IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL.
BEING THE SECOND SERMON OF THE MONTH OF DHUL -HIJJAH:
DATED 8/12/1445 AH (JUNE 14, 2024 CE)
THE DAY OF ARAFAH AND THE VIRTUES OF THE TENTH DAY OF DHUL-HIJJAH AND THE GOOD DEEDS TO BE PERFORMED IN IT
THE FIRST SERMON:
All praise is due to Allah for His kindness, and to Him is gratitude for His guidance and blessings. He has legislated for us the paths of guidance and righteousness, and guided us to a straight path. He has bestowed upon us His blessings, both apparent and hidden. He is the Most Subtle, the Most Affectionate. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partners, a testimony that saves those who obey Allah and avoid His prohibitions. And I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow their path with guidance until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O noble listeners, with true piety, for indeed, the fear of Allah is the best means to attain the pleasure of our Lord, the Almighty, and a cause for entering Paradise. Allah Almighty says: (تِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَنْ كَانَ تَقِيًّا) “That is Paradise, which We give as inheritance to those of Our servants who were fearing of Allah.” (Maryam: 63)
O Muslims, there are only a few days left in the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. Among these days is the Day of Arafah, which is the greatest pillar of Hajj. Whoever among the pilgrims does not stand on Arafah has not performed Hajj. There is also the Day of Eid al-Adha, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) referred to as the greatest day of Hajj, as mentioned in the Qur’an, which we will discuss. Let us strive to increase our reward and earn great recompense during these blessed days. Those who have been negligent or transgressing in their deeds in the earlier days should make up for what they have missed. Today’s sermon will focus on “The Day of Arafah, the virtues of the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, and the good deeds to be performed in it.”
Brothers in Islam, tomorrow you are approaching a great and magnificent day, which is the Day of Arafah, one of the best days of the year. It is the day when pilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat in the largest annual assembly of Muslims. On this day, sins are forgiven, misdeeds are erased, and Allah liberates whomever He wills from the Fire. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He draws near and then boasts about them to the angels, saying, ‘What do these people want?'” (Narrated by Muslim and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak). His nearness in this hadith is one of His attributes that must be believed in and affirmed without comparing, denying, or interpreting it.
It is the day when Allah completed the religion and perfected His favor. Amir al-Mu’minin Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “A man from the Jews said to him, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite. If it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival.’ Umar asked, ‘Which verse?’ The man replied: ‘This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion’ (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 3). Umar said, ‘We know the day and the place where this was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was standing on Arafah on a Friday, and I swear by Allah, it was on Arafah.” Umar was indicating that this day was indeed a festival for them (See: Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Zakat, 1/33).
O Muslims, on this day also, Allah Almighty boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens, the angels, and He belittles and humiliates Satan. Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Verily Allah boasts to the Angels of the pilgrims on the Day of Arafah. He says, ‘Look at My servants who have come to Me dusty and disheveled.'” (Authenticated chain, reported by Ibn Hibban and Ibn Khuzaymah in their Sahihs).
And according to Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah ibn Kariz, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Satan has never been seen on any day to be more insignificant, more rejected, more despised, or more enraged than on the Day of Arafah. This is only because of what he witnesses of the descent of mercy and Allah’s forgiveness of great sins.” (Good narration, reported by Imam Malik in al-Muwatta, Chapter on the Hajj, 1/422, and Imam al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir, 13/168).
Dear honorable brothers, it is also from the Sunnah of the Day of Arafah, for those not performing Hajj to fast, for indeed, fasting on this day expiates the sins of two years: the past year and the coming year. Abu Qatadah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Fasting on the Day of Arafah, I hope from Allah, expiates for the sins of the previous year and the coming year.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi in the Chapter on the Virtue of Fasting on the Day of Arafah, 3/115. He said, “This hadith is good and authenticated by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi).
It is also recommended on this day for pilgrims and others to increase in supplication and testimony of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah). Amr ibn Shu’aib reported from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of Arafah, and the best thing that I and the Prophets before me have said is: (لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ) ‘There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner, to Him belongs the kingdom and to Him is all praise, and He is over all things competent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi. He said, “This is a good and strange hadith from this aspect, reported by Ahmad in his Musnad and authenticated by al-Albani).
Let the Muslim strive to fast and make supplications on this great day, seizing its virtues, hoping for acceptance and answer, and let him supplicate for himself, his parents, his family, Islam, and the Muslims.
O Muslims, may Allah have mercy on you. Know that the Day of Sacrifice, which is the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, is one of the sacred days of Allah Almighty. It is the day of the Greater Hajj, as narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stood on the Day of Sacrifice during the Hajj and asked, “What day is this?” They replied, “The Day of Sacrifice.” He then said, “This is the Day of the Greater Hajj.” (Reported by Abu Dawood in his Sunan, and authenticated by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawood).
