Thursday, 28 July 2016

The Intention for Ihram (Integral)

The Intention for Ihram (Integral)

The Intention for Ihram (Integral)

The first integral step for the person intending to travel to Makkah to perform the Pilgrimage (Hajj) is to establish the intention in his heart to enter into the actions of Pilgrimage (Hajj or Umrah).

 It is this intention and not just donning the clothes of ihram which causes one to become in that state. Going into the state of ihram means intending to enter into the actions of Hajj or Umrah during which certain things are obligatory on one to do and certain other things are prohibited for one to do.

Establishing this intention and going into the state of ihram must be done before the person crosses the miqat (The miqat is the place that a person must cross while having the intention of performing Hajj or Umrah), and may be done from one’s hometown. However, once the person establishes the intention and goes into the state of ihram, he must avoid all those things which are prohibited for him to do while in this state. Crossing beyond these miqats or what aligns with them before first entering into the state of ihram is unlawful (sinful) and requires an expiation.

These miqats were established by the Prophet and depend on the person’s route of travel to Makkah. The miqat for the people coming by route of al-Madinah is Dhul-Hulayfah (Abar ^Aliyy), a location less then ten (10) miles outside the city of al-Madinah, where the pilgrim may wash, change his clothes, pray, and make the intention.

It is sunnah to perform a purificatory bath (ghusl) before making the intention to enter into the state of ihram and to put perfume on the body, but not on the clothes intended for wearing for the ihram. It is sunnah to wear white clothes, and either new ones or clean used ones. One must take care to refrain from wearing the clothes forbidden for him to wear once he becomes in the state of ihram. The man wears an izar (what covers the lower part of the body) and a rida’ (what covers the upper part of the body)—without either being sewn or felted to fit the body—like a huge towel or shawl. The man must take care also not to wear shoes sewn to fit the foot, rather hewears shoes that uncover the toes and the back of the feet. The man may put on a belt to hold up his clothing. The woman may wear sewn clothes, and must cover all her ^awrah. She may not wear gloves to cover her hands though her sleeves may be long enough to do so. She may not cover her face with anything which touches the skin of her face.

Before one makes the intention of ihram it is sunnah to pray two (2) rak'ahs, with the intention of performing this sunnah for ihram, and to recite Surat al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah after the Fatihah, and Surat al-Ikhlas in the second rak'ah after reciting the Fatihah. Then, one faces the Qiblah and says to oneself: I now start the actions of Hajj, (I now engage in the actions of Hajj.)
Then to say out loud:


دخلت فى عمل الحج

O Allah, I now perform Hajj to obey You in answering Your order.








لبيك اللهم بحج



Then the man says the following statement out loud (the woman with a low voice). It is called the talbiyah: O Allah, I obey Your Order. I obey You one time after the other. O Allah, I obey Your Order. You are the One Who does not have any partner. I obey You one time after the other.

لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك،

You are the One Who deserves to be praised and thanked. Every endowment is from You. You are the One attributed with Dominion. 

إنّ الحمد والنعمة لك والملك   

There is no partner with You.

 لا شريك لك

Then, one makes du^a’, asking Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, and to accept one’s deeds, grant one Paradise, and protect one from Hellfire. Then, one makes other du^a’ for oneself and for whomever one wishes. It is good to repeat the talbiyah often. Should one see something which one likes or something which one dislikes, one says:

I obey You (O Allah). Surely, the valued living (meaning the living which does not have any hardships) is the living in the Hereafter (in Paradise).

لبيك إن العيشَ عيشُ الآخرة 

If one sees something which one likes, these words are reminders that the pleasures in Paradise are much, much more than the pleasures on Earth. Should one see something one dislikes, these words help one to be patient by occupying one’s mind in how to escape Hellfire and get to Paradise, where one would not be disturbed by such matters.

Source: darulfatwa.org.au

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

HAJJ AS WORSHIP

HAJJ AS WORSHIP

HAJJ AS WORSHIP

Hajj is to of leave one's relatives, wealth, and all the secular comforts. It is to enduring difficulties and hardships for Allah’s sake.

"And proclaim among people the pilgrimage; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path.”
Holy Qur'an (22:27)
Hajj is a form of worship, where physical and spiritual factors intertwine.   

