The Prophet's Migration

All praises are due to Allah, who made the Day of Arafat a day of great value, wherein rewards and recompense are multiplied, and sins and burdens are forgiven. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that our master and Prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad, is Allah's servant and messenger. O Allah, send Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. To Continue: I advise you, O servants of Allah, and myself to have taqwa of Allah, to act in ways that please Him, and to prepare for meeting Him. For He says: وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ O Worshippers: We are approaching a day that Allah has greatly esteemed and raised above other days, swearing by it in His saying: وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: الْيَوْمُ الْمَشْهُودُ يَوْمُ عَرَفَةَ On this day, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, reveals Himself to whomever He wills of His servants, accepts their supplications, erases their bad deeds, multiplies good deeds, and decrees for them Paradise. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ It is not surprising that Allah showers His mercy on His servants on this day, for previously, He completed His favour upon them on this day, perfected their religion for them, and revealed to them His saying: الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا This verse was revealed on the Day of Arafat, on a Friday. So, glory be to Him who created and determined, who legislated and facilitated, and who completed the blessing of His religion sent unto us. To Him belongs all praise and gratitude. Servants of Allah: Recognize the true value of the Day of Arafat, appreciate its great virtue, seize its rewards and abundant recompense. Race towards good deeds on this day, compete in acts of obedience, and increase supplications and hopes with humble hearts, tearful eyes, and sincere emotions. Your beloved and exemplar, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would increase his supplications on this day and say: 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 One of the greatest acts of obedience on the Day of Arafat is fasting for those not performing Hajj. It is a day worth two years, as Allah forgives the sins of two years for fasting it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafat, and he said: يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ Another means of attaining forgiveness on the Day of Arafat is for a person to guard his tongue and limbs. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: إِنَّ هَذَا يَوْمٌ مَنْ مَلَكَ فِيهِ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ؛ غُفِرَ لَهُ O Allah, forgive our sins, accept our deeds, answer our supplications, ease our affairs, and guide us to obey You and act according to Your word: “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you” (Quran 4:59). I say this, and I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness for He is the most forgiving, most merciful. The Second Khutba All praises are due to Allah alone, and prayers and peace be upon him after whom there is no prophet, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow his guidance. Servants of Allah: Allah the Exalted has prescribed for you the sacrificial offerings during Eid to draw closer to Him, to seek His pleasure, to enhance your piety, to establish His remembrance, and to express gratitude to Him. He says: لَنْ ‌يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ ‌يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ Among the greatest wisdom of the sacrifice is gratitude to Allah for His blessings, including the blessing of life that He has granted us. So be content, offer sacrifices on behalf of yourselves and your families, be generous to your dependents, give gifts to neighbours and friends, and support the needy and the poor, so that love may increase among us, and joy may spread, rejoicing in the grace of our Lord and celebrating our Eid days. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: فَإِنَّهَا أَيَّامُ ‌أَكْلٍ ‌وَشُرْبٍ ‌وَذِكْرٍ لِلَّهِ O Allah, send Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon him and upon his family and all his companions. Be pleased, O Allah, with the rightly-guided Caliphs and the honoured companions. O Allah, make our tongues fragrant with Your remembrance, and fill them with gratitude to You. Bestow upon us Your favour. O Allah, accept our repentance, wash away our sins, answer our prayers, guide our hearts, direct our tongues, grant perpetual happiness in our homes, and continual goodness in our country. O Allah, accept the pilgrimage of the pilgrims, make their rituals easy for them, protect them and their families, and return them safely to their homelands with forgiven sins and accepted efforts. O Allah, grant the UAE safety, stability, progress, and prosperity, and spread mercy and peace throughout the world. O Allah, guide the President of the Nation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his faithful Crown Prince, to what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, the founding leaders, Sheikh Maktoum, and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, and admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious gardens, and encompass the martyrs of the nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and women, the believing men and women, the living and the dead. Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Great and the Majestic, and He will remember you. Thank Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.