Tag: kabah

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Fasting New Muslims

The Four Sacred Months: What Do You Know about Them?

From the twelve lunar months of the Islamic calendar there are four sacred, concerning them Allah says:

Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein. (At-Tawbah 9:36)

Four Months Are Sacred

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said about them:

“The division of time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred. Three are in succession: Dhul-Qi`dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (the tribe of) Mudar which comes between Jumada Thani and Sha`ban.” (Al-Bukhari)

So what characterizes these four months, and what should we do in them?

Sheikh Muhammad Salah answers in this video…

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Articles of Faith New Muslims

In Islam, What Comes First?

balance in life

The beauty of Islam is that it is balanced, and attending to the rights of others on us is prescribed as is attending the rights of Allah.

 

It’s popular today for people to talk about balance; achieving balance between all their aspirations and obligations so they don’t fail in either.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

“The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The religion (of Islam) is easy, and whoever makes the religion a rigor, it will overpower him. So, follow a middle course (in worship); if you can’t do this, do something near to it and give glad tidings and seek help (of Allah) at morn and at dusk and some part of night”. (Al-Bukhari)

Following a middle course is what balance means. Islam does not mean that we observe only our spiritual obligations and totally neglect our worldly lives. We live in this world, while striving for the next world, so we need to be aware of the rights that others have over us; the rights of our Lord, the rights of our families, the rights of our bodies, and respect those rights.

In the seerah (biography of the prophet) class I took a couple months ago, we learned a little bit about Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), and were able to draw a lesson about balance from it. In fact, we can learn priorities from his story in the Qur’an. First we can look at people today and see what their priorities tend to be; self first, then family, and then religion. Right?

Sometimes people even say “number one” when talking about themselves, indicating that even the society understands that a person prioritizes himself above all, and then he might place his family. Maybe if the person is married or children, these goals will be intertwined, but last of all comes the religion, and obligations before God.

In Islam, the priorities are that the deen (religion) comes first, that is, the worship of Allah. Then comes families, followed by our physical needs. You can look at the du`a’ made by Abraham in the Qur’an:

And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: “O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. (Ibrahim 14:35)

O my Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind. But whoso follows me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeys me, still You are indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Ibrahim 14:36)

O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka`bah); in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer, so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. (Ibrahim 14:37)

There is another similar du`a’ in Surat al-Baqarah:

And remember Abraham said: “My Lord, make this a city of peace, and feed its people with fruits,-such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.” He said: “(Yea), and such as reject faith,-for a while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire,- an evil destination (indeed)!”

And remember Abraham and Isma`il raised the foundations of the House (with this prayer): “Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For You are the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.

“Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to You, and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in mercy); for You are the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.” (Al-Baqarah 2:126-129)

This is the du`a’ made when Abraham was leaving his wife and child in the valley. It’s interesting because the request for provision is mentioned before belief, but Abraham is actually only requesting the provision for those who believe in the first place.

The du`a’ quoted above is after Ishmael has grown up and Abraham has visited him again in Makkah. (Chronology determined by the statement “make this a safe city” vs. “make this city safe,” a subtle difference implying that in the latter case the city has been established.) The city has been established and so Abraham requests that he and his progeny be protected from shirk.

So we can get an idea for priorities here, but also understand that everything needs to be in balance.

To close, I will quote a statement from the instructor of that seminar on the seerah, that loosely paraphrases a hadith recorded by Ibn Majah, At-Tabarani, and Al-Bayhaqi, which can be read here.

“Whoever’s concern is the dunya (worldly life), Allah will make his affairs disperse and will put poverty between his eyes. And nothing will come from the dunya except what Allah has written for him. But whoever’s concern is the hereafter, Allah will gather all his affairs, put barakah (blessing) in his time, he can be focused–and will enrich his heart, that he will feel rich, content and not poor, and the dunya will come whether looking for it or not.”

So the point of this post is that we need to have balance in our daily lives, which comes from prioritizing our efforts for the Hereafter. And the beauty of Islam is that it is balanced, and attending to the rights of others on us is prescribed as is attending the rights of Allah.