It is, therefore, a physical form of worship in which the worshipper gives of himself physically and goes through hardships in the way of Allah, Showing his complete servitude to Allah and his independence from any power other than Him. This neat target of Hajj is the goal of any worship in Islam as a whole and it has to be for the sake of Allah uniquely. It is the absolute purpose of man's worship. Man's conscience completely awakens and man is rendered, purified and cleansed of all evil and vice, provided sincerity of intention is involved.

For this target, Hajj has been determined as one of the five Islamic pillars and the Holy Our'an regards it as Allah's right over His servants:

“…it is the duly of mankind towards Allah to make the pilgrimage to the House, whoever can afford the way there;...”

Holy Qur'an (3:97)

Hajj is a basic pillar of religion, and a backbone of faith. Traditions and texts reported from the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his pure ancestry have all pointed  to the importance of Hajj.

It is reported that Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Prayer was not ordained, Hajj and Tawaf were not made incumbent on the faithful, and rites were not conveyed to man, but to remember Allah.”
And he (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said:

" Those who perform Hajj and Umrah are the guests of Allah. Allah grants them whatever what they ask Him, accepts their prayers, and compensates them for their expenditures and good deeds.”

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

"So long as the Ka’ ba is secure, so is the religion”

And he also said:

"If one should leave off Hajj, when he is capable of performing it, with no legitimate excuse, then he has neglected an Islamic rite.”

Islam gives Hajj a primordial consideration. It even offers Islamic states the ability to send a number of Muslims to Mecca, even forcibly. The main purpose is to ensure the freshness as well as dynamism of the Islamic rites. When the pilgrims cannot attend the journey, the Islamic state is responsible for paying the traveling expenses to Mecca to allow them perform their rites.

Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

"Should all the people abandon Hajj, the governor can oblige them to perform it. Should they stop performing hajj to the tomb of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ,the governor is authorized to order them to do so, if they are penniless, he should pay them from the treasury.”
It was reported from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq

"If anyone of you had amounts of gold as huge as Abu-Qubais (a mountain in Arabia) and spent it in the way of Allah, its reward would never be equal to the reward of Hajj (from Allah), A dirham disbursed by the hajj is worth 2000 dirhams in the way of Allah.”

He is also reported to have said:

"Hajj is the jihad (holy struggle for the sake of Allah) of the weak.”

Moreover, He said:"He who is not prevented from the Hajj by an obvious necessity, a tyrannical ruler or a disease which confines him (or her) at home and dies without having performed the Hajj, might as well die a Jew or a Christian.”
Source: go-makkah.com

Monday, 25 July 2016

Women and Hajj

Women and Hajj

Women and Hajj

Despite the equality of men and women in the Islamic rulings, there are some rulings specified for women out of mercy towards them because of their different nature.

  • If a woman still in her Iddah (waiting period) when she is divorced and she wants to go for Hajj, she may go but she has to be accompanied by a Mahram . However, if  the waiting period is for the death of the husband, she cannot go to Hajj for staying at home is one of the obligations of the waiting period for the wido
     
  • The companionship of a Mahram is an obligation for women when she is performing Hajj. If she has got no Mahram, she cannot perform Hajj and her Hajj is not valid. Allah’s apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman should not travel except in the company of a Mahram.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
         
  • Regarding Ihram of the woman it is it like that of the man with exception to clothes: A woman should assume Ihram like and she is permitted to wear whatever clothes she likes as long as they meet the Islamic rulings. A woman cannot  wear Niqaab , Burqa' or gloves. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman in the state of Ihraam should not wear Niqaab or gloves.” (Bukhaari) .
         
  • Talbiyah for women and hajj: unlike men, women should say Talbiyah in a low voice. and it is impermissible for her to raise her voice when saying Talbiyah in the presence of men.
         
  • Ramal and Idhtibaa': The rulings of Ramal and Idhtibaa' are not applicable to women. She should not perform Ramal, Idhtibaa' or run during Sa‘i between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa.
         
  • Shortening hair: A woman has to cut the length of a fingertip from her hair. Ibn Abbas said, “It is not obligatory upon women to shave their hair (after ending Ihraam), rather, it is obligatory upon them to shorten the hair.” (Abu Daawood )
         
  • If a woman menstruates and does not become pure until she fears missing the company; she should not perform Tawaf until she becomes pure, for the Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Aa’isha when she was menstruating: “Perform each rite that the pilgrim performs with exception to performing Tawaf around the House.” (Bukhaari and Muslim). However, if she perform Tawaf, for example, lest she should miss the company, some scholars including Ibn Taymiyah, endorse the idea that it is permissible for her to perform Tawaf because of necessity.
Source:go-makkah.com

Thursday, 21 July 2016

How to enhance faith after the performance of Hajj

enhance faith after the performance of Hajj

How to enhance faith after the performance of Hajj

Those whom the Almighty has favored to perform Hajj and Umrah should be thankful to Him for he has chosen them among His servants to perform these acts of worship, and they should implore and make Dua'a (Supplications) so that their good deeds be accepted. Being able to perform Hajj and Umrah is a great favor that deserves gratitude.

