In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
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All praise is due to Allah, Who gives preference for certain days and months as He wishes, blessing them with virtues as He wills. This is one of the manifestations of His mercy, to be a reminder for those who contemplate. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Almighty, the All-Forgiving, alone without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, the Chosen and the Beloved Prophet. May Allah exalt and send peace to him, his family, and his companions all the time as long as the night and day follow each other. To proceed:
Dear brothers and sisters! Next Tuesday, 26/05/2026, the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, is the Day of Arafah, the pinnacle of Hajj and the most blessed day of the year. It is an unparalleled opportunity for immense mercy, wiping away sins, and having our prayers accepted.
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It is the pinnacle of the Islamic year — a sacred day of unmatched mercy, repentance, and divine forgiveness. It is the day religion was perfected, sins are wiped away, and millions find salvation from the Fire.
There is no day on which Allah frees more people from the Hellfire than the Day of Arafah. He draws near to the lowest heaven, expressing His pleasure and pride in His servants to the angels, asking:
“What do these people want?”
It is a day when His grace is so vast it reaches even the unborn. Do not let this unparalleled opportunity pass without dedicating hours to sincere repentance and shedding tears of hope.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Fasting the Day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.”
For those not performing Hajj, fasting this day is a beautiful and powerful act of devotion. Combine this fast with abundant Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and Du’a (supplication), trusting that the Almighty is ready to wipe your slate completely clean.
On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, during his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) delivered a sermon that perfectly outlines the morals and foundations of an upright society. In this address, he declared the sacredness of every person’s blood, wealth, and honour. He abolished the evils of usury (Riba) and commanded men to treat women with kindness and respect. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) left us with a timeless, powerful message of equality and brotherhood. He said:
“All mankind is from Adam and Hauwa (Eve), an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”
Towards the end of that great day on the plains of Arafah, the final revelation was sent down, completing the guidance for humanity. Allah the Almighty says:
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”
Respected brothers and sisters! Indeed, Allah the Almighty has distinguished certain places over others, as well as certain days over others. Consequently, the reward for performing good deeds varies depending on the time in which these deeds are performed.
Commenting on the Qur’anic verse: “By the dawn and by the ten nights,” the exegetes (Mufassirun) say that this refers to the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Imam Abu Musa al-Madini in his work “At-Targhib,” mentioned the consensus of the exegetes (Mufassirun) on this matter, except for a (rare) version reported from Ibn Abbas indicating that it refers to the last ten nights of Ramadan. [See Fada’il Yawm Arafah, page 21, by Ibn Nasirud-Din al-Dimashqi]
Anas Bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said that it was said about these ten days:
“Each day is worth a thousand days, and the Day of Arafah is worth ten thousand days.” [Baihaqi, in Shu’ab al-Iman]
Abdullah Bin Amr reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“The best supplication is that of the Day of Arafah.” [Tirmidhi and Ahmad]
Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
“The mentioned Hadith indicates the merits of supplication on the Day of Arafah, which necessarily implies the distinction of the Day of Arafah over other days.” [See At-Tamhid, volume 6, page 21]
Imam Muslim reported that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated the following Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him):
“Never does Allah free more people from Hellfire than on the Day of Arafah. Allah, the Almighty, boasts about the pilgrims before the angels, saying:
“What do these people want?!’”
Abu Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“Fasting on the Day of Arafah expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year, and fasting on the Day of Ashurah expiates the sins of the past year.” [Muslim]
Muslim scholars have discussed whether the day of Eid al-Adha or the Day of Arafah is more meritorious, which shows the importance of this day, although authentic Sunnah indicates that the day of Eid al-Adha is more meritorious.
However, the Day of Arafah is the only day of the year when Allah, the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven – during the day!
Imam Al-Awza’i (rahimahullah), said:
“I met numerous people who reserved certain supplications for the Day of Arafah, to ask Allah, the Exalted, at that time.”
Some said:
“For 50 years, I have not missed making supplications on the Day of Arafah, and each year, what I supplicated for begins to manifest like the morning dawn!” [See Lata’if al-Ma’arif, page 494]
Takbirs are recited on all occasions during these blessed days, and immediately after the prayers, it is prescribed to recite them from the Fajr prayer on the Day of Arafah for those who are not on pilgrimage, and for the pilgrims from the Zuhr prayer on the first day of Eid until the Asr prayer on the fourth day of Eid.