If there are any mistakes in this post, they are my own, and I pray that someone will correct them.

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Source: ibnatalhidayahblogspot.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

How to Make `Umrah

`Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage. It involves ihram, Tawaf (circumambulating the Ka`bah), Sa`i (walking between mounts of Safa and Marwah), and shaving or cutting the hair.

1. Ihram

The first steps in your `Umrah are to put on the clothing of ihram and to make the intention of `Umrah.

After making the intention of ihram, try to spend your time in remembering Allah, reading the Qur’an, and supplicating. It is recommended also to chant Talbiyah frequently. The words of Talbiyah are:

Labbayka Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamda wa-n-ni`mata laka wal-mulk. La shareeka lak.

Here I am at Your service, O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Your service. You have no partners. Yours alone is all praise and all bounty, and Yours alone is sovereignty. You have no partners.

Male pilgrims are recommended to raise up their voices when repeating the words of Talbiyah. Males and females repeat Talbiyah until they start Tawaf.

2. Tawaf

The first ritual to perform after arriving in Makkah is Tawaf. There is no problem if you rest before going to Tawaf if you feel tired.

When you reach Makkah, leave your baggage in the hotel or in a safe place, and prepare yourself for Tawaf by performing ghusl (ritual bathing), if possible, or at least wudu’ (ablution). Scholars have two opinions regarding the necessity of purity for Tawaf. Some scholars hold that you must have wudu’ before Tawaf and others deem it unnecessary. The latter opinion is stronger since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not ask people accompanying him in his pilgrimage to make wudu’ for Tawaf. According to this opinion, someone who loses wudu’ before or in the middle of Tawaf need not renew it; they can make Tawaf without wudu’. It is up to you to choose either of the opinions.

Menstruating women cannot do Tawaf until they are pure and have performed ghusl.

For men, it is recommended that you drape the upper piece of ihram over your left shoulder only, exposing the right one. This is called idtiba`. It was practiced by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions when they made `Umrah in AH 7. At the time, the polytheists claimed that the fever of Madinah weakened Muslims, so the Prophet ordered his Companions to uncover their right shoulders and to jog in the first three rounds to show the polytheists their strength.

On entering the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram), it is recommended to say the du`aa’ of entering mosques:

A`udhu bi-llahi al-`azheem, wa bi-wajhihi al-kareem, wa sultanihi al-qadeem, mina ash-shaitani ar-rajeem. Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad. Allahumma ighifirli dhunubi waftah li abwaba rahmatik.

I seek refuge with Allah the Supreme, I seek refuge with His honored face, with His everlasting authority, from the cursed Devil.

In the name of Allah. O Allah, Bless Muhammad! O Allah! Forgive my sins and open Your doors of mercy for me.

Now you are ready to start Tawaf. Tawaf involves walking around the Ka`bah seven times. Each round starts and ends with the Black Stone, with the Ka`bah being on your left side. If it is possible to reach the Black Stone, kiss it quietly; if it is not, you can touch it and kiss your hand or just face it and point at it saying “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest). In the first three rounds, males are recommended to jog from the Black Stone to the Yemeni corner, the third of the Ka`bah’s corners and the one preceding the Black Stone.

While doing Tawaf, busy yourself with dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplication. You are in a very blessed time and a very blessed place, so do not miss the chance. Pray Allah to forgive your sins, to dispel your worries, to grant you the benefits of the world and the hereafter, and to give you whatever favors you would like. Show humbleness and genuine need to Allah, and ask Him the Almighty for you, your parents, your family, and the whole Muslim Ummah.

When you reach the Yemeni corner try to touch it if possible. If you can’t, you need not point at it or do anything. Supplicate Allah until you reach the Black Stone saying:

Rabbana a`tina fi ad-dunya hasanatan wa fi al-akhirati hasanatan wa qina `adhaba an-nar.

Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.