Moreover, Pilgrims who accomplished Hajj and Umrah should keep their minds and souls attached to Allah, remembering Him constantly because He says : So when you have accomplished your Manasik , remember Allah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance. (Al-Baqarah 200)

The performance of Hajj and Umrah, as Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the hadeeth, purifies sins and makes a person like a newborn and thus closer to the Almighty. It is therefore important for pilgrims to do their best to preserve this state of purity as best they can. They should be consistent in remembering the Almighty and remain steadfast in performing the prayer and the other required religious duties.

Furthermore, they should keep reading the holy Quran on a daily basis  and occupy their time by doing good deeds and keep company with righteous Muslims. After accomplishing Islam's fifth pillar, pilgrims should pray to the Almighty to make their hearts steadfast in obeying Him and following His prescriptions and orders.

Those who were favored to perform Hajj and Umrah should equally stay away from Haraam (forbidden) and carry the noble message of Islam by inviting Muslims to do good deeds and increasing the number of their good deeds too.

Source: go-makkah.com
 

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

A History of the Hajj

A History of the Hajj

A History of the Hajj

Hajj literally means ‘to set out for a place’. Islamicly, however, it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the ProphetMuhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

Hajj and its rites were first ordained by God in the time of the Prophet Abraham and he was the one who was entrusted by God to build the Kaaba - the House of God - along with his son Ishmael at Makkah.  God described the Kaaba and its building as follows:
“And remember when We showed Abraham the site of the [Sacred] House [saying]: Associate not anything [in worship with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate it [i.e. perform Tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow down and make prostration [in prayer etc.].”  (Quran 22:26)
After building the Kaaba, Abraham would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son.  However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal of the Hajj rites were changed.  As idolatry spread throughout Arabia, the Kaaba lost its purity and idols were placed inside it.  Its walls became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his mother Maryand.  Eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the Kaaba.

During the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of the Kaaba was like a circus.  Men and women would go round the Kaaba naked, arguing that they should present themselves before God in the same condition they were born.  Their prayer became devoid of all sincere remembrance of God and was instead reduced to a series of hand clapping, whistling and the blowing of horns.  Even the Hajj call was distorted by them with the following additions: “No one is Your partner except one who is permitted by you.  You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses.”

Sacrifices were also made in the name of God.  However, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Kaaba and the flesh was hung from pillars around the Kaaba, in the belief that God demanded the flesh and blood of these animals.
Singing, drinking, adultery and other acts of immorality was rife amongst the pilgrims and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part of the whole Hajj event.  In these competitions, poets would praise the bravery and splendor of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes.  Competitions in generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become well-known for their extreme generosity.
Thus the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and leader Abraham.  The House that he had made pure for the worship of God alone, had been totally desecrated by the pagans and the rites which he had established were completely distorted by them.  This sad state of affairs continued for nearly two and a half thousand years.  But then after this long period, the time came for the supplication of Abraham to be answered:
“Our Lord!  Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them your verses and instruct them in the book and the Wisdom and sanctify them.  Verily you are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Quran 2:129)
Sure enough, a man by the name of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullaah was born in the very city that Abraham had made this supplication centuries earlier.  For twenty-three years, the Prophet Muhammad spread the message of monotheism - the same message that Abraham and all the other Prophets came with - and established the law of God upon the land.  He expended every effort into making the word of God supreme and his victory over falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Kaaba which once again became the universal centre for the worshippers of the one True God.

