الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا، ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمداً عبده ورسوله، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين

We are now in the blessed 10 days of Dhu Al-Hijja and these days are important because they are concluded by the most important step in the Hajj which is standing on mountain of Arafat and then followed by the celebration of Eid Al-Adha.    We pray to Allah to grant us the opportunity to be on Arafat next year. 

As a reminder before I discuss the main topic on the relevance of standing on Arafat during the Hajj, we need to be reminded of what the Prophet (PBUH) said regarding these days, the (PBUH) said:

ما من أيام العمل الصالح فيهن أحب إلى الله من هذه الأيام العشر

“There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” [Bukhari]

The righteous deeds that we need to be engaged in these days may include:

1. Reading the Quran.
2. Increasing the voluntary (Nawaafil) ritulas such as prayers, giving charity, and fasting; in hadeath Qudsi, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

(وما تقرب إليّ عبدي بشيء أحب إليّ مما افترضته عليه….) رواه البخاري

My servant does not draw nearer to me by anything more than what I made obligatory upon him. 

Fasting, particularly on the day of Arafat (this coming Thursday) is very valuable, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

عن أبي قتادة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل عن صوم يوم عرفة فقال: (يكفّر السنة الماضية والباقية) رواه مسلم.

“Fasting the day of Arafat expiates the sins of two years: the past one and the coming one.” [Muslim]

3. Making lots of dhikr, the Prophet (PBUH) said

ما من أيام أعظم عند الله ولا أحب إليه من العمل فيهن من هذه العشر، فأكثروا فيهن من التهليل والتكبير والتحميد

“There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahleel (Laa ilaha ill-Allah), takbeer (Allah Akbar) and tahmeed (Al-hamdu Lillah) during them.” [Ahmad]

4. Making lots of Istighfar by seeking forgiveness for all our wrongdoings,
5. Increasing ties with kinship, regarding ties with kinship, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله تعالى عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «مَن سرَّه أن يُبسَط له في رزقه، وأن يُنسأ له في أثرِه، فليَصِل رَحِمَه»؛ (البخاري ومسلم)،

“Whoever would like his provision to be increased and his lifespan to be extended, should maintain the ties of kinship.” [Bukhari]

Hajj is one of the five foundational pillars on which Islam is built.  Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) said:  I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:

عن عبد الله بن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: (بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله، وإقام الصلاة ، وإيتاء الزكاة ، وحج البيت ، وصوم رمضان ) رواه البخاري ومسلم .

“Islam has been built on five [pillars]: 1) testifying that there is no god but Allah and  except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, 2) establishing the salah (prayer), 3) paying the zakat (obligatory charity), 4) making the hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, and 5) fasting in Ramadhan.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

While a Muslim is obligated to perform Hajj only once in his life and only if he can afford financially it, it does not mean that Hajj is not as important as the other rituals.  Hajj may actually be the most important ritual.   The Prophet (PBUH) said:

من ملك زاداً وراحلة تبلغه إلى بيت الله الحرام فلم يحج فلا عليه أن يموت يهودياً أو نصرانياً، وذلك أن الله يقول: وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَاعَ إِلَيۡهِ سَبِيلاً۬‌ۚ  وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ. )رواه الترمذي و البيهقي(

“Whoever has the resources to perform the Hajj and does not; let him die as Christian or a Jew because Allah commanded it by saying: 

وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَاعَ إِلَيۡهِ سَبِيلاً۬‌ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ

As a right of Allah that the people perform the Hajj of the House on everyone who can afford it, and whosoever disbelieves, Allah is independent of all the worlds. (Al-Imran 3: 97) (The verse ties the person who has the means but don’t perform Hajj with disbelief)   

It is reported that Sayedna Omar said:

عن عمر بن الخطاب قال: لقد هممت أن أبعث رجالاً إلى هذه الأمصار فينظروا كل من له جدة ولم يحج فيضربوا عليه الجزية ما هم بمسلمين ما هم بمسلمين. لفظ سعيد ولفظ البيهقي أن عمر قال: ليمت يهودياً أو نصرانياً يقولها ثلاث مرات رجل مات ولم يحج ووجد لذلك سعة وخليت سبيله

“I was on the verge of sending my men to all the states to check on those who have financial resources to perform Hajj and did not to impose on them the Jizia because they are not Muslims, they are not Muslims (repeating it twice)”

 And in another narration, he said:

“Let him die as Jew or Christian (he repeated this 3 times), the man who dies without performing the hajj while he had the resources to perform the Hajj.”

