Sermon's Title: The Day of Emancipation and the Day of Proximity
Themes of the Sermon:
1- The Day of ʿArafah: A Day of Boasting
2- The Day of Proximity
3- The Day of Forgiveness and Emancipation
4- The Day of the Completion of the Religion
All praise is due to Allah, the Ever-Near, the One Who answers prayers. He forgives sins, conceals faults, answers supplications, and fulfills hopes. He is the Possessor of generosity and bounty, the Owner of immense favor and blessings. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with the righteousness He is rightfully owed, and remain mindful of Him in secret and in public.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
Servants of Allah:
Consider two magnificent scenes:
The first occurred thousands of years ago, when a conversation took place between the Lord of Might, Glorified is He, and His noble angels. Allah narrated it to us, saying:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.’ They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ Allah said, ‘Indeed, I know that which you do not know.’” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 30].
The second scene is one we are destined to witness in just a few days. It is the Witnessed Day, the day of divine boasting—the Day of ʿArafah. On this day, the pilgrims stand at ʿArafah, worshipping, humbling themselves, and placing their hopes in the Lord of the Worlds, as Allah boasts of them to His angels.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, boasts to His angels on the evening of ʿArafah about the people of ʿArafah, saying: ‘Look at My servants; they have come to Me disheveled and dusty.” (Recorded by Aḥmad).
He boasts of them to the noble angels, displaying the virtue of the believers among the children of Adam, showing them their good deeds, and praising them by saying: “Look at My servants, they have come to Me,” meaning: they came to My House seeking My pleasure, leaving behind their homelands and families for My sake. Here they stand, disheveled, dusty, broken in spirit, humbled, and fearful, hoping for My mercy and fearing My punishment.
The Day of ʿArafah is the day of proximity, for our Lord is the Ever-Near, the One Who answers prayers. He is the Manifest, such that nothing is above Him, and the Hidden, such that nothing is nearer than Him.
One day, the Companions were on a journey with the Prophet ﷺ, and they raised their voices while proclaiming the greatness of Allah (saying Allahu Akbar). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them: “Be easy on yourselves, for you are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent. You are calling upon One Who is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, and Ever-Near. The One you are calling upon is closer to any of you than the neck of his riding animal.” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
Despite His immense closeness to His servants at all times, it is a manifestation of His supreme generosity that His proximity to His servants on the Day of ʿArafah is uniquely magnificent—a proximity that suits His majesty and perfection. He draws near to them, boasting of them to His angels, granting them what they desire.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “And He draws near, then boasts of them to the angels, saying: ‘What do these people want?” (Recorded by Muslim).
The greatest gift the Lord of the Worlds bestows upon them on that day is emancipation from the Fire.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire than the Day of ʿArafah.” (Recorded by Muslim).
Do you realize what it means for Allah to free a servant from the Fire?
It means a servant who was otherwise bound for the Fire, having become one of its dwellers, is suddenly touched by the grace and mercy of the Lord of the Worlds, Who releases his soul from Hell. That, by Allah, is the ultimate triumph. Allah said:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 185].
Despite his exalted status and the fact that Allah had already forgiven his past and future sins, the Prophet ﷺ would still supplicate to his Lord every morning and evening, saying: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the Fire.” (Recorded by Muslim).
To truly grasp the magnitude of this blessing, look at our Prophet ﷺ when this verse was revealed:
وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ
“And warn, [O Muḥammad], your closest kindred.” [Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ: 214].
He called the tribe of Quraysh together, and when they gathered, he addressed them publicly, saying: “O children of Kaʿb ibn Luʾayy, save yourselves from the Fire! O children of Murrah ibn Kaʿb, save yourselves from the Fire! O children of ʿAbd Shams, save yourselves from the Fire! O children of ʿAbd Manāf, save yourselves from the Fire! O children of Hāshim, save yourselves from the Fire! O children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, save yourselves from the Fire! O Fāṭimah, save yourself from the Fire! For I hold no power to protect you from Allah at all, except that you have ties of kinship with me which I will maintain closely.” (Recorded by Muslim).
How desperately a servant needs to save themselves from the Fire! For our Prophet ﷺ has informed us that certain people from his community will enter the Fire because of their sins, remaining there until they are turned into charcoal.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Some people will definitely be touched by a scorch from the Fire as a punishment for sins they committed. Then Allah will admit them into Paradise by the virtue of His mercy, and they will be called al-Jahannamiyyūn (the residents of Hell).” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī).
