Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊ The Day of Arafah is a day of Allah’s mercy; therefore, fasting on this day is Sunnah. However, for pilgrims, fasting on this day is prohibited because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not fast in Arafat. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Fasting, Chapter: Fasting on the Day of Arafah, Hadith: 1988)

➋ Allah’s nearness and His speaking are among His attributes, the reality of which is unknown to the servants. One must have faith in the divine attributes, but these attributes should not be considered similar to the attributes of the creation.

➌ During Hajj, the servants gather in Arafat to seek Allah’s pleasure and mercy; thus, they attain this mercy and forgiveness.

(1) “Slaves and slave-girls” refers to ordinary men and women, because all human beings are, in reality, slaves and slave-girls of Allah Ta’ala.

(2) “Freed from the Fire” means those for whom, due to their sins, the Fire was decreed—Allah Ta’ala grants them forgiveness. As a result, on the Day of Resurrection, they will be saved from the Fire. Since forgiveness occurs on the Day of ‘Arafah, the attribution of freedom is made to this day, otherwise, the actual freedom will be on the Day of Resurrection. It is possible that Allah Ta’ala also grants forgiveness and freedom from the punishment of the grave to the deceased on this day.

(3) “Even closer”—Allah Ta’ala is sovereign in His actions and attributes; therefore, there is no objection to Allah Ta’ala drawing near, in a manner befitting His majesty. Some individuals, based on a few supposed and baseless principles, have rendered Allah Ta’ala (ma’adh Allah) so powerless and helpless that they consider anything to be prohibited for Allah Ta’ala. Our Allah—the Lord of sinners, the Lord of the helpless, the Lord of all creation—cannot be so powerless and helpless that He cannot show mercy to anyone, cannot converse with anyone, cannot speak, cannot be pleased, cannot draw near, and cannot be established above the Throne. Therefore, there is no need for interpretations (ta’wilat). Yes, when Allah Ta’ala is near, then necessarily His mercy will also be near. This cannot be denied.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: In Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq, there is a narration from Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma, from which the correct meaning of this hadith is understood: that Allah ta‘ala descends to the sky of the world, and commands the angels, “My servants, disheveled and dust-covered, have come here, hoping for My mercy, fearful of My punishment, even though they have not seen Me. If they were to see Me, what would their state be?”

After expressing this pride and boasting, He asks them, “After all, for what purpose have these people left their homes, families, and businesses? Why have they spent their wealth and time, enduring the hardships and difficulties of travel to come here?” That is, apart from seeking My forgiveness, My pleasure, and nearness and meeting with Me, they can have no other purpose.

They have come solely to please Me and to seek forgiveness for their sins, so that they may attain My nearness.