After finishing Tawaf, pray two rak`ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim (the Station of Ibrahim) or a little bit away from it. Recite Surat Al-Kafirun (Surah 109) in the first rak`ah and Surat Al-Ikhlas (Surah 112) in the second rak`ah.

It is recommended that you drink Zamzam water after you have finished Tawaf and the two-rak`ah prayer.

Be careful of the following things:

  • Do not crowd to kiss the Black Stone or to touch the Yemeni corner.
  • Make sure that Hijr Isma`il (the Enclosure of Isma`il – the arch between the north and the west corners of the Ka`bah) is included in your Tawaf. This place is considered part of the Ka`bah and therefore your circumambulation should be outside it.
  • If you are unable to perform the two-rak`ah prayer after Tawaf at Maqam Ibrahim, you can perform it any place in the mosque. Some people insist on performing it at the Maqam, disturbing the smooth movement of the pilgrims; this is not a proper act.

Note also that what is obligatory in Tawaf is just making the seven rounds, starting and ending with the Black Stone and keeping the Ka`bah on your left side. The supplications mentioned above, kissing the Black Stone or pointing at it, touching the Yemeni corner, praying two rak`ahs after Tawaf, etc. are merely recommended. Your Tawaf is not damaged if you missed any of them.

3. Sa`i

The next step in your `Umrah is to make Sa`i between As-Safa and Al-Marwah mounts. If you feel tired after performing Tawaf, you can take a break before heading to As-Safa to start Sa`i. Wudu’ is not necessary for Sa`i. When you are ready, do the following steps:

a. Head to As-Safa. When you are about to reach it, recite the following verse:

Surely As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the signs appointed by Allah(Al-Baqarah 2:158)

b. Then say “I start my Sa`i from the place which Allah mentioned first” (that is, As-Safa mentioned in the above verse).

c. Ascend As-Safa. It is easy nowadays to ascend both As-Safa and Al-Marwah; they are paved and covered with marble. In addition, the two mounts are not that high, and you need not climb to their top. You just have to walk back and forth the full distance between these two points. If any part of this distance is left untraversed, the Sa`i will remain incomplete. This requires ascending even a small part of both mounts, but it is recommended that you go up until you are able to see the Ka`bah.

d. Face the Ka`bah and say

La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar.

La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa `ala kulli shai’in qadir

La ilaha illa Allah wahdah, anjaz wa`dah, wa nasar `abdah, wa a`az jundah wa hazam al-ahzab wahdah.

There is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest.

There is no god but Allah. He has no partners. To Him belong the sovereignty and all praise. He has power over all things.

There is no god but Allah. He has fulfilled His promise, given victory to His servant, and He alone defeated the confederates.

e. Start performing the Sa`i by walking from As-Safa to Al-Marwah. The distance between the two mounts is about 420 meters. If you are a male, it is recommended that you hasten between the two green signs. On reaching Al-Marwah, ascend it, face the Ka`bah, and repeat what you said on As-Safa. You have now completed one of the seven parts of Sa`i.

f. Go back to As-Safa, walking easily. Again, if you are male, hasten on reaching the green sign.

g. Keep on remembering Allah and supplicating Him while going between As-Safa and Al-Marwah.

h. Repeat the same steps in each of the seven parts. Going from As-Safa to Al-Marwah is reckoned as one part, and the return to Al-Safa is another part. Sa`i, therefore, begins with Al-Safa and ends at Al-Marwah.

4. Shaving or Cutting the Hair

Just one step is remaining, that is shaving or cutting the hair on your head. If you are a male, you should have your hair either completely shaved or shortened. If you intend to make Hajj shortly after `Umrah (tamattu` mode), you are advised to shorten your hair because you are going to shave or shorten it as part of your Hajj. If you are a female, you should shorten your hair slightly.

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Taken from Onislam.net.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

What Is Hajj?

When should Hajj be performed, and who should undertake this blessed journey? Watch this short video to learn about this Islamic obligation.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

Hajj in the Qur’an (1-12)

Watch this series of Shows in which Sheikh Ibrahim Zidan explains how the Qur’an details the rituals of hajj.