How immense is Allah’s generosity toward the pilgrims at ʿArafah! Those who performed pilgrimage to the House of Allah with sincere devotion to Him, when Allah emancipates them from the Fire and forgives their sins, no matter how many they may be.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “When he—meaning the pilgrim—stands at ʿArafah, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, descends to the lowest heaven and says: “Look at My servants, disheveled and dusty. Bear witness that I have forgiven their sins, even if they were as numerous as the drops of rain from the sky or the sand grains of ʿĀlij.” (Recorded by Ibn Ḥibbān).
It is truly the greatest day of forgiveness, for the Prophet ﷺ said: “The pilgrimage erases whatever [sins] came before it.” (Recorded by Muslim). He ﷺ also said: “The pilgrimage is ʿArafah.” (Recorded by al-Tirmidhī). Thus, the greatest pillar of Hajj became the greatest means of forgiveness.
By Allah, the bounty of Allah is indeed abundant and excellent, just as ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood at ʿArafāt when the sun was about to set, and he said: “O Bilāl, call the people to silence for me.” So Bilāl stood up and said: “Listen silently to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” The people fell silent, and he ﷺ said: “O people, Jibrīl came to me just a moment ago, conveyed peace to me from my Lord, and said: ‘Indeed, Allah has forgiven the people of ʿArafāt and the people of al-Mashʿar, and He has settled their liabilities.” Hearing this, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, is this exclusively for us?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “This is for you, and for everyone who comes after you until the Day of Resurrection.” ʿUmar then remarked: “The bounty of Allah is indeed abundant and excellent.” (Recorded by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr).
O servant of Allah, you who have not been blessed to perform the pilgrimage to Allah’s Sacred House: the favor of Allah is immense, His goodness is all-encompassing, and His generosity reaches all of His creation. Whoever turns to Him with sincerity, He will elevate them to the ranks of those drawn near to Him.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sincerely asks Allah for martyrdom, Allah will grant him the status of the martyrs, even if he dies on his bed.” (Recorded by Muslim).
On the Day of ʿArafah, be among those who actively turn to your Lord. Emulate the pilgrims of Allah’s House; they journeyed to the Sacred House seeking Allah’s grace and pleasure, so use this day to seek Allah’s grace and pleasure through your heart and your deeds.
The Day of ʿArafah is a day when prayers are answered. Allah responds to the supplication of whoever calls upon Him, and He never disappoints the hopes of anyone who eagerly longs for His favor. Therefore, never let your tongue grow tired of remembering Allah, supplicating to Him, and placing your hope in Him.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best supplication is the supplication on the Day of ʿArafah.” (Recorded by al-Tirmidhī).
Our Prophet ﷺ established the sunnah of fasting on the Day of ʿArafah for us, and Allah promised us immense forgiveness for doing so.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fasting on the Day of ʿArafah, I anticipate that Allah will expiate the sins of the year before it and the year after it.” (Recorded by Muslim).
May Allah bless you and me through the Magnificent Qurʾān, and may He benefit us through the verses and the wise reminder it contains. I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
A monumental event took place on the Day of ʿArafah—one for which the Jews envied us. This is because it is the very day on which Allah perfected His religion for this great and glorious nation.
One day, a man from among the Jews came to the Commander of the Faithful, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him), and said: “O Commander of the Faithful, there is a verse in your Book which you read; had it been revealed to us, the community of Jews, we would have taken that day as a day of celebration (ʿĪd).” ʿUmar asked: “Which verse is it?” The man replied:
اليَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 3].
ʿUmar said: “We certainly know that day and the place where it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ; he was standing at ʿArafah on a Friday.” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
The Day of ʿArafah reminds us of this extraordinary verse, which firmly establishes in our hearts that the religion Allah revealed to His Messenger ﷺ is complete. It requires no perfection from anyone, and no one is permitted to add anything to it or subtract anything from it. Religion is simply what Allah has legislated and what pleases Him, not what conforms to human whims. We find no discomfort in our hearts regarding it; rather, we submit to it completely, without rejection or innovation.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims, and destroy the criminal disbelievers. O Allah, send down tranquility into the hearts of those struggling in Your cause, save Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the faith, by Your power, O Mighty, O Firm One.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our governance under those who fear You, remain mindful of You, and pursue Your pleasure. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
