Mufti Menk – The Day of Arafah and Eid ul Adha
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Smilla Rahmanir Rahim Al hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam o Allah Abdullah, who Rasulullah Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi edge mine, my brothers, my sisters, the day of Arafa is the greatest day in the entire calendar. According to us, as Muslims, the whole year has many nights and days. And Allah has not kept all of them on the same level of spirituality. Just like the places are different. You come to a masjid, it has been given greater value by Allah Almighty than other places. In the same way. Ramadan has a different value. The best nights are some of the nights of Ramadan, with the best one being what is known as Les little cuddle, which means the Night of Decree, but as for the days,
we spoke about the nights, right, the Night of Decree, what about the days, the best day the most powerful day in which Allah forgives, maximum number of people so many that it's unimaginable for us is the Day of Arafah.
Now, today, being a Friday, the hood judge those who are fulfilling the pilgrimage are in ARAVA, we ask Allah to make it easy for them. We ask Allah to accept their dua, we ask Allah to grant them and accepted Hajj because the Prophet peace be upon him, says el hijo Arafa declaring the the importance of the Day of Arafah he says the Hajj is actually the Arafa being the biggest pillar of Hajj if you missed out Rafa, you missed your Hajj, may Allah Almighty grant us all the ability to visit and to fulfill the pilgrimage both the major known as the Hajj as well as the minor known as the Umrah, I mean, and like I said, may Allah accept it from them make it easy for them, grant them total
forgiveness, the Prophet peace be upon him says the one who fulfills Hajj in the correct way has no reward besides being forgiven, as pure as the day they were born. May Allah Almighty grant them that and the safe return to their families and inshallah we ask Allah Almighty to let
those from across the globe who have been unable to go for whatever reason, it may be, may Allah grant them the ease of passage and the ability to go, That having been said this Day of Arafah
I must mention that there is a difference of opinion regarding whether or not the rest of the globe is confined to the Hajaj going to Arafa? Or is it just the ninth of the ledger? Wherever we are.
Now that difference of opinion, you will never solve it because there are legitimate opinions on both sides. Just like your five daily prayers, no one ever tells you to follow another country because your sunrise and your sunset is unique to you. How Allah sought out the tahajjud time that is unique to every portion of the globe is up to him. It is Allah
a third of the night remaining. And you know, it's the time of the 100. But that's a different time from Makkah from Medina from Australia, from New York, from Europe, from Africa, from everywhere else how Allah does it, it's none of my business. It's up to Allah. All I know is Allah says for you, your sunrise and your sunset will determine your prayers, it will determine a lot for you. In the same way. The scholars have an opinion regarding the days themselves. You do eat when you see the moon and you do your Ramadan fasting when you see the moon, what if I haven't seen it? Someone else has seen it. That's where the scholars have differed. Some say, well, the East has to fast even
if the West has seen the moon and the West has to have read even if the East has seen the moon that is also a valid opinion for those who would like to follow it. And the others like what we follow in this country Zimbabwe, the regional sighting where if it is cited within our region, we will take it if it is acceptable. And if it is not cited within the region, we may not take it. Now what is the logic behind it? If we have a mutual cooperation with all the countries and the Muslims across the globe, that whoever is the first to cite it, we will all accept it. It may be workable that the whole world can do things together. But if we don't have that agreement, the problem is what if I
see the moon before you? That's a question. So what if today was our day of it?
We're stuck. Because in Makkah, it's Arafa, you get the point? Should we ignore the fact that we saw the moon before them? Or should we say, You know what we saw the moon and we are going to be doing our aid one day before when the Hajaj are in alpha. So we have a problem. People look at it one way, but they don't look at it the other way. And this is why I say it's okay, those who would like to have their day of Arafa. Today,
in accordance with what is happening to the Hajaj and they want to have the day of eat tomorrow, it is a valid opinion and those who will be doing it on Sunday, that they would calculate the Day of Arafah as the ninth of the Hijjah, which means tomorrow, whether or not the Hajaj are doing Fudger I'm not bound by it, whether or not the hedgehog are doing though and also, I'm not bound by it. My timings of opening the fast and starting the fast, are unique and in the same way it would be regarding the Day of Arafah and in no way am I belittling the other opinion. I'm just mentioning this because a lot of people are asking what should we do? Well, I tell you, whether you have done
it today or tomorrow, we still love you and you are still part of the Ummah and it does not mean you've made a big blunder. May Allah Almighty grant us ease there is scope of difference of opinion in Islam.