Obviously, it is too late to make the Hajj this year but as remainder for those who can afford it but have not done it yet to please make the commitment to fulfill this obligation next year.

I said Hajj may be the most important ritual in Islam because it is the one ritual that wipes the record of the person clean from all sins and the person will return from Hajj as if he was born again.  Abu Huraira (أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said,

قَالَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ مَنْ حَجَّ لِلَّهِ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ ‏”‏‏.‏

“Whoever performs Hajj for Allah’s pleasure and abstain from sex, and does not commit evil, will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he was born anew.”

Out of all the rituals that one performs in Hajj, the most important is standing on Arafat.  Abdu Rahman ibn Ya’mar (عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْمَرَ) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْحَجُّ عَرَفَةُ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ لَيْلَةَ عَرَفَةَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ مِنْ لَيْلَةِ جَمْعٍ فَقَدْ تَمَّ حَجُّهُ ) سنن النسائي(

“The Hajj is Arafat. Whoever reaches the night of Arafat before the rising of the sun at dawn the next day (the day of sacrifice), he has completed his pilgrimage.” (Sunan al-Nasā’ī)

The time for Standing on Arafat is from noon time of the 9^th of the Dhu Al-Hijja to the Fajr time of the 10^th).  If one misses standing on Arafat, his Hajj is invalid.

وزمن الوقوف ما بين زوال الشمس يوم عرفة يوم التاسع من ذي الحجة وهو يوم عرفة إلى طلوع الفجر من ليلة النحر

Many of the rituals that we perform during the Hajj are enactment of events encountered by Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajar and his son Ismael. 

We traverse between the mountains of Safe and Marwa as representation of what Sayeda Hajr did when she was left alone with her infant son and she was looking for any caravan passing by.

We drink from the spring of Zamzam as she did when she went to rest after the traversing between the Safa and Marwa to find that water was gushing from under the feet of her son Ismael.

We circle around the Kabba that was rebuilt by Prophet Ismael and his son Ismael.

We go to Mina, cast the stones at Satan, go to the Muzdalaha as representation to the journey of Prophet Ibrahim with his son Ismael to fulfill the vison of sacrificing him. 

All rituals of the Hajj can be related to certain events in the history of Islam, mainly form the time of Prophet Ibrahim.   But there is one ritual whose significance is not understood while it is the most important one which is standing on the mountain of Arafat.

Since every ritual in the Hajj is an enactment of a transformational event impacting religious, historical and human dimensions, one would expect that the ritual of standing on Arafat should represent an event that is far more transformational and far more critical than all other events.

There is no hadeath that gives us an explanation on the historical relevance of standing in Arafat. But there are several speculations in the books of Tafseer.  These speculations are mainly driven by reference to the mountain name Arafat which could have been derived from the root “A’rafa” (عرف) that means “to know” and “to recognize”.

قال القرطبي في التفسير وغيره: وقالوا في تسمية عرفة بهذا الاسم لأن الناس يتعارفون فيه، وقيل لأن جبريل عليه السلام طاف بإبراهيم فكان يريه المشاهد فيقول له: أعرفت أعرفت؟ فيقول إبراهيم عرفت عرفت. وقيل لأن آدم عليه السلام لما أهبط من الجنة هو وحواء التقيا في ذلك المكان فعرفها

The most popular speculation in books of Tafseer is that when Allah sent Adam and Hawa (Eve) to earth, they landed at different places.  This speculation says that Adam landed in India and Hawa landed somewhere else.  But they met for the first time in earth at the mountain Arafat.

Another speculation is that Jibreal took prophet Adam around to show him places and when he took Adam to the mountain of Arafat, he asked Adam, do you know it (أعرفت) and Adam responded, yes, I know (عرفت) and this why the name is Arafat.

A third speculation is that Arafat is the place where people get introduced to each other during Hajj.

