Virtues of the Day of Arafaah

What are the Virtues of the Day of Arafaah ?
Praise be to Allaah.
1. It is the dayon which the religion was
perfected and Allaah's Favour was completed.
In Al-Saheehayn it was reported from 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah
be pleased with him) that a Jewish man said to him, "O Ameer
al-Mu'mineen, there is an aayah in your Book which you recite; if it
had come to us Jews, wewould have taken that day as an 'Eid
(festival)." 'Umar said, "Which aayah?" He said: "This day I have
perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [al-Maa'idah 5:3 –
interpretation of the meaning]. 'Umar said, "We know on which day and
in which place that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). It was when he was standing in 'Arafaah on a
Friday."
2. It is a day of Eid for the people who are in that place.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Yawm
'Arafaah (the day of 'Arafaah), Yawm al-Nahr (the Day of Sacrifice)
andAyyaam al-Tashreeq (the 3 days following Yawm al-Nahr) are Eid
(festival)for us, the people of Islam. These are days of eating and
drinking." This was narrated by theauthors of al-Sunan. It was
reported that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: "It – i.e., the aayah 'This
dayI have perfected…' was revealed on a Friday, theDay of 'Arafaah,
both of which – praise be to Allaah – are Eids for us."
3. It is a day by which Allaah swore an oath.
The Almighty cannot swear by anything except that which is mighty.
Yawm 'Arafaah is the "witnessed day" mentioned in the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"By the witnessing day [Friday] and by the witnessed day [the Day of
'Arafaah]." [al-Burooj 85:3].
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The promised day is the Day of Resurrection, the witnessed day is the
Day of 'Arafaah, and the witnessing day is Friday." Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
It is the "odd" [i.e., odd-numbered, Witr] by which Allaah swore in
the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And by the even and the odd" [al-Fajr 89:3]. Ibn 'Abbaas said: "The
even is the Day of al-Adhaa [i.e., 10th Dhoo'l-Hijjah] and the odd is
the Day of 'Arafaah [i.e., 9th Dhoo'l-Hijjah] This is also the view of
'Ikrimah and al-Dahhaak.
4. Fasting on this day is an expiation for two years.
It was reported from Abu Qutaadah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was asked about fasting on the Dayof 'Arafaah. He said, "It
expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year."
Narrated by Muslim.
This (fasting) is mustahabb for those who are not on Hajj. In the case
of the one who is on Hajj, it is not Sunnah for him to fast on the Day
of 'Arafaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not fast on this day in 'Arafaah. It was narratedthat he
forbade fasting on the Day of 'Arafaah in'Arafaah.
5. It is the dayon which Allaah took thecovenant
from the progeny of Adam.
It was reported that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Allaah took the covenant from the loins of Adam in
Na'maan, i.e.,'Arafaah. He brought forth from his loins all his
offspring and spread them before Him, then He addressed them, and
said: 'Am I not your Lord? They said, 'Yes, we testify,' let you
should say on the Day of Resurrection: 'Verily, we have been unaware
of this.' Or lest you should say: 'It was only our fathers aforetime
who took others as partners in worship along with Allaah, and we were
(merely their) descendents after them; will You then destroy us
because of the deeds of men who practised Al-Baatil (i.e.,
ploytheismand committing crimes and sins, invoking and worshipping
others besides Allaah)?' [al-A'raaf 7:172-173 – interpretation of the
meaning]." Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. And
there is no greater day than this and no greater covenant than this.
6. It is the dayof forgiveness of sins, freedom
from the Fire and pride in the people who are there:
In Saheeh Muslim it was narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "There isno day on which Allaah frees more people from the Fire
than the Day of 'Arafaah. He comes close and expresses His pride to
the angels, saying, 'What do these people want?'"
It was reported from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah expresses His pride to Hisangels
at the time of 'Ishaa' on the Day of 'Arafaah, about the people of
'Arafaah. He says, 'Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and
dusty.'" Narrated by Ahmad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Resilience is Contagious