Now that we've got that aside, may Allah Almighty grant us goodness and unity remember, unity is not in uniformity. I don't have to wear the same clothes as you to be united with you. I don't have to eat the same food as you to be united with you. I don't have to think exactly like you to be united with you. That is not unity, that is uniformity. uniformity is generally impossible, the larger the number, may Allah Almighty grant us goodness, but unity is when you can learn to appreciate the difference of opinion within the scope that Allah has ordained. There is difference, no problem. Someone might do it this way someone might do it that way. For as long as there is some evidence to
prove that this is a valid opinion, we will say we are at peace we are united. I give you an example. The issue of cutting the nails and the hair. Where there is a Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where in which it is said
those who intend to sacrifice an animal should abstain from cutting their nails and their hair from the beginning of the ledger right up to when the animal is sacrificed by them. Do you know there is another opinion, hadith of eyeshadow the Allahu anha and she says it clearly that never did the Prophet sallallahu Sallam considered anything prohibited for himself from the beginning of the hedger up to when he sacrificed ever. So there is a clash of narrations. Let's not pretend like the narration we follow is the only one because then it's a cause of disunity simply because we are not getting uniformity. People will not be uniform with you. We will be united with those who believe in
the hadith of Aisha, Radi Allahu Allah as well as those who say no, we don't want to cut we don't want because there is another Hadith. Some might say, well, this is more correct than that. Well, there are scholars who say no, the other one is more correct than this, and so on. The debate would be endless. It's good to know it. It's good to recognize it in order to appreciate each other. The beauty of it all is something I'm about to mention.
The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is the only human being the only human being whom every statement of his someone somewhere on Earth is following it.
You see, so there is a narration slightly weaker, slightly stronger, according to me. According to you, it's the other way around. Maybe that one is slightly weaker, slightly stronger. What's the benefit of it? While I'm practicing on one you're practicing on another one, both of them are alive. These are the statements of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam uniqueness, so let's never try to shove an opinion down the throats of others when we know there is legitimate difference of opinion. So may Allah grant us goodness on a day of Arafah What are we supposed to be doing? Number one, it is a sunnah to fast because there is a teaching of the Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him that says, the expiation of sins both the previous and the current would happen for a person who fasts on the Day of Arafah powerful reward, right? Similarly, all types of acts of worship, what statements should we utter? Well, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says the best statement that I have said and the prophets before me La Ilaha illa Allah Hua who luxury color hula hula Moon koala hula ham Do you hear what you need to Hua Allah cliche in Kadir declaring the Oneness of Allah there is none worthy of worship besides Allah.
He is alone he has no partners to
To Him belongs absolutely everything in existence entire kingdom is his and All praise belongs to him. He gives life he takes life away, and he is all able all capable that is Allah. That statement of declaration of the greatness of Allah on the Day of Arafah is powerful, it is beautiful, repeat it often. But over and above that send blessings and salutations upon Mohammed Salah al salam throughout the day
Allahumma salli ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala ala Sayidina Muhammad in wa sahbihi wa barik wa sallam
sending blessings and salutations upon Mohammed Salah Salem will come returning to you with a 10 fold reward for yourself to do it often. More so today is a friday every friday we should be engaging in more Salawat similarly every day, we should set aside some time to engage in Salawat we praise Allah and we send blessings upon Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, what else should we do? seek forgiveness of Allah ask Allah's forgiveness for sins you have committed for soon as you know you committed and sins many of them you don't even know you've committed, nor would I because they are minus sins and sometimes we take it for granted. We're living in an environment that is not
wholly Islamic, obviously. So it is obvious that sometimes we would be doing things without realizing that we've done something may Allah make us more conscious, but you seek forgiveness of Allah. fuca Lima Allah Allah Maho, I seek your forgiveness Oh ALLAH for that which I don't even know. I don't even recognize my brothers, my sisters, if on the Day of Arafah you achieve forgiveness Wallahi it is powerful. It is powerful. It is one of the biggest gifts you can have any place that is auspicious. Like you entered the masjid, you seek the forgiveness and the mercy of Allah. As you enter the door you enter with your right foot and what do you say Allahumma salli wa
Bara hermetic Oh Allah open for me the doors of your mercy. Primarily forgive me and then give me everything from your mercy.
So these are some of the actions and some of the deeds we should be doing. The fasting is not for those who are in hajj. That's important. So the fasting of the day of Arafa is for those who are not at Hajj. If you are in hajj, there is no fasting for you not at all. Because you are in hajj. Allah does not want you to fast on the Day of Arafah and the subsequent days of Shrek
what are the days of turmeric the days of Tashlich are the days within which
we declare the greatness of Allah Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allah Allah. Allahu Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allah Allah Hill Hamed. That's the praise of Allah. Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest, there is none worthy of worship besides Allah for Indeed, Allah is the Greatest, none worthy of worship besides Him, and All praise belongs to him. That's the declaration, after every form of prayer, we all should be saying that statement from the morning of the day of Arafah, right up to the third day of tertiary but also almost 25 Salas that we should be saying this in. Are 23. May Allah Almighty grant us success? Why do we say the statement? It's not just something you are
chanting? Think about it. These are the days of greatness. Ibrahim alayhi salam, the sacrifice he made, what did he do? Perhaps on the day of Eid, we might hear more about the sacrifice. I promise you one of the things you should be doing on the Day of Arafah and prior to eat is to prepare for your sacrificial animal if you're going to sacrifice. The reason is the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, according to one ration says a person who is supposed to be sacrificing an animal and doesn't even bother and doesn't prepare about it shouldn't even be attending.