The mention of the Day of the Greater Hajj is also in the Quran, where Allah Almighty says: (وَأَذَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الْأَكْبَرِ) “{And a proclamation from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the Greater Hajj}” (At-Tawbah:3).
It is called the Day of the Greatest Hajj because it involves standing at Arafah, spending the night at Muzdalifah, throwing stones in the daytime, sacrificing animals, shaving or cutting hair, performing Tawaf, and Sa’i as part of the pilgrimage rituals. This day is one of the best days of the year, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Qurt (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said, “The greatest day in the sight of Allah is the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) and then the Day of Rest (Yawm al-Qarr)” (Its chain of narration is authentic, narrated by Abu Dawood, in the chapter regarding the sacrificial animal if it becomes injured before reaching its destination 2/148) (The Day of Rest is the second day of the Day of Sacrifice).
On this great day, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) declared, during the pilgrimage he led, the prohibition of pilgrimage for the polytheists and the dedication of Allah’s sacred house and its rituals to the monotheists, purifying the house and the rituals from polytheism and its people. It was narrated by Abu Huraira that Abu Bakr sent him during that pilgrimage among the announcers who announced on the Day of Sacrifice in Mina that no polytheist should perform Hajj after that year, and no one should circumambulate the House naked. Hamid said, “Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Ali ibn Abi Talib and ordered him to announce the declaration of disassociation.” Abu Huraira said, “Ali announced with us among the people of Mina on the Day of Sacrifice the declaration of disassociation, that no polytheist should perform Hajj after that year, and no one should circumambulate the House naked.”
Brothers in faith, this day is the greatest and best of Muslim Eids, and it has pure rituals not found in other Islamic Eids. The scholar Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “The Day of Sacrifice is the greatest and best of the two Eids, coming after the standing at Arafah. The Day of Arafah is the day of liberation from the Fire, where Allah liberates from the Fire those who stood at Arafah and those who did not stand there from the people of the various regions. Therefore, the following day became a Eid for all Muslims in all their regions, for those who attended the pilgrimage and those who did not. When the Day of Arafah is completed and Allah liberates His believing servants from the Fire, all Muslims share in the celebration the next day, and it is prescribed for everyone to draw near to Him with sacrifices, which is the shedding of the sacrificial blood.” (See: “Lata’if al-Ma’arif” p. 276).
Servants of Allah, know that there are righteous deeds that if a Muslim performs on the Day of Sacrifice and the days of Tashriq that follow it, they will achieve great reward. Among these deeds is the Eid prayer, which is one of the greatest rituals of Islam and was regularly performed by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his companions, both in his time and thereafter. Narrated by Al-Bara’, he said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, delivered a sermon to us on the Day of Sacrifice.” He said: “Verily, the first thing we begin with on this day of ours is to pray, then to sacrifice. Whoever does so has followed our tradition. But whoever sacrifices before praying, then indeed it is just meat that he has offered for his family, and it is not considered as fulfilling the sacrifice.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).
The time for offering the sacrifice starts after the sun has risen to the height of about three meters (approximately fifteen minutes) and continues until noon, it has a broad timeframe.
Among the righteous deeds on the day of Eid al-Adha is the sacrifice of animals, which is from the rites of Allah Almighty. He, glorified be He, says: (ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوب) “{That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah — indeed, it is from the piety of hearts}” (Al-Hajj:32). And honoring them includes selecting the best and most valuable animals for sacrifice, drawing nearer to Allah through it.
On this day, along with the days of Tashriq, it is recommended for men and women, young and old, to recite takbeer, which is: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lillahi al-hamd.”
It is recommended to start the unrestricted Takbeer from the night of Eid, on the way to the prayer ground, and while at the prayer ground before performing the prayer. The time for the restricted Takbeer begins after the Dhuhr prayer on the day of Eid and continues until the Fajr or Asr prayer on the last day of Tashreeq, which is the thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah says: (وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَاتٍ) “And remember Allah during the appointed days” (Al-Baqarah: 203). Ibn Abbas said: “The appointed days are the days of Tashreeq.” Ikrimah said: “The Takbeer during the days of Tashreeq is after the obligatory prayers” (see Tafsir Ibn Kathir 1/560).
O Muslims, there are noble aspects of Eid that should be encouraged and maintained, such as visiting relatives, spreading joy among family members, giving charity to the poor, and bringing happiness to those who are deprived of the joy of Eid.
I say this statement of mine and seek forgiveness from Allah for me, you, and all Muslims for every sin and mistake. So seek His forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
THE SECOND SERMON:
All praise is due to Allah, who has blessed us with seasons of obedience and fields of goodness. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow them with excellence.
