The sun was about to set on the night of ‘Arafah when the Prophet stood humbly, raising his hands and supplicating in submission and humility. Then, he lowered his hands and went to Bilaal, may Allah be pleased with him, saying: "O Bilaal, ask the people to gather to listen to me."
Bilaal may Allah be pleased with him, called them and asked them to listen. Hearts were focused, ears concentrated, necks were raised and eyes were directed towards the Prophet who called them and said: "Jibreel came to me and gave me the glad tidings that Allah has accepted the good doers among you, forgiven the wrongdoers and borne for you the injustices among you." At this, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "O Messenger of Allah! Is this for us in particular or for people in general?" Thereupon, the Prophet replied: "Rather, this is for people in general." ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Indeed, the favor of Allah is abundant and good."
What great glad tidings that fill the hearts of the pilgrims standing in ‘Arafah at the time they leave for Al-Muzdalifah! The great favor of Allah The Almighty and Divine mercy are clearly apparent in this Prophetic glad tiding. Besides, many other texts were narrated about such glad tidings and divine favors.
When ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the Messenger of Allah to embrace Islam, the Prophet smiled at him and stretched out his right hand so that ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, might pledge his allegiance to Islam. However, ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, withdrew his hand. The Prophet said: "What is it, O ‘Amr?" He, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, "I want to lay down a condition." He asked: "What condition do you want to put forward?" He, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I want to be granted pardon." The Prophet said: "O ‘Amr! Are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes out all what is before it (of previous misdeeds)? Verily, migration wipes out all what is before it (of previous misdeeds) and verily, Hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all what is before it (of previous misdeeds)."
Hajj wipes out all the accumulated previous sins and misdeeds just as accepting Islam wipes out all the sins of disbelief.
Another example is the Hadeeth in which the Prophet said: "Whoever performs Hajj without approaching his wife for sexual relations or committing sins while performing Hajj, will come out as sinless as a newly-born child (i.e. just delivered by his mother)." Hajj is a new birth for man. Have you ever seen a newly born child who has a sin or a misdeed in his record? Indeed, the pilgrim returns from his Hajj with his record white and clear as if his mother has just delivered him.
To everyone who has performed Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah and stood in the places where mercy descends; to everyone who raised his hands in those places, stood bareheaded and devoted himself to Allah in the dress of enslavement and humiliation:
Be optimistic and expect all that pleases you for the glad tidings delivered by the Prophet are authentic and the promise of Allah is true. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {That is the Bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.} [Quran 57:21]
O pilgrim, you have asked a great Lord who is beneficent and generous. No sin is too great for Him to forgive and no bounty is too great for Him to grant. Have good expectations of your Lord; rather, have the best expectations. Allah The Almighty gives you as much as you expect. Indeed, the bounty of Allah is greater than your hopes and His munificence is broader than your requests.
You have asked your Lord, Who, if you come one span nearer to Him, He goes one cubit nearer to you; and if you come one cubit nearer to Him, He goes the distance of two outstretched arms nearer to you; and if you come to Him walking, He goes to you running.
Seek from Allah the reward of the day when Allah, The Exalted in might, looks at the people of this place – and you are with them – and Says to His angels while He knows best: "What do they want? They have come to Me disheveled and dusty exposing themselves to the sun at the time of Dhuha. Bear witness that I have forgiven them."
Seek from Allah the reward of the day when the people return bareheaded – and you are with them – and Allah Says: "Return, I have forgiven you."
Seek from Allah the reward of the season, which you witnessed along with other slaves who are disheveled, dusty, unknown and uncared for. However, if they were to adjure in the name of Allah (about anything) Allah The Almighty would fulfill it. Thus, Allah accepted them and those who are with them. The Prophet said about the man who sat in a study circle for a reason other than learning: "They are those whose companions are in no way unfortunate." He witnessed the lesson with a different intention and yet the mercy of Allah encompassed him as well just for being amongst a righteous group.
O pilgrim, rest your hope in your Lord and only expect that which is good. One of the good expectations you should have of Allah The Almighty is expecting with certainty that He has accepted your Hajj, forgiven your sins, responded to your supplications and doubled His bounty to you and that He allowed you to visit Him to accept you, remove your faults, forgive your misdeeds and whiten your record. Indeed, no matter how great your expectations are, the favor of Allah is greater than what you expect and hope.
That was the state of the righteous and the eminent scholars in these situations and places.
Ibn Al-Mubaarak said, "I came to Sufyaan Ath-Thawri on the night of ‘Arafah while he was sitting on his knees and weeping bitterly. He turned to me. I asked him, 'Who is the worst among this gathering?' He replied, 'Whoever thinks that Allah will not forgive him.'"
It was also narrated that Al-Fudhayl looked at those who were weeping and crying on the night of ‘Arafah and said, "Do you think if those people come to a man to ask him one sixth of a dirham that he will refuse?” They said, “No.” He said, “By Allah, the forgiveness of Allah is easier for Allah than the man giving them the sixth of a dirham."
Dear pilgrim, turn a deaf ear to the kind of sermons that narrow the road to Allah and His all-encompassing mercy and make people despair that their good deeds will be accepted. If someone is diligent in an act of obedience, they block his way saying: "What matters is not the act but the acceptance. Do you know whether your deed is accepted or not?" It is as if acceptance is gained by mere chance and one does not know whether he would hit upon it or not. This is actually nothing but despair of the mercy of Allah.
Our certain faith in Allah The Almighty is that every good deed intended for the countenance of Allah will be accepted and its reward will be doubled. Allah The Exalted is more generous and munificent, far above refusing a good deed done by a slave sincerely for His sake. Whoever expects anything other than this from Allah has thought ill of Him.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah appreciative and knowing.} [Quran 4:147]
O pilgrim, congratulations and glad tidings to you! You were born once again with your Hajj and left behind the accumulated sins and the transgressions of a lifetime and you return as the day you were delivered by your mother. Make your Hajj the starting point of a new life; resume your work, for you were pardoned for your previous deeds and what matters is that which is yet to come.
Know that infallibility after deeds is not a condition for their acceptance. Do not think that after your Hajj you will lose your human failings and ascend to the dominion of angels with no desires or lusts. No, you can never achieve this no matter how hard you work for it. However, you will start after your Hajj a new round being freed from the accumulated sins of the past, starting your life with great hope and turning towards Allah, performing numerous acts of obedience and striving against the self in misdeeds. If you commit a sin, follow it up with a good deed. The Prophet said: "and follow every sin with a good deed so that it wipes it out."
Every good deed will be doubled and blessed and every sin will be forgiven and expiated – and no one loses with Allah except the one who is in manifest loss.