Obviously, that's an aeration. Like I said, there is difference of opinion whether it is totally compulsory, whether it is Sunnah, or whether it is only on the head of the family or every member of the family. These are differences of opinion in jurisprudence known as fake, it's okay. May Allah grant us the goodness, we follow what we know. And we continue and at the same time, we ask Allah to accept from us our sacrifice, because more important than the sacrificing of the animal is sacrificing for the sake of Allah. That which is holding you down onto the ground and disconnecting you from Allah in any way. Be it big or small. It's more important. La La Hola. Hello.
While Dima
working on I don't want to talk on what I mean.
Couldn't Allah Allah
clearly says, the meat of that sacrificial animal is not going to go to Allah. Nor will the blood go to Allah what goes to Allah, the piety, the God consciousness, the connection with Allah developed as a result of the sacrifice. What was it you need to know? Ibrahim Alayhi Salatu was Salam. He absolutely loved his son whom he had after so long and you know what he did?
Allah Almighty wanted to test Him Who do you love more? Subhanallah no question, masha Allah, what is it? We cannot say that it was holding him to the ground but it was a test for all of us. You love something so much? Is it coming between you and Allah? Your business? Is it such that you just leave your Salah, your earnings, your money? Did it make you arrogant, your power your opposition? Does it make you feel like you are better than others? If that's the case, put a knife to that bad habit. Slice it cut it Bismillah he Allahu Akbar, in the name of Allah. Allah is the Greatest, not your silly habit. Not your connection with your cars and your houses and your phones and your laptops and
your perfumes and your accessories and whatever else it may be. If it is coming in the way between you and Allah slice it. That's the sacrifice Bismillah Allahu Akbar. If you did not learn that you learn nothing. From the sacrifice, it's not about meat. My animal is big. The animal is so good. Come see we take photos, we send it across the globe. Look at how beautiful the animal but you are on drugs, my brother you are drinking alcohol cut the bottle you are eating interest, chop it out that is more important than that entire animal. Do you know that this is what it is?
Give up your bad habits, gambling, adultery, whatever it may be. That is the sacrifice. This is the day of Arafa for example, we are supposed to be people who are crying to Allah for our needs. Allah has created needs in us so that we can worship him if he wanted. He didn't need to create that. That's Allah. You say, I have a cough. I'm sick and ill Did you call out to Allah, Allah made you sick? Do you know that why so you get closer to him. When Allah takes away from you, it is in order to make you turn to Him. When Allah gives you it is in order to make you turn to him if you're a believer, but if you're not a believer, something bad happens. You turn to shaytan you turn to black
magic, you turn to something else. You become despondent, you become a person on drugs and alcohol and intoxicants simply because you don't believe has that ever helped anyone? No, zero. It made it worse. But if you're a believer Subhanallah
if a person doesn't believe their negativity, turns them away from Allah completely. You suffer the loss. Next thing the man is suicidal for what? Just ride through these days with the help of Allah in LA he we're in LA here, Roger your own. We all belong to Allah and ultimately we're all going to return to Allah subhanho wa taala.
So my brothers, my sisters, a blessed day, a powerful day. Remember to declare the praise of Allah. Remember to set aside a portion of time to send blessings and salutations to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Remember to declare the greatness of Allah and to seek forgiveness of Allah. Remember to come out with an act of charity give something even if it's $1 or two, mashallah, I see we've developed a gold coin already. Nobody's gonna ask for that yet just yet. It's coming in sha Allah.
Allah grant us these
two big development Mashallah. My brothers, my sisters, we should reach out to people even with a smile, we should reach out to people with goodness, learn to love one another we are good or a bad Allah He Juana the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says, be servants of Allah as brothers. Yes, you may have a difference. Don't become ugly about it. You can stay away from a troublemaker, no problem but you didn't become ugly. The minute it's our aim to do someone down we will not rest. We will not enjoy our Ibadah we will not enjoy our relation with Allah because the heart is dirty.
