Masterplan for the Day of Arafah | Ustadh Mohamad Baajour

In 2012, there was a giant electronic store in Germany called Saturn. Saturn was about to open their 150th location. So they made a competition on their Facebook page.

And the winner of the competition will get 150 seconds in any location and get whatever they want for free. When the date came and the winners were announced, there were three of them. The first, when he heard go, he went inside the store looking left and right and grabbing whatever he can.

Long story short, he came out with maybe 1,000 euro worth of stuff. The second ran in the store, he kept on not knowing where the expensive things are. And then he grabbed maybe around 1,500 euro worth of stuff.

Then Sebastian came. Sebastian, when he heard the word go, he went exactly where the most expensive things are. He knew what to do and he knew where to go.

He even put two huge TVs next to each other and he made them a cart. And he started pushing them and he started putting stuff on them. And took that whole thing to where he's supposed to put his stuff.

And he kept on going back and forth and getting all kinds of iPads, iPhones, you name it. And he came out with 29,000 euro worth of merchandise. And when he finished, he screamed and said, my plan worked.

My plan worked. Of course, as a matter of fact, if you go to YouTube and put Saturn, Sebastian 2012, you will actually watch him grabbing all these things. So it's not a fake story.

So when he finished, you're going to see in the video tons of media coverage. They asked him, what did you mean by my plan worked? He said, since they announced for the competition, I came to this location every single day. And I memorized where everything is.

And I started making plan that if I won, what am I going to do? What am I going to get first? Where are the most expensive merchandise? And that's why I said, my plan worked. Sebastian's plan for gaining 29,000 euros of Dunia gain worked. What is your plan for the day of Arafah where your neck will be saved from the hellfire?

The Virtues of the Day of Arafah

My brothers and sisters, Rasulullah ﷺ told us many virtues of this day. And I will mention a few for me and you to get motivated to start planning from today. In order for our plan to work, our strategy to work. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

Officially, Tuesday is the day of Arafah. And it is, first, it is the day on which Allah Azza wa Jal has perfected the deen. A Jewish man came to Umar and he said, You have an ayah in your book.

If it was revealed to us Jews, we would have made that day as a Eid. So Umar said, what ayah is it? He said, the ayah in Surah Al-Ma'idah where Allah Azza wa Jal said,

Today, I have perfected your deen and I have completed my blessing upon you. And I, Allah, have made Islam as your deen, have accepted and decreed that Islam is the only deen.

So Umar said, I know when and where this ayah was revealed. It was revealed on a Friday where Rasulullah ﷺ was standing on the day of Arafah. So number one, it is the day where our deen is completed.

Second, it is a day where the Azeem himself, Allah Azza wa Jal, swore by that day. And the greatest only swears by the greatest. Allah Azza wa Jal said,

A surah that we all know by heart where Allah Azza wa Jal swore by these three days.

Abu Huraira and Ibn Abbas they said, الْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ Here is the day of judgment. وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَشْهُودِ And the witness day is the day of Arafah. وَالْيَوْمِ وَالشَّاهِدِ هوَ يَوْمُ الْجُمْعَةِ It's the day of Friday.

So Allah Azza wa Jal swore by this day. Another motivation for this day, Rasulullah ﷺ, he told us in a hadith in Sahih Muslim, fasting on this day. Fasting on the day of Arafah for other than the hajji.

Two years of sins will be forgiven. A previous year and a coming year. So that means 15 hours of fasting. 15 hours of fasting will delete 730 days of sins. Sins that you did not even commit yet. A previous year and a coming year of sins.

Allahu Akbar, how great is Allah Azza wa Jal. Fourth motivation, subhanAllah.

(Sahih Muslim)

No day, no day where Allah Azza wa Jal forgives or frees people from the hellfire as much as the day of Arafah. So this is Tuesday, is the most day that Allah Azza wa Jal will free people's neck. It will be decreed that this person is freed from the hellfire.

