Preparations for the big day

arabnews.com

Preparations for the big day

IN this life people are usually aware of two kinds of journeys; those made to earn a livelihood and those undertaken for pleasure and sightseeing. The Haj however is unique from these journeys, since it is made solely for the purpose of pleasing Allah, the Exalted. For over 1,400 years, Muslim from around the world, men and women had been traveling to the Holy city of Makkah.

Haj is a trip of lifetime; it is only required once from a Muslim and it is only the first one that counts as the fulfillment of the obligation.

All other performances of Haj are voluntary and cannot replace the compulsory Haj. Therefore, it is imperative that it is performed sincerely and correctly for the first time.

Though Haj can be quite a journey, a little preparation and planning will, Insha’Allah make your journey much easier. This planning should not be limited to the logistics, but should also include spiritual, financial, physical and mental preparations. Following are a few points to help you prepare for your Haj:

1. Purify your creed (Aqeedah) from all aspects of Shirk, major or minor. No deed is acceptable to Allah however noble it is, without such purification: “If you associate (with Allah), your deeds will be ruined and verily you will be among the losers.” (Qur’an, 39: 65)

2. Devote your Haj purely and sincerely for Allah. This is a spiritual preparation; the acceptance and reward of your Haj largely depends on your intention and piety.

3. Acquire thorough knowledge about the rites of Haj and Umrah from start to finish, because knowledge differentiates right from wrong. Haj education can be sought through various means, reading books which explain in detail the subject, computer programs which precisely demonstrate the rituals of Haj using the multimedia format, attending regular Haj classes offered by Islamic centers, etc.

4. Use Halal means to support your journey. “Allah is pure and He does not accept but pure only.” (Saheeh Muslim) Take everything what you will require (do not depend on others or ask them to fulfill your needs). Make sure you have enough money to suffice yourself during the journey and secure the needs of your family members whom you may leave behind.

Nowadays, people try their best to take along all things of comfort for Haj. They take all kinds of precautions but the best precaution is piety, fear of Allah and righteousness. Allah says: “Take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety). So fear Me, O men of understanding!” (Qur’an, 2:197)

5. At the end of this verse, Allah orders us to be righteous and fear Him, this is for two major reasons, one because the Haji need piety before going to Haj. He should remind himself to fear Allah because he will face many difficulties and hardships, which he should accept and endure, in order to please His Lord. The second reason is that Haj itself is a means to achieve Taqwa, the Haji increases in faith by obeying Allah and his Messenger (peace be upon him) all throughout his Haj.

6. The intense exertion coupled with harsh desert climate of Makkah can take serious toll on your body. Therefore, be sure to carry along vaccines and drugs. Avoid all unnecessary hardships and take adequate precautions to avoid problems.

7. The journey of Haj involves a great deal of physical activities and thus you must be fully prepared to face this physical challenge. The experts recommend that people who intend to perform Haj must initiate a walking routine one or two months prior to the journey. This will increase physical stamina and help the Haji to keep up with the long walks and long standings. Indeed, Haj involves a lot of labor and struggle but the reward for this great act is also great in amount.

8. Also from the preparations for Haj is the mental preparations. Know that the Haji (pilgrim) is bound to experience intense heat, pushing, standing in long lines, uncomfortable lodging, etc. due to the large crowd of people trying to accommodate in a particularly small area.

9. Relieve yourself from any injustice, which you may have inflicted upon others. Fulfill any obligation, which you owe to other before the journey. Prepare a Waseeyah (will) before you depart and make peace with those with whom you have a dispute, pay your debts, and advise your family not to be extravagant, Allah says: “… and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance…” (Qur’an, 7:31)

10. Accompany the knowledgeable and righteous Muslims and stay away from the innovators. Keep away from all prohibited acts, men should not shave their beard for the Haj and it is prohibited for them to wear gold.

11. Safeguard your tongue from all vain talk, backbiting, arguing and complaining. This is against the morals of Islam in general and especially against the rules of Haj. Such talks and actions will make one’s Haj incomplete and reduce the reward. Haj is a long journey and one is likely to behave immorally, therefore guard and control yourself from any misconduct: “So during Haj there should not be obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling.” (Qur’an, 2:197) Remember, Shaytan is at his best to cause mischief!

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Source: arabnews.com

Pilgrims start arriving from tomorrow

Pilgrims start arriving from tomorrow

JEDDAH — King Abdulaziz International Airport’s Haj terminal in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah have completed all preparations for receiving pilgrims who will start arriving at these airports from Thursday (Dhul Qada 1), the first day of the Haj season of 2016.

For the coming period of two and a half months, the airports are expected to receive around 1.4 million pilgrims from all over the world.

More than 7,000 staff, representing 27 government and private agencies, will be involved in implementing the Haj plan.

According to the plan, all the lounges of the Haj terminal will be converted into arrival lounges from Dhul Qada 1 till Dhul Hijja 4 (Aug. 4 – Sept. 5) and departure lounges from Dhul Hijjah 16 to Muharram 15 (Sept. 17 to Oct. 16).

The first flight carrying pilgrims from New Delhi will land at 5.30 p.m.at Madinah airport. A total of 1,36,020 Indians will perform Haj this year.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), in coordination with the Ministry of Haj and Umrah and other agencies, has prepared a plan in line with the directive of the Saudi leadership, to fast-track the arrival procedures by taking advantage of the e-track system.

Upon arrival at the terminal, officials from the Ministry of Health will receive pilgrims and give them necessary health guidelines and services, and then they will proceed to the Passport Control to complete immigration procedures.