Man Allah help us cleanse. Similarly, the bad habits we promise Allah Oh Allah help us to eradicate it. We don't want it. Cut it out, even if it is the qualities of the heart. The jealousy, the hatred, the infilling sticking in cleaning towards material items. The celebration of Eagle of Ha is a celebration of separation from materialistic items of this dunya that might be bogging you down. That's what it is.
What are you living for? Ask yourself, you're a believer, you live for Allah, a person who forgets or a person who doesn't believe they live for money. They live for luxuries that are very, very temporary, very temporary. What luxuries? How much are you going to have? It's important to earn but earning Halal is an act of worship. ending in a beautiful way, Allah gives you Baraka, Allah gives you success. So may Allah grant that to us,
my brothers, my sisters,
the Day of Arafah,
the Hajaj are all calling out to Allah.
As we speak here today, there are millions of people in Arafat,
in the holy lands, all calling out to Allah, all dressed in a specific way, all following certain guidelines, all crying to Allah for their needs. At this moment,
we should be feeling this. And all of us should pray and make dua
that Allah alleviate the suffering of those who are struggling across the globe. When you and I think we have a problem, trust me, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says,
look at the one who has bigger problems than you, there are plenty of them. You will appreciate what you have on guru Illa man who are doing a quick look at those who have less than you. Look at those who are running away from war, from disaster, from disease, from oppression and hardship, from whatever else it may be. Look at those who have real problems. They cannot even sit the way we're seated, so calm and relaxed and content, yet we feel our life has come to an end. No, it hasn't. Your problems are a droplet in the ocean of another man's problems. May Allah grant us and all of them is.
Man is not used to having anything go wrong in his life. So when he does go wrong, it's upside down for him. But look at those whose lives are really upside down, look at them. And they are still thanking Allah, living in tents at times, living in refugee camps at times for the rest of their lives and they were millionaires just a few years ago. What happened? Do you think of them? Do you reach out to them with your DUA? Do you reach out to them with solidarity? What do you reach out to them with? So my brothers my sisters Day of Arafah
a day of recognizing one another, knowing one another. Thinking about one another we are an among the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him did not allow any man to dress differently. If he is fulfilling the pilgrimage, you have to dress in the same way. You are not allowed to be distinguished even by your sin, let alone anything else. Even by the smell. No perfume allowed. Why everyone would be competing with each other. What do you have? Oh, wow, nice smell nice. There's nothing at all. You're not allowed to cut your hair or anything. You're not allowed to wear a hat or a cap. You just go like everyone else. You're two pieces of cloth and you're there. What are you
declaring? I'm declaring that you know what? From everything, everything in existence, the only existence that is worth noting is that of Allah, that's it. That's what I'm declaring. Everything else, Allah says
will come to an end except for what Allah wills that Allah is in charge. And it should remind us of our grave the day we're going to return to Allah we will be alone again in shrouded in white pieces of cloth
resurrected in front of Allah answering questions about what what did you do your whole life everything Your Money Your deeds your habits your whatever else it may be my brothers my sisters the good news and I want to end on this note is
tilba Andrey repentance wipes out all the bad just like the people in Arafat today. Allah promises them that they will be forgiven. For as long as there is sincerity in the heart, they will be forgiven. The beauty is Allah promises that to all of us attack EBO minute them become Allah them Bella, the one who seeks forgiveness from a sin is equivalent to the one who doesn't have a sin at all. It's wiped out. Imagine how justice allah how justice he
one might say, well, how can you tie the two of them with the same rope? This one sinned and sought forgiveness and this one never sinned at all? How can they to be the same? While Allah Almighty says
this one is similar to that one in the sense that the sin is wiped out? If Allah wants to reward
would now in a greater way he will do that.
But minimum they're not going to be punished. The reward will be greater for the one who stuck
to the truth and to what was right from the very beginning evidence of it is Shaban Nasha Fe Bardot, Allahu Taala the Hadith where the prophet peace be upon him mentions people who will be VIPs in the shade of the day of Yama, he says, a youngster who grew up and while he was in his young age, bursting with energies, he knew he could do anything but for the sake of Allah, he didn't do whatever was haram. Allah says, He deserves the status. That's the highest status, right? May Allah Almighty grant us all high status, and for your information, those who love each other for the sake of Allah will be granted the same status because it's not easy to get along. Allah has made us all
different. Every one of us is different, no matter who your brother, your father, your uncle, whoever else related, not related, you are different. You are unique You are You, Allah made you you.
So to be able to get along with someone who's not me, is not going to be so easy. But within the guidelines and principles dished by Allah Almighty given to us, we would be able to achieve that love that bond that brotherhood May Allah Almighty accept from us once again, and may Allah Almighty grant us the goodness in this world and the next aku loco li ha wa sallahu wa salam ala Nabina Muhammad