That's the most day. I want my name to be on the list. May Allah make my name and your name and everyone who's watching us name on that list of the people whom their neck will be saved on the day of judgment.

Comparison to Laylatul Qadr

My brothers and sisters, when we are in the month of Ramadan, we all get very excited, masajid packed because of the Laylatul Qadr, the last ten nights. And we should, but we all know that the actual night is hidden. All we know, it's one of the odd nights in the last ten nights.

So we strive for ten nights. SubhanAllah, in this day, it is already known. So instead of ten days, it's only one day. The day of Arafah is known. It is one day to strive and work extremely hard to earn all these rewards we just mentioned.

Second, on the day or on the night of Laylatul Qadr, Allah Azza wa Jal said,

On that night, the angels and Jibreel Alayhis Salaam, they descend. On the day of Arafah, Allah Azza wa Jal himself descends as the hadith we just narrated. Even though he descends on every single night on a way that befits his majesty, but on the day of Arafah, he descends on the daytime. Allah descends compared to the angels descend.

So my brothers and sisters, this is a great ni'mah that we already know when is that day and the rewards that we will earn if we struggled and worked hard on that day.

The Masterplan for the Day of Arafah

So inshallah ta'ala, I will suggest a schedule for me and you to try to apply because simply, we might make it to Tuesday and we might not. And every one of our beloved brothers and sisters that departed before Tuesday, they did not know that last Arafah was actually their last Arafah, right?

Monday Night Preparation

So, what should we do? On Monday night, you go to sleep early because you have a big day, the biggest day of the year ahead of you.

Pre-Fajr

You get up one hour, if you get up earlier, that is better. One hour before Fajr, Fajr 4.55, 4 o'clock, you put your alarm and you get up. You make a beautiful, perfect wudu and you pray. Two raka'a, four raka'a. And then you go and you have your suhoor because you are fasting. You are fasting on that day. I want to get the ajr of two years of sins expiated.

But leave ten minutes before Fajr to make a lot of istighfar. Leave few minutes before the time of Fajr, not the iqamah of Fajr, before the time of the adhan of Fajr to make a lot of istighfar.

Why? Because I want to be from al-mustaghfireena bil-ashar. Allah praised the people who make istighfar at the time of suhoor.

Any form of istighfar and the best form of istighfar is the one that the sayyid of the khulq called it sayyid al-istighfar.

All the way to the end. Say it once, twice, make a lot of istighfar and every istighfar think of one of the sins that you have committed in the past, hoping that Allah has forgiven it.

Fajr Prayer and Beyond

Now, the adhan is done. Brothers, make sure that day you're praying Fajr in the masjid. If the sisters would like to come, you are welcome. But, I want to remind you that Rasulullah ﷺ said that you're praying at home is better than praying in the masjid.

You come to the masjid, my brother. You pray with the jama'a and you stay till the shuruq. During the whole 10 days of dhul-hijjah, we are having a halaqa every single day till shuruq. And many of our brothers and sisters are joining. So on that day, you will come pray the Fajr in jama'a and wait till shuruq, busying yourself in that time. Either joining us in the halaqa or reading Quran or making adhkar.

And then when the time is up, you wait 12-13 minutes and you pray two rak'ah. What do I get? The promise of Rasulullah ﷺ. Hajj, the ajr, the reward of Hajj and Umrah. Taamah, taamah, taamah. Complete, complete, complete. Does Rasulullah ﷺ have to repeat the word complete three times? Three times he repeated the word complete reward.

We were deprived of being on Arafah this year. May Allah grant us Arafah next year. So let's get the ajr of Hajj and Umrah in Plano. With a simple total of maybe one hour. One hour of effort. This is the best day. I'm gonna start everything from the morning to do my best.

The Three Main Activities

After we finish the Hajj and Umrah, you plan your day to do three things. Reading Quran. Making all kinds of dhikr. Remembering Allah Azza wa Jal. And making a lot of dua. Making a lot of dua.

