What is the ruling on climbing up Jabal al-Rahmah (the Mount of Mercy) on the day of ‘Arafah and praying atop this mountain?
Question

                Is there any specific reward for climbing up Jabal al-Rahmah on the day of ‘Arafah and praying there?.
Praise be to Allah.
      It is not proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of 
      Allah be upon him) encouraged climbing the mountain of ‘Arafaat which is 
      known to the people as Jabal al-Rahmah. It was not his way to climb this 
      mountain during Hajj or to take it as a ritual. He (blessings and peace of 
      Allah be upon him) said: “Learn from me your rituals (of Hajj).” The way 
      of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and all the Sahaabah was like that of the 
      Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the same was true 
      of those who followed in their footsteps. They did not climb up to this 
      mountain during their Hajj and they did not take it as a ritual, following 
      the example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be 
      upon him). What is proven is that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
      him) stood at the foot of this mountain at the large rocks and he said: “I 
      have stood here and all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing, and avoid the 
      valley of ‘Aranah. Hence many of the scholars, such as Imam al-Nawawi, 
      Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Shaykh Siddeeq Khan, said: Climbing this 
      mountain during Hajj as if it were a ritual is an innovation. The Prophet 
      (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action 
      that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” It was not 
      his practice to offer any naafil prayer in the standing at ‘Arafah; rather 
      he limited it to praying Zuhr and ‘Asr in Masjid Namirah, joining and 
      shortening the prayer. He did not take any place for prayer in what is 
      called Jabal al-Rahmah in which those who climb this mountain should offer 
      naafil or obligatory prayers on the day of ‘Arafah. Rather, after praying 
      Zuhr and ‘Asr, he busied himself with remembering Allah (dhikr), reciting 
      tasbeeh (“Subhaan Allah”), tahleel (Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), tahmeed 
      (al-hamdu Lillah), takbeer (Allahu akbar) and Talbiyah, calling upon his 
      Lord and beseeching Him, until the sun set. So taking a place on this 
      mountain in which to pray by those who climb up it is an innovation 
      introduced by the ignorant. 

    And Allah is the source of strength; may Allah send blessings 
    and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End 
    quote. 

    Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas. 

    Shaykh Ibraaheem ibn Muhammad Aal al-Shaykh, Shaykh ‘Abd 
    al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn 
    Munayyi’ 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 
    11/206-208 

    Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Climbing up the mountain of ‘Arafaat is not something that is 
    prescribed in Islam; rather if the people take it as an act of worship it is 
    an innovation; it is not permissible for people to believe that this is an 
    act of worship or to do it on the basis that it is an act of worship. The 
    Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the keenest of all 
    people to do good and was the most effective of all people in conveying the 
    message and he was the most knowledgeable of all people of the religion of 
    Allah. He did not climb this mountain or instruct anyone to do so, and he 
    did not approve of anyone climbing it as far as I know. Based on that, 
    climbing this mountain is not prescribed; rather the Messenger of Allah 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when he stood behind it on 
    the eastern side: “I have stood here and all of ‘Arafah is the place of 
    standing.” It is as if he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 
    indicating that each person should stand in his own spot and not push and 
    shove in order to reach the place where the Messenger (blessings and peace 
    of Allah be upon him) stood. End quote. 

    Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (23/32)