 

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Source: Huda TV.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

When I First Saw the Ka`bah

 

As I was stepping down the wide steps leading to the center of the courtyard where the Ka`bah is located, I could only see ceilings and lots of people but suddenly… I froze.

My heart dropped when I saw the magnificent Ka`bah with the black cloth cover and shimmering gold Qur’anic verses surrounding it. I could not move. In a moment’s time, 4000 years of history passed through my mind.

I imagined the day Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Isma`il, (peace be upon them) put the first bricks or stones on top of one another to build this house. What was in their mind? I know a prophet does as he is commanded to do by his Lord and that was exactly the case with Prophet Abraham, as he was building the house of worship and a place for pilgrimage for the believers of the One God.

Yet, I could not help but wonder what was going through their minds. Could they ever imagine that a few thousand years later, millions would come from all over the world to this holy site to pay respect to the command of God and to make their pilgrimage?

I envisaged the centuries that went by and how this great house got ruined and was rebuilt various times. How it finally was turned into a house of idols instead of a house of God, as the pagan Arabs forgot the original purpose of this home and turned it into the most detestable site by bringing their commodities of idols to this holy site — bought, sold, and worshipped them.

The movie continued passing through my mind as I was wondering what it was like when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) finally returned to Makkah after years of persecution, and at his first stop, he entered this holy site and destroyed all the idols at once and declared to all that, “There is no god but the One God.”

I pictured again, what went on in the minds of those who had just embraced Islam upon Prophet Muhammad’s arrival. Were they confused, happy, or just waiting to see what was next?

With this victory, and over time, Islam spread all over the world to include nearly one fourth of the earth population.

Suddenly, I came to myself, realizing that I was standing in the same place I don’t know for how long. I stepped down and cautiously joined the crowd as they were circumambulating the Ka`bah. The site of this magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.

Everyone was walking, totally absorbed by the spiritual magnificence of this ritual, and busy in supplication. I also wanted to supplicate. I had a booklet telling me what to supplicate and where to do it, but I could not take my eyes off the Ka`bah to look at the book.

Finally, I just started supplicating from my heart and not reading from the book. I don’t even remember what I was saying then. All I know is that I was so connected with my Creator without even uttering any words.

It was as if my mind was supplicating, but my tongue was unable to find the right words. I was supposed to circumambulate seven times, but I was so absorbed by the Ka`bah next to me, I couldn’t remember how many times I did. Just to make sure, I did a few extra rounds.

As I was looking at the House of God, I remembered my home in northern California, surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and green scenery. I always thought I was living in paradise on earth until I saw the Ka`bah.

No scene on earth could match this — no matter how awesome it is. What was happening with me? Most of my life, I preferred seclusion and spent much time in the mountains contemplating. But now among thousands around me shoulder to shoulder, breath to breath, even stepping on one another, I found such a deep peace I never had before.

Perhaps, it had something to do with feeling the presence of God in a more literal way than what I was feeling in the mountains. Also, realizing two of the greatest prophets who built and rebuilt this House were present at this site, enjoining on people pilgrimage, calling the worship of one God, gave me more sense of reality of time and space.

It took me some time to come to myself and feel what was going on around me till the second astonishment hit.

It came over the next few days… I had never seen so many people of various colors, languages, and backgrounds. It didn’t really matter to them who is from where? They were all united like one body and doing the same rituals.

Sometimes I would see an old man or a woman looking up with their hands stretched in supplication, tears running down their faces, and caring for nothing except connecting with their Creator. Yet, people were extra courteous with each other in case of any needs.

Again, this reminded me of a different version of unity I experienced in the US. For years I attended a spiritual gathering with people of different backgrounds. Our motto was, “Unity in Diversity”. We tried to love and help one another and be a brother, sister, mother, or father to one another. It felt good and was as if we had a unique community of our own.

But, now, I am one of nearly three million pilgrims. What about that? I asked myself, how the feeling differed. They were both spiritual and heartwarming; and this gave me a sense of belonging — but with one difference. The first one was cultivating human love toward other humans, and God was not among our concerns. But the second one was all about cultivating human love towards our Creator and as a result, love was cultivated among the adherents.