And the best dua is the dua between Asr and Maghrib. Dua is good all that day. But the best time is the time before Maghrib. The time between Asr and Maghrib these days is around three hours. Wallahi, if you can, isolate yourself in the house. Come to the masjid. And dedicate these three hours just for dua. Just for dua.

Why? The best of dua is the dua done on the day of Arafah. And the best thing I ever said, myself and every prophet before me, is

That is the best dua you could ever make on the day of Arafah. Does that mean I don't say any other dua? No! Make any dua that you want. But make sure that this dua, this thana, this praise of Allah Azza wa Jal, is the most that you will do on that day.

Prepare your list from now. Prepare your list of dua from now. Prepare the list of the people that you will make dua for from now. If you are serious of saying at the end, my plan worked.

What to Make Dua For

Are you looking for a job? That is the day. Are you having health issues? That is the day. Are you having problems at home? That is the day to beg Allah. Are you looking to have a child? And you've been deprived from a child? That is the day. You're having in-laws issues? That is the day. You're having a lot of debt? That is the day. That is the day.

Ask people how many miracles were achieved because of the day they made, on the day of Arafah. Because of the dua they made on the day of Arafah.

Helping Others

My brothers and sisters, what do you think of making itikaf in the Masjid al-Nabawi for 30 days? 30 days of reading Quran. 30 days of making dua in the Masjid al-Nabawi. 30 days of praying so many janazahs. 30 days of praying five daily salawat in congregation in the Masjid al-Nabawi where Rasulullah ﷺ said that the salawat over there is better than a thousand salawat done somewhere else.

Do you know what's better than that? Rasulullah ﷺ said, I would rather walk with a brother in need than stay in this Masjid for a month. For me to walk with my brother, with my sister regarding a need of his is more beloved to me than staying in the Masjid al-Nabawi, isolating myself for a whole month. Allahu Akbar.

So in these days, you have a brother that needs you to help him move. You have a brother that needs you to come and listen to his worries. He is going through such a hard time. You have a sister that needs some kind of help between her and her children. Any kind of help. Someone needs you to intercede for them to get a job. Anything.

And keep in mind, this reward is just for making the intention to go and help that does not include that the need is fulfilled. If it is fulfilled, forget about it. Another huge reward. Allah will keep the person steadfast on the day of judgment. Allahu Akbar.

Ask the Pilgrims for Dua

Finally, my brothers and sisters, every single one of us, maybe he knows someone is at Hajj, performing Hajj this year. Please, text him. Sincerely. And literally, beg them to make dua for you.

Why? Because Rasulullah ﷺ, he said that on the day of Arafah, Allah will tell the people of Arafah, the actual people on Arafah, all your sins are forgiven and the sins for the people you made dua for. So beg them not to forget you. Tell them to make their list and throw your name in that list.

The Best Jumu'ah of the Year

My brothers and sisters, we all heard about the importance of these 10 days. The best 10 days of the year. And this is the only Jumu'ah in these 10 days. So officially, this is, we are witnessing the best Jumu'ah of the year. The best Jumu'ah of the year is today.

So please, finally. Every Jumu'ah, Rasulullah ﷺ said that the last hour of Jumu'ah, the dua is answered. How about the last hour of the best Jumu'ah? The last hour of the best Jumu'ah of the year.

So again, before Maghrib. Maghrib, 8.30, 7.30. Again, for one hour. Put all that things that you need and beg Allah with your own language. Let the tears flow and cry and beg and beg and beg.

SubhanAllah, when it comes to each other, we beg for so long and so sincere. But when it comes to Allah, we are so weak. Beg Allah azza wa jal, whatever you want, whatever you want. These are the best days and this is the best hour to make dua.

May Allah make us from the people who on the day of judgment would say, My plan worked. Wa min Allah at-tawfiq, Al Fatiha.