A fourth speculation is that the assembly at Arafat simulates the assembly during the day of Judgement and this gives it its importance among the rituals of Hajj.  

Regarding the last speculation, I feel that a far better simulation of the assembly on the day of judgement is when the call for prayer in made from (المسجد الحرام) the sacred Mosque (Kabba) during the Hajj time.  The image that I still recall still is the scene of the people descending from the alleys of the different mountains surrounding the Kabba in their Ihram shroud towards the call for the prayer.  When I reflect on this image, I imagine the sound of the trumpet that will wake everyone from the grave and all the people will be marching from all directions towards the sound of the trumpet for their judgment, while wrapped with whatever remains form their “Kafan”.

Unfortunately, you cannot get this feeling now, because of all the major construction and high-rise buildings around the kabba.

I realize that one of these speculations may be convincing to you and this is fine.  But I’ll offer an alternative explanation because I believe that the assembly on Arafat must be simulating a major event in the history of the human race to make the standing on Arafat the most important ritual in all the Hajj.  

When we study the Quran, we read of only one event at which all the human race was assembled.   Allah informed us of this very important assembly at which all mankind attended and were given the ability to speak and they spoke responding to Allah’s question.  Could standing on the Mountain of Arafat be an enactment (representation) and reminder of this assembly that we all have forgotten. 

Allah informs us of this assembly in Surat Al-Araf. Allah says: 

وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَہُمۡ وَأَشۡہَدَهُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ‌ۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ‌ۛ شَهِدۡنَآ‌ۛ أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ إِنَّا ڪُنَّا عَنۡ هَـٰذَا غَـٰفِلِينَ (١٧٢) أَوۡ تَقُولُوٓاْ إِنَّمَآ أَشۡرَكَ ءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبۡلُ وَڪُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً۬ مِّنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ‌ۖ أَفَتُہۡلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ (١٧٣)

“(Recall) when your Lord took from the children of Adam their descendants from the loins, and made them testify about themselves (by asking them,) “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Indeed, You are. We testify.” (We did so) just in case you may say on the Day of Judgment, “We were never unaware of this,” (172)

Or you would say, “It was our fathers who associated partners, and we are their descendants, would you then destroy us because of what those who follow falsehood did?”  (Al-Araf 7:172-173) 

Regarding this first and very important assembly of human race, the Prophet (PBUH) provided more details in several of his ahadeath.   It is reported that Ibn Abbas (ابن عباس) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

قال ابن عباس : إن الله لما خلق آدم مسح ظهره ، وأخرج ذريته كلهم كهيئة الذر ، فأنطقهم فتكلموا ، وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ، وجعل مع بعضهم النور ، وإنه قال لآدم : هؤلاء ذريتك آخذ عليهم الميثاق : أنا ربهم ، لئلا يشركوا بي شيئا ، وعلي رزقهم .

“When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back, and took out all his descendants in the size of ants (dhar, الذر)  (so, they were l in their natural look but small in size of  ants) and made them speak and they spoke, and He made them testify on themselves, and he made light with some of them, and He said to Adam: These are your descendants I took their covenant that I am their Lord and that they should not associate anything with Me and that I am responsible for their livelihood”.

A similar hadeath by reported by Ubay ibn Kaab (أبي بن كعب) who reported that he heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying:

عن أبي بن كعب في قوله : ( وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذرياتهم ) قال : جمعهم ، فجعلهم أزواجا ، ثم صورهم فاستنطقهم فتكلموا ، ثم أخذ عليهم العهد والميثاق وأشهدهم على أنفسهم ” ألست بربكم قالوا بلى ” قال : إني أشهد عليكم السماوات السبع [ والأرضين السبع ] ، وأشهد عليكم أباكم آدم أن تقولوا يوم القيامة : لم نعلم بهذا ، اعلموا أنه لا إله غيري ولا رب غيري ولا تشركوا بي شيئا ، إني سأرسل إليكم رسلي يذكرونكم عهدي وميثاقي ، وأنزل عليكم كتبي ، قالوا : شهدنا بأنك ربنا وإلهنا ، لا رب لنا غيرك ، ولا إله لنا غيرك ، فأقروا ،  ورفع عليهم آدم – عليه السلام – ينظر إليهم  ورأى الأنبياء فيهم مثل السرج عليهم ، خصوا بميثاق آخر في الرسالة والنبوة ، وهو قوله تعالى : وإذ أخذنا من النبيين ميثاقهم إلى قوله : عيسى ابن مريم – عليهما السلام – كان في تلك الأرواح ، فأرسله إلى مريم – عليها السلام –

Allah gathered all human beings, divided them into different groups, granted them human form and the faculty of speech, made them enter into a covenant, and then made them witnesses against themselves.