"Resilience is contagious." – Amy Estrada. Sure, life comes along now
and then and blows you off your feet. That's alright. What matters is
that you get back up.
You don't have to have the answers. You don't have to be superman or
superwoman. When the thundercloud opens up, who among us can stop the
rain? When the hurricane blows, who can stay on his feet? No one.
When the storm passes, stand up. Dust yourself off, take stock, and
move forward in the name of Allah. If the storm has disoriented you
and you don't see the way forward, look to the Quran. "And if there
should come to you guidance from Me – then whoever follows My guidance
will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]."
(Quran, Surat TaHa, 20:123). The Quran is a mighty book. Never
underestimate it. If you cannot speak Arabic and find the English
translations unwieldy, get one of the modern translations that are
easier to read, like those by Umm Muhammad, or Thomas Cleary.
When you get knocked down and then stand up tall, with strength,
otherssee it, and it rallies them. Your spouse sees it, your children
see it, your friends see it, and of course Allah sees it. Don't think
of it as showing off.Not at all. Think of it as brotherhood and
sisterhood, all of us helping each other, giving each other strength,
being good shepherds to our flocks.
Superman is no hero, he's impervious to bullets! Real heroes get hurt,
they get down on themselves sometimes, they're imperfect, they
struggle to pay the bills and raise their children, they struggle to
be become stronger in their faith, but they struggle! They don't give
up.
That's inspiring, and it's contagious, and maybe sometimes it will be
someone else inspiring you, and maybe sometimes it will be you,
getting up after the hurricane, showing us all how it's done.

Give Me Something Better

The Messenger of Allah (sws) said: "There is no calamity that befalls
one of the Muslims and he responds 'Inna Lillahi wa inna ilahi
raaji'oun, Allahumma ujurni fi museebati w'ukhluf li khayran minha,'
(Truly to Allah we belong & truly to Him we shall return, O Allah
reward me in this calamity & compensate me with something better than
it), but Allah will compensate him with something better than it."
(Muslim 918)
In other words, if you've lost something precious, or if disaster has
hit you, and you respond with faith in Allah, asking Him to replace
your loss with something better, then Allah will surely respond and
give you something better.
SubhanAllah! What more could we ask? Allah is theonly one who does
this. Ifyour house is destroyed, the insurance company will try to
find a way to deny your claim, and if they finally pay then theywill
pay less than it's worth.
The crucial thing is that the dua' must be said in that moment of pain
and loss, when you are really hurting. You can't respond at first by
saying, "Why did you do this to me Allah, I didn't deserve this!" then
months later when you've recovered somewhat, think you can say this
dua' and it will work for you.
The whole point is that inthose moments when lifeis most difficult and
you are totally thrown for a loop, you respond by turning to Allah.
That's the test. Those moments are the proving ground of your soul. If
you can face Allah in those moments of agony and say – I trust You,
all thingsreturn to You, I know youwill give me something better –
then indeed Allah will give you more than you can imagine.
May Allah give us the strength to remember Him and turn to Him
instinctively in times of calamity and times of joy as well.

