الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد
اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيراً والْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيراً وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً،
لاَ إلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَه، صَدَّقَ وَعْدَه، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَأَعَزَّ جُندَهُ وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَه.
أشهد أن لآ إله إلاّ الله وأشهد أنّ محمَّداً رسولُ اللَّهِ صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسانٍ إلى يوم الدين. أما بعد:
تاريخ اليوم العاشر من شهر ذي الحجة، في السنةِ ألفٍ وأربعِ مائةٍ وستة وثلاثين
الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد
We are here in the season of the Hajj on the day of our Eid. On the tenth of Dhi’l-Hijjah, the Muslims in Makkah stone the jamrahs, shave their heads, leave behind their ihram and perform the tawaf al-ifadah. It is good that we consider some of the meanings encompassed in the rites which the Hajjis perform and the sacrifice which those of us able to do so make on this day after this prayer. These rites are some of the most ancient known to man and are transmitted to us and confirmed by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for this age in which we live.
The rites of the Hajj revolve around Adam and Ḥawwā’, and Ibrāhīm and his family, peace be upon them all.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “الْحَجُّ عَرَفَةٌ Hajj is ‘Arafah.”
ال القاضي وإنما سمي الموقف عرفة لأنه نُعِتَ لإبراهيم عليه السلام فلما أبصره عرفه، أو لأن جبريل كان يدور في المشاعر فلما رآه قال قد عرفت، أو لأن آدم وحواء عليهما السلام التقيا فيه فتعارفا، أو لأن الناس يتعارفون فيه (المناوي _ فيض القدير)
The Qāḍī said, “The place of standing was only called ‘Arafah because it was described to Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him, and then when he saw it he recognised it; or because Jibrīl used to go around the sites of religious significance and when he saw it he said, ‘I recognise it’; or because Adam and Ḥawwā’, peace be upon them, met there and recognised each other; or because people get to know each other there.”
‘Arafah is from the Arabic root meaning “to recognise”. From this same root we also derive ma‘rifah ‘knowledge, recognition or gnosis’, which is the very beginning of the dīn as that understanding of Divine essence and attributes, and the attributes of the Messengers by means of which the Muslim can worship Allah without association of partners with him. Used denoting the direct lived knowledge of Allah, exalted is He, it also denotes the end of the dīn itself. Thus the people of knowledge refer to people possessing this particular ma‘rifah as‘arif bi’llah – gnostic of Allah.