He asked them: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They replied: ‘Indeed, you are Our Lord.’

Then Allah said: ‘I call upon the sky and the earth and your father, Adam, to be witness against you lest you should say on the Day of Judgement that you were unaware of this.

You should know well that no one other than Me deserves to be worshipped and no one other than Me is your Lord. So do not ascribe any partner to Me.

I shall send to you My Messengers who will remind you of this covenant which you made with Me. I shall send down to you My Books.’

In reply all said: ‘We testify that You are Our Lord and our Deity. We have no Lord or deity other than You.

Then Allah raised Adam to look at them and he saw the Prophets with sharp light over them and they were given special covenant and this explains Allah’s saying:

وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِيثَـٰقَهُمۡ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ۬ وَإِبۡرَٲهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَى ٱبۡنِ مَرۡيَمَ‌ۖ وَأَخَذۡنَا مِنۡهُم مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظً۬ا (٧)

“And We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you and from Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, We took from them a firm covenant.” (Al-Ahzab 33:7)” (Ahmad) 

This scene of having all the human race standing in front of Allah will be repeated again on the Day of Judgement as Allah describes it to us in Surat Al-Kahf as He says:

وَعُرِضُوا عَلَى رَبِّكَ صَفًّا لَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ بَلْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَلَّنْ نَجْعَلَ لَكُمْ مَوْعِدًا

“And they will be marshaled before your Lord in lines, (with the announcement), “Now you have come back to Us as We created you the first time; yet you thought We would not fulfill the appointed time made for you. “(Al-Kahf 18:48)

The standing in Arafat is  a simulation and reminder of this assembly and reaffirmation of our original covenant that there is no God but Allah. Therefore, the one statement that all the people on Arafat keep repeating is what the Prophet (PBUH) taught us to say on Arafat which is:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

There is no god but Allah alone, without any partners, unto him belong the dominion and all praise and he has power over all things.”   

Amr ibn Shu’ayb (عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ خَيْرُ الدُّعَاءِ دُعَاءُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَخَيْرُ مَا قُلْتُ أَنَا وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ قَبْلِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ   )سنن الترمذي باب في دعاء يوم عرفة(

“The best supplication is the one made on the day of Arafat and the best of what I and all the Prophets before me said is:  

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِير

There is no god but Allah alone, without any partners, unto him belong the dominion and all the praise and He has power over all things.”  (Sunan al-Tirmidhī)

One may suggest that standing on Arafat is a reenactment of the human race assembly at the time of the first creation in (عالم الذر) (the microscopic world).  By standing there, the true believers reaffirm the covenant that they made with Allah to worship none but Him.   This is why Allah will be so proud with them because they have never forgot their original covenant.   Jabir (جَابِرٍ) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيُبَاهِي بِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَهْلَ السَّمَاءِ فَيَقُولُ انْظُرُوا إِلَى عِبَادِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا ضَاحِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْا عَذَابِي فَلَمْ يُرَ يَوْمٌ أَكْثَرُ عِتْقًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَة) صحيح ابن حبان (

“No day is better to Allah than the day of Arafat. Allah descends to the lowest heaven and He boasts to the inhabitants of the heavens about the inhabitants of the earth, saying: Look at My servants, appearing untidy and dusty. They came from every mountain pass hoping for My mercy; though they haven’t seen My punishment. There is no other day in which more people will be saved from Hellfire than the day of Arafat.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān)

A similar hadeath was narrated by Sayeda Aisha (عَائِشَةُ) who reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنْ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَدْنُو ثُمَّ يُبَاهِي بِهِمْ الْمَلَائِكَةَ) صحيح مسلم(

 “There is no day upon which Allah frees more of his servants from the Hellfire than the day of Arafat. He draws near and then he boasts about them to the angels” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

So, all those people who will stand on Arafat will be forgiven and as the Prophet (PBUH) said: (الْحَجُّ عَرَفَةُ) “The Hajj is Arafat” and said (مَنْ حَجَّ لِلَّهِ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ)  “Whoever performs Hajj for Allah’s pleasure and abstain from sex, and does not commit evil will return (from Hajj free from all sins) as if he was born anew.”