Thereafter:
Allah says: (يَـٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسلِمُونَ) “O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.” (Al-Imran:102).
O Muslims, may Allah have mercy on you, know that the Islamic festivals have many etiquettes that our Prophet Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace be upon him, guided us towards. We are now approaching Eid al-Adha, and it is appropriate for us to adorn ourselves with these etiquettes in accordance with the sunnah of guidance. Among these etiquettes are:
First: It is recommended to perform ghusl (ritual bathing) and adorn oneself in the finest clothes and apply the best perfume that a Muslim can find. Narrated by ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Umar, who said: Nafi’ informed me that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) for the two Eids and would go out early before eating anything (See: Ahkam al-Eidayn by al-Firyabi, p. 79). Ja’far ibn Muhammad narrated from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to wear a Yemeni cloak called “burd habra” for each Eid. (Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra and al-Shafi’i in al-Musnad). “Burd habra” refers to a type of Yemeni cloak. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned, “He (peace be upon him) used to wear his best clothes for both Eids and for Jumu’ah.” (See: Fiqh al-Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq, 1/317). As for women, they should avoid adornment when going out, as they are prohibited from displaying adornment to unrelated men. Similarly, it is forbidden for anyone (among women) who intends to go out to apply perfume.
Second: It is recommended to delay eating on Eid al-Adha until returning from the prayer, so that one can eat from their sacrificial animal if they have one. Abdullah ibn Buraida reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The fasting person does not eat on the day of Fitr until he has prayed, and the one sacrificing does not eat on the day of sacrifice until he returns [from the prayer] and eats from his sacrifice.” (A good hadith narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad).
Thirdly: Going out to the Eid prayer ground outside the city is preferable (except in Makkah, where performing the Eid prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram is preferable). If there is an excuse preventing one from going out, such as rain, fear, or other reasons, they should pray in the mosque, as reported by Abu Huraira that it rained on the day of Eid, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed the Eid prayer in the mosque. (Narrated by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah. See: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah, 3/261).
Fourth: Women and children should go out to the Eid prayer ground. It is recommended for women and children, whether young or old, maiden or menstruating, to attend the Eid prayers, witness the good, and supplicate with the Muslims. Menstruating women should stay away from the prayer area but should attend and witness the gathering. (Agreed upon). Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to take out his wives and daughters on the days of Eid. (See: Subul al-Salam, 1/429).
Fifthly: After completing the Eid prayer, people should not leave the prayer area immediately but should stay to listen to the sermon.
Sixth: Taking a different route while going to and returning from the Eid prayer ground is a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Abu Huraira reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) went out for Eid, he would return by a different route from the one he took. (A good hadith reported by Ibn Majah and al-Bayhaqi).
Seventh: Playing, recreation, singing, and feasting during Eid are permissible. Playing refers to lawful amusement, recreation is innocent pastime, and singing is permissible when done in a good manner. These are all among the rituals of the religion that Allah has legislated for the day of Eid, serving as physical exercise and providing relaxation for the soul.
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Abyssinians were playing with their spears in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the day of Eid. I looked on from behind his shoulder while he leaned on me, until I was satisfied, then I left.” (Authenticated by Ahmad based on the conditions of the two Shaykhs).
She also narrated: “Abu Bakr entered while two girls from the Ansar were singing the verses that Ansar girls had made up on the day of Bu’ath. Abu Bakr said: ‘Musical instruments of Satan in the Prophet’s house!’ That was on the day of Eid. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘O Abu Bakr, every nation has its festival, and this is our festival.'” (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
Eighth: Congratulations are a commendable tradition. Congratulating one another on Eid is a good practice that fosters unity and affection among people. It is recommended to congratulate each other on Eid, as Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported: “The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say to one another, when they met on the day of Eid: ‘May Allah accept it from us and from you.'” (Declared Hasan by al-Hafiz al-Suyuti).
Supplication:
“O Allah, make us among Your sincere servants, among the righteous, among those who remember You abundantly, and among those who are grateful for Your blessings. O Allah, forgive us our sins, our mistakes, and our extravagance upon ourselves. You know our sins best, and none forgives sins except You. O Allah, grant us a good end, make us among the people of Paradise, and save us from the Fire. By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, strengthen Islam and the Muslims, and humiliate disbelief and the disbelievers. O Allah, we seek refuge in You from their evil. O Allah, unite the hearts of the Muslims upon truth. O Allah, aid the Palestinian people with a swift and mighty victory, relieve their siege, alleviate their suffering, and grant us security in our lands. O Allah, rectify the affairs of our leaders, grant them success in what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, forgive our deceased and the deceased of the Muslims, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.”