-fearing, and should realize that he is a poor slave. With a loud voice, he should say:
لبيك اللهم لبيك لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك إنَّ الحمدَ والنعمةَ لك والملك لا شريك لك
He should also make الصلاة والسلام on the Prophet frequently as well as asking Allah for forgiveness. He should repent from all disobedience because over there is where one good wishes maybe granted. It is narrated that the Prophet said (what means), “There is no day more likely for a slave to be freed from hellfire than the day of ^Arafah.”
It was also narrated he عليه الصلاة والسلام said, “The devil was never seen smaller, more abject, more despicable or more shunned than on the day of ^Arafah.” This is because of the mercies that descend during that day and enormous sins are forgiven.” it is conveyed from Al-Fudayl ibn ^Iyad, may Allah raise his rank, that he looked at people’s weeping in ^Arafah and said, “If these people went to a man and asked him for a daniq, and the (daniq, fellow muslims is a small amount equivalent to 1/6th of a dirham), al fudayl said ““If these people went to a man and asked him for a daniq Would he turn them away?” it was said no, He said “I swear by Allah that for Allah to forgive those asking Him is easier than a man giving this daniq.”
O Allah forgive our sins and grant us your mercy. O Allah, mend our hearts and make us love each other. O Allah, grant success to those performing hajj, and enable them to do that for which they will be rewarded and return safely to us.