ASK FORGIVENESS FOR YOUR PARENTS, RELATIVES, AND ALL BELIEVERS IN ARAFAT

Now that we are blessed with this divine grace and our requests and desires are fulfilled, we should seek forgiveness for our parents, relatives, neighbors, all believers, and the deceased ones. Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:

دُعاءُ المَرءِ لأخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الغَيبِ يَدُرُّ الرِّزقَ ويدفَعُ المَكروهَ

“A man’s supplication for his absent brother increases the sustenance and saves from evils.”^[129]

Imam Kazim (a.s) says:

مَن دَعا لأخِيهِ بِظهرِ الغَيبِ نودِيَ مِن العَرشِ: ولَكَ مِائَةُ ألفِ ضَعفٍ. فَكَرِهتُ أنْ أَدَعَ مِائَةَ ألفِ ضَعفٍ مَضْمونَةً لِواحِدةٍ لا أدِري تُستَجابُ أمْ لا.

“Whoever supplicates for his absent brother in faith, a call from the Divine Throne will say: let one hundred thousand times more be for you. So, I thought it was not advisable to leave one hundred thousand supplications certainly answered for one that might or might not be answered.”^[130]

WHAT A BLESSED DUAA!

Ibn Abi-Umeir reports the following on the authority of Zeid an-Nersi:

Muawieh ibn Wahab and I were in Arafat. He was reciting duaa while his eyes were full of tears. Listening carefully to him, I found out that he was not reciting a singly duaa for himself, rather he was supplicating for people from here and there mentioning their names and father’s names. When the pilgrims left Arafat, I said to him, ‘O uncle, I saw something strange about you.’ He asked, ‘what was strange?’ I answered, ‘In this holy place, you considered your brethren prior to yourself and recited duaa for them!’ He said, ‘O my nephew, do not be surprised, for I heard my master and master of every believing man and woman and master of the former and the coming generations after his immaculate fathers (a.s) (if I lie, let my ears become deaf, my eyes blind, and deprived of the Holy Prophet’s intercession) as saying:

“Whoever supplicates Allah for his absent brother in faith, an angel from heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let a hundred thousand times more than it be for you.’ And an angel from the second heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be two hundred thousand times more for you.’ And an angel from the third heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be three hundred thousand times more for you.’ And an angel from the fourth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be four hundred thousand times for you.’ And an angel from the fifth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be five hundred thousand time more for you.’ And an angel from the sixth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be six hundred thousand times more for you.’ And an angel from the seventh heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be seven hundred thousand times more for you.’ Then, Allah will say: ‘I am the Rich Who will never become poor. O servant of Allah, let there be a million times more for you.’”

‘O my nephew, which is better: to supplicate for oneself or for others?’^[131]

NOW, SUPPLICATION TO GOD

O Lord, now that You like to hear Your servant’s duaa for others and fulfill them, we ask You through the affinity and love of Your most beloved creatures; Mohammad and his household (a.s) to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s) and guide the human society on the right path of guidance. Also, make the ummah united to defend itself against atheism. Protect our youths against corruption. Do not separate our children and us from the Holy Quran and the household of the Holy Prophet (saw) in this world and the Hereafter. Fill our hearts with Your love and that of the Imams (a.s). Heal the patients all over the world very soon. Make our women chaste. Give a share of this reward to our parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, and the deceased. Keep us from the fire of Your wrath.

THE SUN IN ARAFAT IS SETTING

The sun in Arafat is setting and God’s banquet is coming to an end. O my beloved, I know this much that this humble person was Your guest and You, the Lord of the heavens and the earth were my Generous Host. Then, I have the right to say:

إِلهَِي، مَن الّذي نَزَلَ بكَ مُلتَمِساً قِراكَ فَما قَرَيتَهُ؟ ومَن الّذي أناخَ بِبابِكَ مُرتجِياً نِداكَ فَما أولَيتَهُ؟ أيَحْسَنُ أنْ أرجِعَ عَن بابِكَ بالخَيبَةِ مَصروفاً ولَستُ أعْرِفُ سِواكَ مَولىً بالإحْسانِ مَوصوفاً؟

“My Allah, who is the one who has come before Thee seeking hospitability? Who is the one who has dismounted at Thy door hoping for magnanimity, and to who Thou hast not shown it? Is it good that I come back from Thy door, turned away in disappointment, while I know of no patron qualified by beneficence but Thee?”^[132]

How proper it is to conclude the last moment of staying in Arafat with the prayer of Imam Hussein (a.s) on such a day. Here is a summarized translation of the prayer:

اَللّهُمّ إنّا نَتَوجَّهُ إلَيكَ في هَذهِ العَشِيَّةِ الّتي شَرَّفتَها وعَظَّمتَها بِمُحّمَدٍ نَبِيِّكَ ورَسولِكَ وخِيَرَتِكَ مِن خَلقِكَ وأمينِكَ عَلى وَحيِكَ البَشيرِ النّذيرِ السّراجِ المُنيرِ الّذي أَنعَمتَ بهِ عَلى المُسلِمينَ وجَعَلتَهُ رَحمَةً لِلعالمَينَ. اَللّهُمّ فَصَلِّ عَلى محَمَّدٍ وآلِ محَمّدٍ كَما محَمَّدٌ أهْلٌ لِذلِكَ مِنكَ يا عَظيمُ، فَصَلِّ عَليهِ وعَلى آلِهِ المُنْتَجَبِينَ الطَّيَِبِينَ الطّاهِرينَ أجمَعينَ وتَغَمّدْنا بعَفوِكَ عَنّا. فَإلَيكَ عَجَّتِ الأصْواتُ بِصُنوفِ اللّغاتِ، فَاجْعَلْ لَنا اللّهُمّ في هَذِهِ العَشِيَّةِ نَصيباً مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ تَقسِمُهُ بَينَ عِبادِكَ ونورٍ تَهدي بهِ ورَحْمَةٍ تَنشُرُها وبَرَكَةٍ نُتزِلُها وعافِيَةٍ تُجَلِّلُها ورِزقٍ تبَسُطُه يا أرْحَمَ الرّاحِمينَ. اللّهمّ اقْلِبنا في هَذا الوَقتِ مُنجِحينَ مُفلِحينَ مَبرورِينَ غانِمينَ ولا تجْعَلنا مِن القانِطينَ ولا تجْعَلنا مِن رَحمَتِكَ محْرومينَ ولا لِفَضْلِ ما نُؤَمِّلُهُ مِن عَطائِكَ قانِطينَ ولا تَرُدَّنا خائِبينَ ولا مِن بابِكَ مطْرودينَ يا أجْوَدَ الأجوَدينَ وأكْرَمَ الأكْرَمينَ إلَيكَ أقْبَلنا موقِنينَ ولِبَيتِكَ الحَرامِ آمِّينَ قاصِدينَ