Not only did the Prophet rid the Kaaba of all its impurities, but he also reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by God’s Permission, in the time of Abraham.  Specific injunctions in the Quran were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had become rampant in the pre-Islamic period.  All indecent and shameful acts were strictly banned in God’s statement:
“There is to be no lewdness nor wrangles during Hajj.” (Quran 2:197)
Competitions among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their tribesmen’s’ achievements were all stopped.  Instead, God told them:
“And when you have completed your rites [of Hajj] then remember God as you remember your forefathers; nay with a more vigorous remembrance.” (Quran 2:200)
Competitions in generosity were also prohibited.  Of course, the feeding of the poor pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done in the time of Abraham, but God commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done for this purpose should be done seeking the pleasure of God rather than fame and the praise of the people.  He said:
“So mention the name of God over these animals when they are drawn up in lines.  Then, when they are drawn on their sides [after the slaughter], eat thereof and feed the beggar who does not ask, and the beggar who asks.” (Quran 22:36)
As for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Kaaba and hanging their flesh on altars, then God clearly informed them that: 
“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him.” (Quran 22:37)
The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, also put a stop to the practice of circling the Kaaba in a state of nudity and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in God’s question:
“Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by God which He has produced for His Slaves?” (Quran 7:32)
Another custom which was prohibited through the Quran was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey.  In the pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed righteousness, having total dependency on God, would travel to perform Hajj begging food the whole journey.  They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in God.  However God told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for making Hajj.  He said
“And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is piety.” (Quran 2:197)
In this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based in ignorance, were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of God, purity, simplicity and austerity.  Now, when the pilgrims reached the Kaaba, they no longer found the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before.  Now, there was the remembrance of God at every step and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone.  It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet said:
“The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
Source: islamreligion.com

Monday, 18 July 2016

Universal Lessons of Hajj

Universal Lessons of Hajj

Universal Lessons of Hajj

Millions of pilgrims from all over the world will be converging on Mecca in the coming days. They will retrace the footsteps of millions who have made the spiritual journey to the valley of Mecca since the time of Adam.

Hajj literally means, “to continuously strive to reach one’s goal.” It is the last of the five pillars of Islam (the others include a declaration of faith in one God, five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan). Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey.

The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve after they were expelled from Heaven, wandered the earth, met again and sought forgiveness in the valley of Mecca. They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son.

Yet, the Hajj is more than these elaborate rituals. The faithful hope that it will bring about a deep spiritual transformation, one that will make him or her a better person. If such a change within does not occur, then the Hajj was merely a physical and material exercise devoid of any spiritual significance.
 As all great religions teach, we are more than mere physical creatures in that we possess an essence beyond the material world. Indeed, this is why all great religions have a tradition of pilgrimage. In the Islamic tradition, Hajj encapsulates this spiritual journey toward this essence. The current state of affairs — both within and outside the Muslim world — greatly increases the relevance of some of the spiritual and universal messages inherent in the Hajj.
As Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa asks rhetorically: “after paying homage to the two women Eve and Hagar in the rites of pilgrimage, how can some Muslims still violate the rights and dignity of women in the name of Islam? Is this not a contradiction?”

Indeed, the Qur’an teaches: “I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in my way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other.” (3:195)

Clearly, the white sea of men and women side by side performing tawaf (circling) around the Ka’aba (the stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael) should lay to rest any claim that Islam — as opposed to some Muslims — degrades women. The fact that millions of Muslims transcending geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic and social barriers converge in unison on Mecca, attests to the universality of the Hajj. It plants the seed to celebrate the diversity of our common humanity. Pilgrims return home enriched by this more pluralistic and holistic outlook and with a new appreciation for their own origins. One of the most celebrated Western Hajjis (one who has completed the Hajj) is none other than African-Ameican civil rights leader El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz, more commonly known as Malcolm X. The man profoundly reassessed his previous views during the Hajj. This transformation, of course, sealed his break with the Black nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam.

Contrary to the teachings of the Nation, he concluded that Islam encompassed all of humanity and transcended race and culture. Malcolm X later said, “In my 39 years on this Earth, the holy city of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of all and felt like a complete human.”

In Mecca, he discovered himself mixing with, “fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was whitest of white.” Malcolm X was so inspired by what he witnessed, that, in letters to friends and relatives, he wrote, “America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.”

Upon returning to America, he embarked on a mission to enlighten both blacks and whites with his new views. Malcolm X understood that in order to truly learn from the Hajj, its inherent spiritual lessons must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims to forging a common humanity with others.
In fact, as part of the spiritual experience, the pilgrimage links people across religions through a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions. This combined with the Islamic teaching of the common origin of humanity holds out much hope. Indeed, the Qur’an teaches: “We created you from a single pair of a male and female (Adam and Eve), and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other and not that you might despise each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you” (Al-Hujurat: 13). This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.

