‘Abbas b. Mirdas said that God’s messenger prayed for pardon for his people on the late evening of ‘Arafa and received the reply, “I have forgiven them all but acts of oppression, for I shall exact recompense for him who is wronged from his oppressor.” He said, “O my Lord, if Thou wilt Thou mayest give the oppressed some of paradise and forgive the oppressor,” but he did not receive a reply that evening. So he repeated the supplication at al-Muzdalifa in the morning and was given an answer to what he asked, whereupon he laughed (or he said that he smiled). Abu Bakr and ‘Umar then said to him, “You for whom we would give our fathers and mothers as ransom, what has made you laugh, for this is not a time at which you have been accustomed to laugh ? May God give you cause for laughter all your life !” He replied, “When God’s enemy, Iblls, knew that God who is great and glorious had answered my supplication and forgiven my people, he took some earth and began to throw it on his head crying out ‘Woe and destruction.’ The sight of his distress made me laugh.”
Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi transmitted something similar in Kitab al-ba‘th wan-nushur.
‘A’isha said that Quraish and those who followed their religion used to stand at al-Muzdalifa, and they were called al-Hums,(The plural of ahmas, meaning hardy or rigorous. It is said that this name was applied to them because they boasted of their bravery and endurance. Another explanation is that they observed rites of standing only at Hamss', which is the Ka’ba) but the rest of the Arabs used to stand at ‘Arafa ; then when Islam came God most high commanded His Prophet to go to ‘Arafat (Both 'Arafa and its plural‘Arafat are used. It is rather peculiar to find bcth used In the same tradition) and stand there, then go quickly from it. That is in accordance with the words of Him who is great and glorious, “Then go quickly from where the people went quickly.”(Qur’an, 2, 199)
Hisham b. ‘Urwa. quoted his father as saying that Usama b. Zaid was asked how God's messenger was travelling when he returned at the Farewell Pilgrimage, and replied that he was travelling at a quick pace and when he found an opening he urged on his camel.
Narrated Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying:
When the day of ‘Arafa comes God descends to the lowest heaven and praises them to the angels saying, “Look at my servants who have come to me dishevelled, dusty and crying out from every deep valley. I call you to witness that I have forgiven them.” Then the angels say, “My Lord, so and so was being suspected of sin, also so and so and such and such a woman.” He said that God who is great and glorious replies, “I have forgiven them.” God’s messenger said, “No day has more people set free from hell than the day of ‘Arafa.”