“O Allah, we are turning our faces to You in this evening that You glorified and honored by Mohammad— Your Prophet, Messenger, Chosen one among Your creatures, Keeper of Your revelation, bearer of Your good tidings and warnings, and the bright light with whom You have blessed the Muslims and whom You have made mercy from people. Bless him and his household— the chosen ones, the pure, and the immaculate, and include us by means of Your reprieve. To You, voices of different tongues have directed. O Allah, give us in this evening a share of the blessings that you give to Your servants, light of guidance, mercy that You spread, blessings that You reveal, wellbeing that You extend, and abundant sustenance; You are certainly the Most Merciful of the merciful ones. O Allah, in this very time, include us with the successful, the thriving, the blessed, and the winning, and do not deprive us of Your mercy and of that for which we hope, and do not refute us with disappointment, and do not reject us from Your door. You are certainly the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Munificent of the munificent. We are directing towards You with full confidence and towards yours Sacred House with full intentions”^[133]

The sun in Arafat set amid tears, moaning, and lamentations of Imam Hussein (a.s) and his companions who then set out for al-Mash’ar al-Haram.

GOOD TIDINGS

Imam Sajjad (a.s) says:

إنّهُ لمّا وَقَفَ بِعَرَفَةَ وهَمَّتِ الشّمْسُ أنْ تَغيبَ، قالَ رسولُ اللهِ صلّى اللهُ عليهِ وآلِهِ: يا بلالُ، قُل لِلناّسِ فَليُنصِتوا. فَلمّا نَصَتوا قَالَ رسولُ اللهِ صلّى اللهُ عليهِ وآلِهِ: إنَّ رَبّكُم تَطَوَّلَ عَليكُم في هذا اليَومِ فَغَفَرَ لِمُحسِنِكُم وَشَفَّعَ مُحسِنَكُم في مُسيئِكُم، فَاَفيضوا مَغْفوراً لَكُم.

“During the Farewell Hajj, the pilgrims’ stay in Arafat was completed, the Holy Prophet (saw) said: “O Bilal, tell people to keep silent.” When they did, he (saw) said: “Today, Allah has favored you. He has forgiven the good ones among you and bestowed upon you the right of intercession for the bad ones. Hence, He forgave the bad ones with the intercession of the good ones. Now, set out and all of you have been forgiven by Allah’s mercy.”^[134]

Obviously the question of people’s rights is another topic in a way that the consent and satisfaction of the owner of a right is prerequisite for God’s forgiveness. Hence, all were forgiven “save those who violate people’s rights, for God in Just and will take the right of the oppressed from the oppressors.”^[135]

HALTING PLACE V: AL-MASH’AR AL-HARAM

فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُمْ مِنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ عِنْدَ المَشْعَرِ الحَرامِ

“So, when you hasten on from Arafat, then remember Allah near the Holy Monument— Al-Mash’ar al-Haram. (The Holy Quran; 2:198)”

Day of Arafat and staying in the plain of Arafat has come to an end and it is now the eve of the Eid ul-Adha.^[136] The pilgrims are prepared to move towards al-Mash’ar al-Haram. With the light of God’s cognition upon all hearts, we now depart from Mount Mercy to stay overnight in al-Mash’ar al-Haram and attend another banquet of God.

It is praiseworthy to delay the Maghrib –evening- and Eshaa –night- (obligatory) Prayers to be performed in al-Mash’ar al-Haram, but because of too many pilgrims, slow traffic and the fear of default, the Maghrib and Eshaa Prayers are performed in Arafat. After having a light dinner, the pilgrims set out for al-Mash’ar. There is a tumult among the crowd, for every pilgrim is busy taking away the tent, packing his personal effects, and getting on into buses. So, great care is needed not to be distracted. Under such circumstances, Satan tries to keep man preoccupied so as to deprive him of his spiritual state. The pilgrims might get angry at getting a seat in front or back of the bus, the quantity of food, or carriage of the effects. Hence, they should be as tolerant, soft, and good-tempered as possible, for God says:

وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللهُ، وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى

“Whatever good you do, Allah knows it; and make provision, for surely the provision is the guardian of oneself, and be careful of your duty to Me, O men of understanding. (The Holy Quran; 2:197)”

RESTRAIN YOUR ANGER

Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:

مَا مِن عَبدٍ كَظَمَ غَيظاً إلا زادَهُ اللهُ عَزّ وجلّ عِزاً في الدّنيا والآخِرَةِ. وقَد قالَ اللهُ عزّ وجَلّ: وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ.

“Whoever restrains his anger Allah will increase his honor in this world and the Hereafter. Allah says: Those who restrain their anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good to others. (The Holy Quran; 3:134)” ^[137]