Another essential spiritual message of the Hajj is one of humility to God and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by God and God alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur’an insists, “Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith, truth stands out clear from error.” (2: 256) The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values – all attributes of God almighty — that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.
Source: whyislam.org

Friday, 15 July 2016

Why do Muslims go to the Mecca? Is there something inside the Hajj?

Why do Muslims go to the Mecca

Why do Muslims go to the Mecca? Is there something inside the Hajj?

It's because they revive the sunnah(way of or teaching of)Mohammad(PBUH) and the command of Allah .

Millions of muslims every year performs Hajj.Why Hajj?


We Muslims feel honoured and proud to be the slaves of Allaah, the One, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who begets not nor was He begotten, and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him; He is our Lord and we have no Lord besides Him. Hence we respond to the commands of our Lord with the utmost humility and submit to His commands.


If a Muslim does Hajj in the manner required by his Lord, then Allaah has promised to forgive him his sins and admit him to Paradise, on condition that he does not spoil this action by committing any major action that would invalidate it and earn the anger of Allaah. 


Ther are innumerable reasons for muslims to perform hajj having both spiritual benefits as well as fulfillment of Allah's command.


Perhaps in no other spiritual or religious event is unity this more evident than in the Hajj in Mecca, during which millions of Muslims set aside all differences of race, caste, economic status, nationality, and even sect as they unite in the holy pilgrimage, each donning the simple two-piece white garb of the non-attached traveler, allowing nearly no apparent difference whatsoever between men as they stand together in the Divine Presence of their Creator. 


During the Hajj in Mecca, Muslims honor the Holy Ka’ba originally built by Adam (as) as the first House of God when he awakened upon the earth, rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael (as)centuries later, and finally purified by the Prophet Muhammad (saws) in the seventh century of the idolatry that had desecrated it.


During the Hajj in Mecca, one cannot but be reminded of the life beyond, the life eternal, when the world and all it contains has fallen away, and all that matters is the eternal destiny of the human soul,continually maintain focus on Eternity, on the Divine Presence of God, rather than allowing yourself to become overtaken by dunya, the world of form and appearances that continually seeks to distract us and lead us into heedlessness, unconsciousness and loss of purpose. Use the Five Daily Prayers as an opportunity to continually reaffirm your focus and direction in life. Tune in to the power of the present moment.


Finally, Muslims go to the Mecca for hajj to realize our true divine destiny and purpose, to become what God Almighty created humanity for — awakened and enlightened spiritual deputies of the One, perfected servants in creation, open, clear, transparent, purified of selfishness, living exemplars of goodness, beauty, light, compassion and love.

Source: quora.com

Thursday, 14 July 2016

The Values of Hajj

The Values of Hajj

The Values of Hajj

Hajj is a collection of actions and recitations. These collections inspire the Muslim's soul with spiritual sublime feelings.

Generally speaking, Hajj includes a number of prayers performed by the pilgrim during a definite period. Every action, word, and prayer is a symbol that inspires the soul with a vivid feeling and encompasses a secret and an objective.
 

Ihram, Talbiyah (Tawaf) (circumambulation), Saa’y, Wuquf (staying at Arafat) to name but a few, are a mixture of actions and feelings which are spiritually experienced by the pilgrim. Every action has got a deep meaning and each rite aims at the accommodation of the values of Islam and the demonstration of its purposes in a symbolic and accurate way.

Rites are performed within the hugest gatherings of people. Crowds assemble to worship Allah, the almighty.  Their target is Allah’s satisfaction and forgiveness, submission and surrender to his will.

Once a Muslim decides to perform Hajj, his heart will long to reach his purpose, Allah’s satisfaction and the purification of the self.

Performing Hajj is the sacrifice of money and many physical desires and pleasures for the sake of Allah. It leaves an everlasting mark in the Muslim’s heart to constantly remember the Almighty.

It equally renewed the society. Performing Hajj cannot be undertaken singly. Its rites have to be performed communally. Herein, lies the basic principles of Islam: Brotherhood, Unity, peace and equality.

Pilgrims coming from different nationalities will get to know each other, pray and supplicate together so that the Almighty ease their hardships and forgive them.
Source:go-makkah.com

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

A new life after Hajj

A new life after Hajj


Undoubtedly, Hajj is best opportunity to wash one’s sins away and refine the soul. He / She who performs Hajj is supposed to be a model for others to be followed.