Riding the Waves of Life

"When the seas of life arerough, grab a surfboard and ride the waves."
That's something my old friend Samayya used to say. Actually she used
to say that she was "boogie boarding on the waves of life."
So what does it really mean to ride the waves of life? Does it mean
that the problems of life are irrelevant and we can just surf over
them and have fun?
Not at all. If you know Samayya, then you know that life has never
been easy for her. She was married to an abusive man, got divorced and
raised a child on her ownwhile working multiple jobs, and yet she
always found a way to move forward. She never stopped seeking truth
and growth. She struggled to provide for her children, not only
financially but Islamically as well. Nothing was everhanded to her.
She has had to work hard for every single step forward. So when she
says she's boogie boarding on the waves of life, you can be sure that
it's not the whimsical statement of some spoiled trust fund kid.
1. Don't panic: Everyone Experiences Hardship
To me, Samayya's statement is first of all an acknowledgement that
life is hard – sometimes extremely so. Allah says,
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a
loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the
patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeedwe belong to
Allah , and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom
are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is thosewho are the
[rightly] guided." - Quran 2:155-157
The philosopher Philo of Alexandria said, "Be kind,for everyone you
meet is fighting a great battle." But we often don't see into the
depths of affliction that other people are experiencing. We pass
people on the street, or we see them in the masjid, and we don't
realize that one person has a parent dying of cancer; another is
caring for an aunt who suffers from dementia; another has a disabled
or mentally ill child; anotheris living in an abusive relationship and
cannot find a way out; another isfacing the loss of his home; another
has experienced divorce and is feeling the anguish of heartbreak and
loneliness. (These are all examples from people I know in my own
life).
We don't see these thingson the faces of strangers, and even the
people we work with often keep such things to themselves. Maybe they
don't want to burden us, or maybe they don't feel close enough to tell
us, ormaybe they don't want to be seen as complainers. So we sometimes
imagine that we are the only ones suffering.
When we know that every single person on this planet experiences pain
and loss, we will notpanic or despair when it happens to us. We will
recognize that such trials are a part of life, and we can survive and
come through the other side.
2. Trust in Allah's Plan for You
People often ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" The
problem is that we human beings have narrow vision. Compared to Allah,
we know nothing. A thing may seem bad, when in reality it is good for
our souls or our futures. If you can permit me a clichéd example, you
might miss an important flight and think that it's adisaster, then the
plane crashes and you realize your life was saved. In reality the
consequences will not always be so obvious. You might be engaged to
someone andso excited, then the engagement falls through and you are
heartbroken and asking, "Why did this happen?" And what you don't see
isthat maybe the person was unfaithful, or has a drug problem, or is
violent, and Allah has saved you from a life of misery.
As Allah says,
But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you
love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows,while you know
not. – Quran 2:216
So trust in Allah's plan foryou. This is why belief in Qadar (Divine
predestination) is one our pillars of imaan (faith). Because we
believe that Allah loves us, and is caring for us and guiding us, even
in times of misfortune.
3. Don't Think That You are Being Punished
In the same vein, so manypeople seem to think thathardships are a
punishment from Allah. They write to IslamicAnswers.com – another of
my websites – and they say, "Why is Allah angry with me? When will
Allah stop punishing me?"
SubhanAllah, the truth is just the opposite. Allah attaches no value
to the things of this world. That's why you see so many of the corrupt
and powerful living in material luxury. They are being given rope with
which to hang themselves. Material comforts are meaninglessto Allah.
If Allah wants good for you, He tests you. Allah causes us to suffer
in this life so that we can be purified, so we can grow and be ready
for Jannah.
Doesn't He say in the Quran:
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and
they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried thosebefore them,
and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will
surely make evident the liars. – Quran 29:2-3
The waves of life run roughshod over everyone . If you read about the
lives of the Prophets, they all suffered in one way or another, some
to an extreme degree.
Our Noble Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) neverknew his father, then losthis
mother at a young age, then his grandfather. He had garbage dumped on
his back in Makkah, and stones thrown at him in Ta'if until his shoes
filled with blood. He lost his wife Khadijah (ra) because of the
hardship of the boycott against the Muslims. He lost his son. He
suffered .
Look at the lives of the Sahabah; many were tortured, and some were
tortured to death . Do youthink that Allah was punishing them? No, He
was martyring them! They were heroes!
4. Check Yourself
Even if your misfortune isa punishment, it's still a blessing because
it means that Allah has chosen to punish you in this dunya (earthly
life) for your sins, rather than subject you to the much worse
punishment of the aakhirah (hereafter). That is a kindness from Allah,
and He would not do it if He did not love you.
The other reason we are punished is so that we can learn and do
better. When we punish our children, it's not because we hate them,
but because we love them and we want them to learn and become better
human beings. Allah also loves us, and wants us to be purified, and to
fulfill our potential. That is a blessing from Allah.
So if you seem to be going through constant hardships, check
yourself.Be brutally honest as you assess your life. Ask yourself, "Am
I still on thestraight path, or have I wandered? Am I living my life
according to the Quran? Am I taking the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) as
my example? Am I sincere with people and myself?"
Recognize that if the misfortune you have experienced causes you to
analyze your life honestly and make positive changes, then there was a
purpose behind the pain. That toois a blessing.
5. Find Solace in the Simple Joys
We have established that no one is exempt from misfortune in this