It was here that I truly felt the unity in diversity in its broadest sense. Had I not experienced this feeling, I may have still hung on to some of my good old memories of my spiritual group in the mountains, thinking that was the only time I felt unified with other humans. But on this pilgrimage, I had both: the Creator, and his creation, all finding their rightful place in my expanded heart.

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Taken from Onislam.net.

 

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

My Lifetime Journey

Ka`bah-Makkah

Not even the hardest of hearts could be left unmoved by the grace, simplicity, and majesty of the Ka`bah, which has been on this spot since the beginning of time itself.

 

When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the intimate friend of Allah, was commanded all those years ago to proclaim the pilgrimage to Makkah, he did so in faith. Standing in what was little more than a barren, inhospitable desert, he called out for men and women to come on pilgrimage to the holy Ka`bah at Allah’s command.

He was astonished at the response. From the north, south, east, and west, he heard voices calling out, “I respond to Your call, O Allah! I respond to Your call,” and people began to come from all the corners of the earth in praise of Almighty Allah.

Thousands of years later, people are still coming from every corner of the globe to worship at Allah’s command. I have just returned from performing `Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage for the first time, and I share these thoughts with my Muslim brothers and sisters to encourage their faith and that Allah’s name be glorified even more.

But what can I say? How can I describe an experience so profound and so beautiful? Shall I say that it was the most blessed experience of my life? Shall I say that Almighty Allah touched my heart and gave me a feeling of peace I had not known before?

Shall I describe the tears that flowed freely from my eyes, affirming my Muslim faith, as I walked around the holy Ka`bah with thousands of others, begging Allah’s blessings for myself and for those I love? Perhaps the best way is just to start at the beginning, and to allow Almighty Allah to use my poor words as He wants.

Preparing for any journey is, in many ways, almost as important as the journey itself. As I prepared for my journey to Makkah, my heart already began to stir at the enormity of what I was about to do.

I had read all the books and consulted all the manuals so that my `Umrah, in sha’ Allah, would be accepted. I learned the prayers in Arabic that I would need to say at different parts of the pilgrimage.

Good Muslim brothers had told me not to worry too much about all this, because it would be my heart that would speak when I reached the holy Ka`bah. I know that Almighty Allah has placed within the heart of every Muslim a deep longing to visit Makkah, to return home to where we belong, to that first house built on Earth in worship of Allah.

Some say that it was Prophet Adam (peace and blessings be upon him) who first built the Ka`bah. Others suggest it was first built by angels beneath the throne of Allah in heaven. Others still attribute the first building of the Ka`bah to Prophet Idris (peace be upon him). Whatever its origins, we know that over time this first building fell into disrepair and ruin and that by the time of Prophet Ibrahim, there was nothing left of it except a small mound of earth. Allah commanded Prophet Ibrahim and his first-born son Ismail (peace be upon them both) to rebuild the Ka`bah.

I had written all these things before and had a good knowledge of the history of the Sacred House, but now it was real to me. This time I was leaving my home in Cairo, wearing the simple white garments of Ihram.

Upon leaving, I was showered with good wishes and prayers by family and friends who so happy for me as I prepared for the journey of a lifetime. Even during the drive to the airport and the arrival at the airport itself, many Muslims showed on their faces the delight they felt at seeing a brother setting off to perform `Umrah.

What a blessed religion is ours, that brothers and sisters we don’t even know should care for us so much! Throughout the journey, I was repeating in Arabic those sweet words which Prophet Ibrahim, first heard all those years ago as follows:

“I respond to Your call, O Allah!

I respond to Your call and I am obedient to Your orders.

You have no partner.

I respond to Your call.

All the praises and the blessings are for You.

All the sovereignty is for You.

And You have no partners with You.”

As the plane took off, I said these words. As we flew across the Red Sea and landed in Jeddah, I continued to say them. As I said them, my heart filled with excitement as I traveled by car through the Makkan hills and approached the city. More tears came as I arrived in Makkah and saw the sanctuary for the first time from a distance.