In fact,  those whom the Almighty favored to perform Hajj should be thankful to Allah and incessantly keep imploring and beseeching Him to accept their good deeds. This is crucial, for it reflects their belief that being so favored by the Almighty to accomplish Islam's fifth pillar is a favor that deserves gratitude and thank to Allah.

After returning from the holt places, the pilgrims should keep their mind and souls attached to the Almighty, remembering Him constantly for He says: So when you have accomplished your Manasik , remember Allah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more remembrance. (Al-Baqarah , 200)
He/ She who performed Hajj should be very keen to avoid evil and shameful deeds especially after Allah has forgiven all his previous sins, as a reward of performing Hajj for  “The reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing but Paradise.” (Reported by Muslim).

Upon returning home, the pilgrims should be conscious of Allah when performing all what Allah has instructed them to do of the other worships such as Salah (Prayers), Zakah, Fasting Ramadan, dutifulness to his parents, visiting kith and kin, being charitable and benevolent to Allah’s creatures, and the like of what the Muslim should do.

Hajj is considered as a blessing, the more it entails responsibility on which man will be asked concerning on the Day of Judgment in case the pilgrim misbehaves after returning from Hajj. Almighty Allah says, : Verily, Allah enjoins Al-'Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone - Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (o.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahsha' (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e all that is prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed. (An-Nahl: 90)

Hajj is an obligation once in lifetime. Therefore, the pilgrim should take that as a golden opportunity which he/she will make use of for the rest of his/her life. He/she should keep remembering the holy places and all the rituals of Hajj for it will strengthen his faith and devotion to the Almighty.
Source: go-makkah.com

Friday, 1 July 2016

Pilgrimage Hadeeths

Pilgrimage Hadeeths

Pilgrimage Hadeeths

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abbas : Al-Fadl (his brother) was riding behind Allah's Apostle and a woman from the tribe of Khath'am came and Al-Fadl started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet turned Al-Fadl's face to the other side. The woman said, "O Allah's Apostle! The obligation of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His devotees has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the Mount; may I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, you may." That happened during the Hajj-al-Wida (of the Prophet ).

  • Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abbas : Al-Fadl (his brother) was riding behind Allah's Apostle and a woman from the tribe of Khath'am came and Al-Fadl started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet turned Al-Fadl's face to the other side. The woman said, "O Allah's Apostle! The obligation of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His devotees has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the Mount; may I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, you may." That happened during the Hajj-al-Wida (of the Prophet ). 
  • Narrated Ibn 'Umar: I saw that Allah's Apostle used to ride on his Mount at Dhul Hulaifa and used to start saying, "Labbaik" when the Mount stood upright.
  • Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah : that Allah's Apostle started saying, "Labbaik" from Dhul-Hulaifa when his Mount stood upright carrying him
  • Narrated Thumama bin 'Abdullah bin Anas: Anas performed the Hajj on a pack-saddle and he was not a miser. Anas said, "Allah's Apostle performed Hajj on a pack-saddle and the same Mount was carrying his baggage too." 
  • Narrated Al-Qasim bin Muhammad: 'Aisha said, "O Allah's Apostle! You performed 'Umra but I did not." He said, "O 'Abdur-Rahman! Go along with your sister and let her perform 'Umra from Tan'im." 'Abdur-Rahman made her ride over the pack-saddle of a she-camel and she performed 'Umrah.
  • Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet was asked, "Which is the best deed?" He said, "To believe in Allah and His Apostle." He was then asked, "Which is the next (in goodness)?" He said, "To participate in Jihad in Allah's Cause." He was then asked, "Which is the next?" He said, "To perform Hajj-Mabrur. "
  • Narrated 'Aisha: (the mother of the faithful believers) I said, "O Allah's Apostle! We consider Jihad as the best deed." The Prophet said, "The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj Mabrur. "
  • Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew."
  • Narrated Zaid bin Jubair: I went to visit 'Abdullah bin 'Umar at his house which contained many tents made of cotton cloth and these were encircled with Suradik (part of the tent). I asked him from where, should one assume Ihram for Umra. He said, "Allah's Apostle had fixed as Miqat (singular of Mawaqit) Qarn for the people of Najd, Dhul-Hulaifa for the people of Medina, and Al-Juhfa for the people of Sham." 
  • Narrated Ibn Abbas: The people of Yemen used to come for Hajj and used not to bring enough provisions with them and used to say that they depend on Allah. On their arrival in Medina they used to beg the people, and so Allah revealed, "And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is the fear of Allah." (2.197). 
Source: go-makkah.com