Ibn Abi Shaibah reports in al-Musannaf, volume 1, page 490 from Ibrahim an-Nakha’i (rahimahullah), that he said:
“They would recite the Takbir on the Day of Arafah, facing the Qibla after the prayer: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illallah wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahil-hamd.’”
I ask Allah to shower us with His mercy on this day. May the Day of Arafah come bearing the answers our hearts have been waiting for. May Allah give us the ability to observe all our daily Ibadats, accept them and reward us with Jannatul Firdaws.
Dear brothers and sisters! Feeding and clothing the orphans, poor and needy are among the acts that draws us close to Allah Almighty, especially in these blessed ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. We earn Allah’s forgiveness, His mercies, and His blessings through those great act of charity.
As a result and as usual, our great center, Nagazi-Uvete Islamic Center in Okene, Kogi State, presents the opportunity to feed orphans, poor and needy Muslims during the 1447/2026 Eid-al-adha celebrations.
This provides a chance to multiply our efforts in seeking Allah’s pleasure, and earn His everlasting mercy and favour upon us as sponsors and donors as we put smiles on the faces of beneficiaries.
Over the past twenty five years, we have been providing Udhiyyah/Layyah meat to our orphans and needy Muslim families during the Eid-al-adha festivals.
With sincere support from generous donors like you, we have been able to serve over 10,000 orphans and needy families so far. This year 1447/2026, we seek to feed more orphans and families In Shaa Allah.
It is our hope that you will continue to make this campaign a fruitful one, and help feed orphans, poor and needy Muslims during the celebration of sacrifice.
Charity/Sadaqah is a key part of first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah activities and is obligatory to all able Muslims, and feeding the orphans, poor and the needy is an act that draws us close to Allah. We earn Allah’s forgiveness, mercies, and blessings through this act of charity and Sadaqah.
Nagazi-Uvete Islamic Center is a non-profit organisation in Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. The organisation is non-partisan and non-sectarian, established to provide relief and humanitarian aid to help the vulnerable. We currently have our office in Okene, Kogi state.
Through this Eid-al-adha festival programme, we aim to provide meat, food and clothes to the orphans, needy, widows, and struggling families—restoring dignity, spreading hope, and sharing the blessings of this sacred season.
Join us in feeding the orphans. Support this noble cause. Let your Zakkah and Sadaqah become light for you here and the hereafter. Together, we can extend the mercy and blessings of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah to every heart in need.
Trust and Amanah is at the core of all our activities because the lives and well-being of millions of needy people depend on it.
You can send your donations to the following account details:
1. Account number: 0048647196.
– Account name: Murtala Muhammed.
– GTBank
Or:
2. Account number: 1779691620
– Account name: Murtala Muhammed.
– Access Bank.
Or:
8056557477 OPAY.
Donate Fisabilillah!
Ya Allah, guide us to make use of the blessed seasons through adhering to righteous deeds that bring us closer to You; fill our hearts with piety to be always mindful of You; forgive us, our parents, and all Muslim believers, for indeed, You are the Most-Forgiving, Most-Merciful. Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us and bestow upon us mercy from Yourself. Indeed, You are the Bestower of all blessings.
Ya Allah, You are the One who turns hearts, so make our hearts firm on Your religion.
Ya Allah, keep us steadfast with the firm word, in this world life and in the Hereafter.
Ya Allah, we seek refuge in You from trials, both apparent and hidden!
Ya Allah, forgive all Muslim – men and women, and all believers – men and women, those who are alive and those who are dead.
Ya Allah, guide our leaders to that which pleases You, direct them to righteous and good deeds. Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Ya Allah, accept the Hajj of all our pilgrims, forgive their sins, and return them back home safely. Strengthen Islam and the Muslims worldwide. Grant us goodness in this life and the Hereafter, and protect us from the Fire, ameen Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum!
Dear servants of Allah! Remember Allah frequently and glorify Him morning and evening, and our final supplication is that all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected] or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Dhul-Hijjah 05, 1447 AH (May 22, 2026).