life. The question is how to handle it. How do we deal with pain and
loss so that it does not overwhelm us? How do we continue to find
happiness in life?
To continue the waves metaphor, I was once knocked down by a largewave
when I was twelve years old. I lived in Tripoli, Libya at the time and
used to spend much of my free time at the beach. I was in water up to
my waist or so, when ahuge wave slammed into me and dragged me along
the bottom, under water, tumbling me over and over. I was panicked and
frightened and swallowed a lot of water.When I recovered, my skin was
scraped raw from the sand, and I knelton the beach, coughing up sea
water.
Other times I'd time the wave's entry and body surf on top. That was
so much fun.
Surfing atop the waves means that your troubles don't totally grind
you upand scrape your spirit raw like that wave did to me. Instead you
find solace in your relationship with Allah, and in the simple joys
of life. Sit down with your child on a cold evening and have a cup of
hot chocolate, and savor the rich taste. Pray Fajr then watch the sun
rise, and listen as the birds begin to wake and sing. Buy a camera and
take photographs of beautifulthings in nature, or anything that you
find appealing. Read the Quran, go for a hike, playfrisbee with your
friends.Devote some attention toyour hobbies, whether it be writing
poetry, knitting, running, or any other productive past time.
6. Be Grateful
Whatever blows hit you, you have been given the greatest gift and
blessingof all: Islam. It was not done because of any special merit
on your part. You are not more worthy of Islam than a poor herdsman
from Ethiopia, or a Japanese fisherman. It's only the grace of Allah.
Be grateful for your ability to see and hear, and for the food on your
table, and the roof over your head. You can't imagine living without
any of these things, but so many people do not have them! Focus on
what you have been given, rather than what you have been denied.
7. Keep a Sense of Wonder
Going back to my friend Samayya for a moment, I think one of the
reasons she has come through life's hardships so well is that she
continues to cultivate a sense of wonder. She is in awe of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala. She goes outside with her children to gazeat the
full moon. She can be inspired by an ayah from Quran, and moved by a
poem. Her sense of wonder keeps her spirit young, and her innocence
alive. She knows how to laugh. I won't say that she doesn't struggle
with anger, bitterness and fear, but don't we all? The trick is to not
let those negative emotions consume us. Experience them, then let them
go, and return to the sense of awe and wonder that makes us tremble
before Allah.
Read my recent poem, Fillit With Al-Fatihah , which deals with this
process of finding joy amid pain.
8. Reach Out to Others
When you are suffering, reach out in two ways. First, go to someone
you can trust and tell him or her about your problems.There is value
in sharing your pain. You may not want to burden someoneelse, but a
true friend willbe there for you, and willbe happy to listen. There is
a proverb: Happiness shared is happiness doubled; sadness shared is
sadness halved.
Second, reach out to others who are in pain and comfort them. You may
think you have nothing to offer, but you'd be surprised what a little
bit of gentleness can do. A kind word and a pat on the shoulder cando
wonders, and in the process you will experience a human moment, a
connection, that will help you with your own problems as well.
9. Accept Change
It's been said that chaos brings growth and liberty; while order
brings habit and stagnation. From the most difficult periods of your
life will come change. Continuing the waves metaphor, ocean waves keep
the beach clean by carrying away dead matter and debris; and they
bring in fresh water and food for the tide pools. At the same time the
waves leave behind beautiful sea shells and driftwood for collectors.
Think about a beach and how popular it is. Would anyone go to a beach
if ithad no ocean, or no waves? People go there to experience the
motionof the waves rushing in and out. The sea shore is a place of
constant change and renewal, andthat is its beauty.
I mentioned that I once got knocked down by a wave, and that sometimes
I would surf atop the waves. Well, other times I would dive straight
into the large waves. By diving into the center of the wave, you
negate its power and youcome out on the other side unharmed.
Diving into the wave means that you accept the hardship that has come
into your life. You approach it with sabr (patience) and
determination, trusting Allah, knowing that He will bring you through.
You embrace the lesson that it brings, for every single hardship in
life – big or small -carries a lesson.
To use an example from my own life, I went through a divorce in 2008,
then I was engagedto be married in 2009 and that relationship failed
as well. I went through a period when I was deeply depressed and
confused. I could notunderstand why Allah had led me down such a
lonely path. But I persevered. I kept my faith in Allah, and I tried
to be a good father to mydaughter. I continued working, writing, and
practicing martial arts. I also looked deeply into my own actions, and
questioned my own sincerity. I concluded thatregardless of what
mistakes other people may have made, I bore a share of responsibility
formy misfortunes. In my marriage, I was not fully present. For
various reasons, I held back someof my love. In the relationship that
followed, I was not 100% patient and trusting. I allowed my
insecurities and fears to get the best of me at times.
Coming to these realizations allows me the opportunity to do better
next time. I have pledged to hold nothing back with my future wife,
Insha'Allah, whoever that may be; to release all the immense love that
I have; and to be patient and trusting atthe times when I am mostfull
of fear. I have also become a better father, abetter writer, and a
better martial artist.
My pain was not wasted because I learned from it.I dived into the wave
andcame out the other side, confident that I am a better human being,
and that I will do better next time, Insha'Allah.
10. Ponder True Victory
There are two kinds of true victory. Neither one includes material
wealth, which is fleeting and ultimately meaningless:
"Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has islasting. And We will
surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best
of what they used todo." - Quran 16:96
The first true victory is spiritual success. That is recognizing
Allah's guidance, following it, sticking to it, and being grateful for
it. It's a victory because it helps us to live lives of meaning and
purpose, and to be peaceful and patient.

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And Allah knows best./