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Arafah,” narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (1). As for the descent on the night of mid-Shabān, there is a hadith concerning it whose chain of transmission is disputed (2).
The majority of Ahl al-Sunnah hold that He descends without the Throne being left devoid of Him. Something to this effect has been reported from Ishāq ibn Rāhawayh (3), Hammād ibn Zayd, and others. They also transmitted it
(1) Muslim relates in his *Sahīh*, 2/982–983 (*Kitāb al-Hajj*, chapter on the merit of Hajj, Umrah, and the Day of Arafah), from Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “There is no day on which Allah frees more servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. Indeed, He draws near and then boasts of them before the angels, saying: ‘What do these people seek?’” After citing this hadith, al-Mundhirī states in *al-Targhīb wa-al-Tarhīb*, 2/327: “It was related by Muslim, al-Nasā'ī, and Ibn Mājah. He added in his *Jāmiʿ*: ‘Bear witness, My angels, that I have forgiven them.’” Al-Mundhirī also cites in *al-Targhīb wa-al-Tarhīb*, 2/323, another hadith from Jābir—may Allah be pleased with him—who reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “There are no days more excellent in Allah’s sight than the ten days of Dhū al-Hijja.” A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, are they more excellent, or is an equal number of days spent in jihad in Allah’s cause more excellent?” He replied, “They are more excellent than an equal number of days spent in jihad in Allah’s cause. There is no day more excellent in the sight of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, than the Day of Arafah: Allah, Blessed and Exalted, descends to heaven and boasts of the inhabitants of the earth before the inhabitants of heaven…”—to the end of the hadith. Al-Mundhirī states: “It was related by Abū Yaʿlā, al-Bazzār, Ibn Khuzayma, and Ibn Hibbān in his *Sahīh*, whose wording this is.” See also other hadiths concerning the descent on the Day of Arafah in *al-Targhīb wa-al-Tarhīb*, 2/327–328, and al-Dārimī’s *al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyya*, p. 35.
(2) Al-Dārimī relates in *al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyya*, pp. [0–9]4–35, and Ibn Khuzayma in *al-Tawhīd*, p. [0–9]—whose wording this is—from Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Allah, Mighty and Majestic, descends to the lowest heaven on the night of mid-Shaʿbān and forgives everyone except a person whose heart harbors rancor or one who associates partners with Allah.” Ibn Khuzayma said: “Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahmān ibn Wahb narrated to us, saying: ‘My paternal uncle narrated to me; Amr ibn al-Hārith narrated it to him.’” See other hadiths concerning the descent on the night of mid-Shaʿbān in *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1/444–445 (*Kitāb Iqāmat al-Salāh*, chapter on what has been related concerning the night of mid-Shaʿbān); *al-Targhīb wa-al-Tarhīb*, 2/241–243; and *al-Musnad*, al-Maʿārif ed., 10/166–167, no. 6642. See also the editor’s comments—may Allah have mercy on him.
(3) His biography was given above at 2/462.
عَرَفَةَ " رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي صَحِيحِهِ
(١)
، وَأَمَّا النُّزُولُ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَفِيهِ حَدِيثٌ اخْتُلِفَ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ
(٢)
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ثُمَّ إِنَّ جُمْهُورَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ يَقُولُونَ:
إِنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ وَلَا يَخْلُو مِنْهُ الْعَرْشُ، كَمَا نُقِلَ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاهَوَيْهِ
(٣)
وَحَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَغَيْرِهِمَا، وَنَقَلُوهُ
(١) رَوَى مُسْلِمٌ فِي صَحِيحِهِ ٢/٩٨٢ - ٩٨٣ (كِتَابُ الْحَجِّ، بَابٌ فِي فَضْلِ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ وَيَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ) عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: " مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَنْ يَعْتِقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ عَبْدًا مِنَ النَّارِ مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَدْنُو ثُمَّ يُبَاهِي بِهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ فَيَقُولُ: مَا أَرَادَ هَؤُلَاءِ؟ ". قَالَ الْمُنْذِرِيُّ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَوْرَدَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ (التَّرْغِيبَ وَالتَّرْهِيبَ ٢/٣٢٧) : " رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ. وَزَادَ فِي جَامِعِهِ فِيهِ: اشْهَدُوا مَلَائِكَتِي أَنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ ". وَذَكَرَ الْمُنْذِرِيُّ (التَّرْغِيبَ وَالتَّرْهِيبَ ٢/٣٢٣) حَدِيثًا آخَرَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ عَشْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُنَّ أَفْضَلُ أَمْ مِنْ عِدَّتِهِنَّ جِهَادًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: هُنَّ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عِدَّتِهِنَّ جِهَادًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَمَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ أَفْضَلَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ: يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيُبَاهِي بِأَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ. . . الْحَدِيثَ " وَقَالَ الْمُنْذِرِيُّ: رَوَاهُ أَبُو يَعْلَى وَالْبَزَّارُ وَابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ وَابْنُ حِبَّانَ فِي صَحِيحِهِ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ. وَانْظُرْ أَحَادِيثَ أُخْرَى فِي النُّزُولِ يَوْمَ عَرَفَةَ فِي التَّرْغِيبِ وَالتَّرْهِيبِ ٢/٣٢٧ - ٣٢٨ ; الرَّدِّ عَلَى الْجَهْمِيَّةِ لِلدَّارِمِيِّ، ص ٣٥.
(٢) رَوَى الدَّارِمِيُّ (الرَّدَّ عَلَى الْجَهْمِيَّةِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٤ - ٣٥) وَابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ (التَّوْحِيدَ، ص [٠ - ٩] ) - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - " عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: يَنْزِلُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَغْفِرُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا لِإِنْسَانٍ فِي قَلْبِهِ شَحْنَاءُ أَوْ مُشْرِكٍ بِاللَّهِ " قَالَ ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ " ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَمِّي، ثَنَاهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ ". وَانْظُرْ أَحَادِيثَ أُخْرَى فِي نُزُولِ لَيْلَةِ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فِي: سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٤٤٤ - ٤٤٥ (كِتَابِ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابِ مَا جَاءَ فِي لَيْلَةِ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ) ; التَّرْغِيبِ وَالتَّرْهِيبِ ٢/٢٤١ - ٢٤٣ ; الْمُسْنَدِ (ط الْمَعَارِفِ) ١٠/١٦٦ - ١٦٧ (رَقْمِ ٦٦٤٢) وَانْظُرْ تَعْلِيقَ الْمُحَقِّقِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ.
(٣) سَبَقَتْ تَرْجَمَتُهُ ٢/٤٦٢.