Allah’s Descent on Day of Arafah: Authentic Islamic View
Question:
There is a popular belief among some people that Allah descends to the worldly heaven on the Day of Arafah. Is this true?
Answer:
The Day of Arafah is highly virtuous and holds special significance because on this day, the pilgrims stand in Arafat, and Allah boasts about them to His angels. This is why the Prophet ﷺ said, “Hajj is Arafah” (Sahih al-Nasa’i: 3016). For those who are not performing Hajj, fasting on this day is highly recommended, and it serves as atonement for the sins of the past two years.
However, the popular belief that Allah descends to the worldly heaven on the Day of Arafah is not substantiated by sound evidence. There is a narration found in Majma’ al-Zawa’id, Ibn Hibban, al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, and Ibn Khuzaymah, which mentions that Allah descends to the worldly heaven on the Day of Arafah, but this narration is weak in terms of its chain of transmission. The narration goes as follows:
ما من أيامٍ عند اللهِ أفضلُ من عشرِ ذي الحجةِ قال : فقال رجلٌ : يا رسولَ اللهِ ! هن أفضلُ أم عدَّتُهنَّ جهادًا في سبيلِ اللهِ قال : هنَّ أفضلُ من عِدَّتهنَّ جهادًا في سبيلِ اللهِ وما من يومٍ أفضلُ عند اللهِ من يومِ عرفةَ ، ينزل اللهُ تبارك وتعالى إلى السماءِ الدنيا ، فيباهى بأهل الأرضِ أهلَ السماءِ ، فيقول : انظُروا إلى عبادي جاءوني شُعْثًا غُبْرًا ضاحين ، جاؤا من كلِّ فجٍّ عميقٍ ، يرجون رحمَتي ، ولم يرَوا عذابي ، فلم يُرَ يومٌ أكثرَ عتيقًا من النَّارِ من يومِ عرفةَ (ضعيف الترغيب: 738)
Translation: There is no day more virtuous in the sight of Allah than the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, are these days better, or the days spent in Jihad in the way of Allah?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “They are better than the days spent in Jihad in the way of Allah.” And there is no day more virtuous in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. On this day, Allah descends to the worldly heaven, and He boasts about the people of the earth to the inhabitants of the heavens, saying: “Look at My servants, they have come to Me dusty and disheveled, from every distant mountain pass, hoping for My mercy and not having seen My punishment. There is no day on which more people are freed from the Fire than the Day of Arafah.”
Sheikh al-Albani has classified this narration as weak in Da’if al-Targhib and in Silsilat al-Da’ifah (Hadith 679), as well as in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (Hadith 2840) and Mishkat al-Masabih (Hadith 2533).
Al-Haythami said: “This narration includes Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Aqili, who has been criticized, though Ibn Ma’in and Ibn Hibban did authenticate him. However, there is some criticism about him.” (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 3/256)
In one narration, there is a mention of the descent of Allah on the evening of Arafah:
ما من أيامٍ أعظمَ عندَ اللهِ من عشرِ ذي الحِجةِ ، إذا كان عشيةُ عرفةَ نزل عزَّ وجلَّ إلى السماءِ الدنيا
Translation: There is no day more significant in the sight of Allah than the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. When the evening of Arafah arrives, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, descends to the worldly heaven.
This narration is rejected. See Al-Kamil fi Dha’afa’ al-Rijal (9/125).
Imam al-Dhahabi said that this narration includes Yahya ibn Salam al-Basri, who was classified as weak by al-Daraqutni and Ibn Adi, who stated that his narrations would be written with the indication of weakness. (Mizan al-I’tidal: 4/381)
Another narration with a similar meaning states:
إذا كانَ عشيَّةُ عَرفةَ هَبطَ اللَّهُ عزَّ وجلَّ إلى السَّماءِ الدُّنيا فيطَّلعُ إلى أَهلِ الموقِفِ
Translation: When the evening of Arafah arrives, Allah descends to the worldly heaven and looks upon the people standing in Arafat.
This narration has been declared fabricated by Sheikh al-Albani in Silsilat al-Da’ifah (Hadith 770). Ibn Asakir also rejected it (Tareekh Dimashq: 13/145), and Al-Shawkani called it false (Al-Fawa’id al-Majmua: 447).
There is an effect narrated from Um Salamah, which al-Daraqutni mentioned in his book al-Nuzul:
حدَّثَنَا يَزْدَادُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْكَاتِبُ ، ثنا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ ، أنا عُقْبَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ، قَالَتْ : ” نِعْمَ الْيَوْمُ يَوْمُ يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا ، قَالُوا : يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ، وَأَيُّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ ؟ قَالَتْ : يَوْمُ عَرَفَةَ “ (النزول للدارقطني: 79)
Translation: It was narrated from Um Salamah that she said: “The best day is the day Allah descends to the worldly heaven.” They asked, “O Umm al-Mu’minin, which day is that?” She replied, “It is the Day of Arafah.”
I could not find any criticism or authentication regarding the narrator Yazid ibn Abd al-Rahman, and the rest of the narrators are trustworthy. However, this narration does not have full support from other sources, which makes it unreliable for acting upon. What is certain, however, is that the Day of Arafah is a highly significant day. But there is no authentic proof for the claim that Allah descends to the worldly heaven on this day.
According to the sound narrations, Allah boasts about the people of Arafah to His angels on the evening of Arafah. Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إنَّ اللهَ تعالى يُباهِي ملائِكتَهُ عشِيَّةَ عرَفةَ بأهلِ عرَفةَ ، يقولُ : انظُروا إلى عبادي ، أتوْنِي شُعْثًا غُبْرًا (صحيح الجامع:1868)
Translation: Indeed, Allah boasts to His angels on the evening of Arafah about the people standing in Arafat, saying: “Look at My servants, they have come to Me dusty and disheveled.”
The claim that Allah descends from the heavens on the Day of Arafah between the time of Asr and Maghrib is not supported by any authentic evidence. Likewise, there is a belief among some Shia that Allah descends on the Day of Arafah while riding a camel before the time of Zawal (midday). Muslims should be cautious about this belief held by some Shia and should reject it as it is not in line with the teachings of Islam.
To summarize, there is no authentic hadith confirming the descent of Allah on the Day of Arafah or on its evening. Therefore, no Muslim should hold the belief that Allah descends on the Day of Arafah. However, it is a confirmed belief that Allah descends to the worldly heaven during the last third of every night, including the night of Arafah, but not during the day. This is supported by a narration from Sahih al-Bukhari, where Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
يَنْزِلُ ربُّنا تباركَ وتعالى كلَّ ليلةٍ إلى السماءِ الدنيا ، حينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ الليلِ الآخرِ ، يقولُ : من يَدعوني فأَستجيبُ لهُ ، من يَسْأَلُنِي فأُعْطِيهِ ، من يَستغفرني فأَغْفِرُ لهُ . (صحيح البخاري:1145)
Translation: Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the worldly heaven when the last third of the night remains. He says: “Is there anyone who will invoke Me, so that I may respond to him? Is there anyone who will ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”
By Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Da’wah Center, Northern Ta’if (Misrah)