The Haj terminal is spread over 90,000 square meters of roofed area and 160,000 sq. meters of open area. There are 142 counters for Passports (Jawazat) and 120 counters of the Ministry of Haj.

At Madinah airport, officials of the government and private departments serving pilgrims met to finalize the Haj operation plan. It is expected that the airport will receive a total of 2,678 Haj flights, a five percent increase over last year.

Meanwhile, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, emir of Makkah and adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and chairman of the Central Haj Committee, met Minister of Haj Muhammad Saleh Bantan at his office in Jeddah on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Prince Khaled was briefed on the second phase of the e-track and e-bracelet systems for pilgrims and GPS system for pilgrims’ buses.

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Source: saudigazette.com.sa

The Conference Legislated by Allaah

The Conference Legislated by Allaah

When Muslims sight the crescent of the month of Thul-Hijjah, they leave for the House of Allaah from every distant place and remote country. They come on foot, riding camels, by ships and planes in order to witness the divine Islamic conference that Allaah has prescribed witnessing once in one's life in order to bring hearts together for His sake, fraternize among people who are upon the truth, and strengthen people’s relations every year through kindness and solidarity. It revives hope and determination. It unites the various complaints of the people stricken by material politics, an automated civilization and colonial aspirations. They chant their complaints in one supplication that is echoed in the desert and the sky.

Muslims today badly need to witness this conference as the colonialists have long confined them in their extorted lands and cut relations and communications among them and separated them from their inspiring past and promising future through obliterating their history, destroying their language, and extinguishing the torch of religion. Muslims have had no opportunity to gather except in the Hajj season if they could. However, there have been overt and covert schemes that resulted in Hajj not culminating in the wisdom that is intended behind the Hajj and thus many Muslims did not obtain the expected benefit from Hajj.

This was the case when Muslims were disunited, disagreeing, and under foreign occupation. Now that the colonial powers and invaders have been evacuated and Muslims have assumed the reigns of the Arab countries, only geographic and political lines separate Muslims in the east and west of the Arab lands without separating their hearts, hands, tongues, or brotherhood. These borders do not impede them from meeting in Makkah to mention the name of Allaah The Exalted in known days. They thank Allaah for His favors upon them including Islam, faith, answering the supplication of Ibraaheem (Abraham) may Allaah exalt his mention ransoming Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael) may Allaah exalt his mention and the prophethood of Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) , the final Messenger of Allaah.

Hajj and Zakaah (obligatory charity) are the two social pillars of the religion. Upon these two pillars, there is a relation between the individual and other individuals and between the individual and society. The other three pillars of Islam focus on the relationship between the individual, his Lord and his heart. Zakaah establishes the social system upon sympathy and mercy. Hajj, on the other hand, establishes it upon the basis of acquaintance and familiarity. Hence, Zakaah achieves the meaning of fraternity by preventing undutifulness while Hajj establishes equality by removing differences.

Fraternity and equality are mottos of Islam, the rule of peace, the head of freedom, the meaning of true civilization and the spirit of sound egalitarianism.

Hajj was and still is the purifier of worldly life through clearing it from the fetters of desires and the filth of materialism.

Hajj was and still is the spring of safety that cools down exhausted nerves and hearts.

Hajj was and still is the place of security where souls feel at ease in the land of revelation, where the conscience becomes tranquil in the birthplace of creed and where feelings delight in the divine blessings of this heavenly land.

Hajj was and still is the meeting for Muslims from all over the world at ‘Arafah, sincerely loving each other, equally standing before Allaah with a modest appearance and humble souls, and raising hands invocating Allaah with similar words. Their supplications rise like incense and perfume. Muslims stand in this worldly gathering where the Prophet, his Companions, Muslim kings and princes and millions of pilgrims  from different places speaking in different languages stood. Muslims commemorate this event with Thikr (mentioning Allaah) and reflecting on how the religion, in a certain age, was revealed in this land, and how the heavens here made contact with the earth, and how in this arid desert grew gardens and fruits - in the east and the west.

Each spot in the land of Hijaaz has a quality for sacrifice and heroism. Hajj to this land is an inspiration of pride, a motivation to dignity, an urging of liberty and a reminder of unity. There is the Cave of Hiraa’, the first place where revelation descended; there is the House of Al-Arqam, which is a symbol of sacrifice; The Cave of Thawr, which is the rise of glory; and there is the house where Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Amr, Sa‘d and Khaalid may Allaah be pleased with them were sitting. Then there is Bat'haa’, whose sands had the footprints of world leaders and the guiding lamps of humanity.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And [due] to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.} [Quran 3:97] Nowadays, a lot of people meet the conditions of ability due to welfare and security. You can perform Hajj with a small amount of money in a short time by car, ship or plane without jeopardizing your life, wealth or health.

Due to the extreme hardships of Hajj in the past, it was almost confined to the labor class of farmers and artisans and the opulent and gentle people of authority did not think about it. So, the benefit of Hajj was seen as slight and did not exceed the limits of performing rituals.

But what prevents the Arab and Muslim leaders now from setting an appointment to meet at Hajj in order to achieve the goal of Hajj where they could sincerely discuss worldly and religious affairs and common causes?

Were they to perform Hajj year after year, they would raise the status of the religion, encourage people to perform this obligatory act of worship, and unite the Muslim word. The Ancient House, from which light spread and from whose heaven revelation came down, is still a beacon of light for the Ummah (Muslim nation) and the place from which its glorious and joyous future will rise!

article by: islamweb.net