Those people who stood in Arafat will descent, from it as if they were born again by being completely free of sin, as they were when they stood in the original assembly, free from sin.  

Where was this first assembly held when people were in (عالم الذر) (the microscopic world) and their size was so small as the size of ants?   Keep in mind that when we speak about that time, it is part of the unseen world and no one can speculate regarding it.  The question can only be answered by divine revelation.   It is reported by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said:

روى الإمام أحمد في (مسنده) بإسناد صحيح إلى ابن عباس قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((أخذ الله الميثاق من ظهر آدم بنعمان – يعني عرفه – فأخرج من صلبه كل ذرية ذرأها، فنثرهم بين يديه كالذر، ثم كلمهم قُبُلاً قال: أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنا كُنا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ [الأعراف: 172-173])

 . )ورواه النسائي ، وابن جرير ، وابن أبي حاتم ، والحاكم في المستدرك(

“Allah took the covenant from the children of Adam at Na’maan (نعمان), meaning Arafat; Allah took form Adam’s lion all his descendants and spread them between His hands as small as ants and talked to them directly saying, “Am not your Lord and they all said;  We testify that You are our Lord, Allah said:  This is so you don’t  say on the Day of Judgment, “We were never unaware of this, Or you would say, “It was our fathers who associated partners, and we are their descendants, would you then destroy us because of what those who follow falsehood did?”  (Al-Araf 7:172-173) (Ahmad)

The valley of Na’man is the largest valley in Makkah and it is on the south side of mountain of Arafat.   From this hadeath, one can conclude that the first human assembly during which Allah took from the human race the covenant to worship no one but Him was in the area of mountain of Arafat.  

It is also quite interesting to note that the completion of the religion of Islam was declared by Allah on mountain Arafat.   It is reported in both Bukhari and Muslim that a Jewish man said to the Khalifa Omar ibn al-Khattab:  

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ الْيَهُودِ قَالَ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ آيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِكُمْ تَقْرَءُونَهَا لَوْ عَلَيْنَا مَعْشَرَ الْيَهُودِ نَزَلَتْ لَاتَّخَذْنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ عِيدًا قَالَ أَيُّ آيَةٍ قَالَ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمْ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا قَالَ عُمَرُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْمَكَانَ الَّذِي نَزَلَتْ فِيهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بِعَرَفَةَ يَوْمَ جُمُعَةٍ  ) صحيح البخاري (

 “O leader of the believers, there is a verse you recite in your book, had it been revealed to us as Jews, we would have taken that day as a day of celebration.”

Omar said, “Which verse is it?” The man said:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمْ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“Today I have completed your religion for you, perfected My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.” (Al-Maeda5:3)

Omar said, “I know the day and place in which this verse was revealed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It was while he was standing on the day of Arafat on Friday.”  (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

Finally, we note that we start the Hajj by answering Allah’s call by the proclamation;

. لبيك اللهم لبيك.. لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك.. إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك. لا شريك لك

We are here to answer Your invitation and be completely obedient You. Praise, Blessings and the Kingdom is for You, there is no partner to You. 

And when we stand on Arafat, we make the ultimate proclamation:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِير

There is no god but Allah alone, without any partners, unto Him belong the dominion and all praise and He has power over all things.

This proclamation that we make at Arafat is a reaffirmation of our covenant with Allah and a declaration that we are steadfast on this covenant that you, Allah, is our Lord and that there is no god but You.

We pray to Allah to grant us the opportunity to stand on Arafat next year and reaffirm our covenant with Allah, so we return as if we were born again, free from all sin.

DUA