But nothing can describe the feeling of entering the sacred mosque and seeing the holy Ka`bah. I was choking with tears, the mosque left me breathless and filled me with an immense joy. Not even the hardest of hearts could be left unmoved by the grace, simplicity, and majesty of the Ka`bah, which has been on this spot since the beginning of time itself.

I kept telling myself that in this very place our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked and prayed, as well as countless millions of other good Muslims through the centuries.

And so I performed the rituals of `Umrah, my heart beating with joy and tears running down my cheeks. For something so profound, the rituals were really very simple. They basically involved walking around the Ka`bah seven times and then running or walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, in imitation of that desperate search for water made by Hagar, which culminated in the spring of Zamzam gushing from the ground. Our beloved Prophet taught us to say just one prayer as we encircle the Ka`bah as follows:

“May Our Lord grant us blessings in this life,

Blessings in the life to come,

And save us from the torment of the hell-fire.”

All of this seemed like a dream. While my lips were saying what I had learned to say, my mind was racing with thoughts and my heart was pouring out everything within it. I had come to the very center of the world in response to the call of Allah. What love He shows to us, and yet how ungrateful we are. What blessings He showers upon us each day, and yet how slow we are to respond to the call of the adhan and to utter His praises.

We can gladly spend hours sitting in front of a television set or talking idly on a mobile phone, and yet we hardly find the time to spend a few minutes in prayer, even though our life in the hereafter depends on it.

The experience of `Umrah or Hajj is like a piercing sword. It cuts through all the rubbish we surround ourselves with and it shows us our lives in their real perspective – we come from Allah and it is to Allah that we will return. The experience of `Umrah is also like being soaked in love. Our heartfelt response is one of thanks.

In Madinah

As if all this were not enough, most pilgrims usually finish their pilgrimage to Makkah by spending a few days in Madinah, the city of our beloved Prophet and the first Muslim state ever. In Madinah, the mosque was at the center of the city and Allah was at the center of every Muslim’s life.

I finished my own pilgrimage in the same way, walking the very paths trod by Allah’s Messenger and falling in prostration on the ground in the same places where he prayed. I met Muslims from almost every nation on earth and was welcomed to the city by Muslims for whom Islam is everything.

If Makkah, then, is the place of powerful emotions that shake a person to the core, Madinah is truly the city of peace. The Prophet’s Mosque is a place of calm and quiet. With its salmon-colored walls, grey and cream Moorish arches, and its floors and pillars of white, polished marble, the mosque is breathtakingly beautiful.

Although it is immense and holds thousands at a time for prayer, the Prophet’s Mosque is a place of peace. The gentle personality and the presence of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is everywhere. Madinah is such a privileged place to end one’s journey of a lifetime.

Now that I am home, the real challenge of living out my `Umrah begins. It is not difficult to pray for long periods of time and to focus all your thoughts on Islam when you are looking at the Ka`bah or are near the final resting place of Allah’s final messenger to mankind. The routine of daily life, though, with all its distractions, is less easy.

I cherish the memories of those days in Saudi Arabia in my heart, and I say al-hamdu lillah (praise be to God). I pray that Almighty Allah will give me the strength to be a good Muslim. I pray that I will always be prompt and faithful to prayer. I pray that I will now learn and recite more of the Qur’an every day.

And, after the experience of a lifetime, I pray that I will always give good examples to my Muslim brothers and sisters, and that I can show to non-Muslims how sweet and beautiful the message of Islam is. Ameen.

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Source: idristawfiq.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

Hajj: Its Meaning and Position from the Qur’an

ka`bah_Makkah

The House, itself, is not to be taken as an object of worship: it is simply a place for worshipping the One.

Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House, (saying): “Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways; that they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and celebrate the name of Allah, through the days appointed, over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want. Then let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again) circumambulate the Ancient House”. (Al-Hajj 22:26-29)

Perform the pilgrimage and the visit (to Makkah) for Allah. And if you are prevented, then send such gifts as can be obtained with ease, and shave not your heads until the gifts have reached their destination. And whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of the head must pay a ransom of fasting or almsgiving or offering. And if you are in safety, then whosoever contents himself with the visit for the pilgrimage (shall give) such gifts as can be had with ease. And whosoever cannot find (such gifts), then a fast of three days while on the pilgrimage, and of seven when you have returned; that is, ten in all. That is for him whoso folk are not present at the inviolable place of worship. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.

The pilgrimage is (in) the well-known months, and whoever is minded to perform the pilgrimage therein (let him remember that) there is (to be) no lewdness nor abuse nor angry conversation on the pilgrimage. And whatsoever good you do Allah knows it. So make provision for yourselves (Hereafter); for the best provision is to ward off evil. Therefore keep your duty unto Me, O men of understanding.

It is no sin for you that you seek the bounty of your Lord (by trading). But, when you press on in the multitude from `Arafat, remember Allah by the sacred monument. Remember Him as He hath guided you, although before you were of those astray.

Then hasten onward from the place whence the multitude hastens onward, and ask forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

And when you have completed your devotions, then remember Allah as you remember your fathers or with a more lively remembrance. But of mankind is he who says: “Our Lord! Give unto us in the world,” and he has no portion in the Hereafter.

Remember Allah through the appointed days. Then whoso hastens (his departure) by two days, it is no sin for him, and whoso delays, it is no sin for him; that is for him who wards off (evil). Be careful of your duty to Allah, and know that unto Him ye will be gathered. (Al-Baqarah 2:203)

Pilgrimage, an important religious duty in Islam, is described at length in the Qur’an, as is evident from the two passages quoted above. Some of the points addressed include: the House of Allah (the Ka`bah) and its credentials, how the Prophet Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed Pilgrimage and the response to it down the ages, the benefits of pilgrimage, and how it represents the essence of all other acts of devotional worship in Islam, especially the spirit of piety and surrender to Allah pervading every aspect of pilgrimage.

The Qur’anic passage opens with placing pilgrimage in its historical context. At Allah’s directive and at the site identified by Him, the Prophet Abraham constructed the Ka`bah, the House of Allah, and hence its special, hallowed status.

Nonetheless, this account is immediately followed by a condemnation of polytheism in any form. It appears that the above note is intended to clarify beyond any shadow of doubt that the Ka`bah owes its exalted position only in view of its close association with Allah.

The structure of the Ka‘bah itself has no sanctity of its own. It is Allah the One True God, not the Ka`bah, which is to be worshipped. As for keeping it clean and pure, the directive has both a literal and a figurative sense, clear of all material and spiritual filth – for all true worshippers of the One Universal God.

Furthermore, the House, itself, is not to be taken as an object of worship: it is simply a place for worshipping the One.

After the Prophet Abraham had constructed the Ka`bah and ensured that only the One True God would be worshipped there, Allah directed him to issue a general proclamation, asking people to visit the Ka`bah.

In his “The Glorious Qur’an” Daryabadi, a famous Indian Muslim writer and exegete of the Qur’an, pertinently draws attention to the fact that this proclamation was made thousands of years ago, before the era of the press, the post, the telegraph, the wireless, the radio, television and other such paraphernalia of modern publicity and propaganda that mankind has been responding to during all these centuries, by performing the pilgrimage in their tens and hundreds of thousands every year!

Amid the various acts of worship prescribed in Islam, Hajj stands out above others in many respects. That the performance of Hajj provides an opportunity to pilgrims “to witness the benefits to them” is a special feature of Hajj. The above point is made in Allah’s directive, asking mankind to perform Hajj:

And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine, that they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He has bestowed upon them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate. (Al-Hajj 22:27, 28)

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The article is an excerpt from Abdur Raheem Kidwai’s book “The Qur’an: Essential Teachings”, published by the Islamic Foundation, 2005/1426 H.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

Hajj: For Every Act There Is a Benefit

 

Tawaf_Makkah

The sense of liberation and purgation is enhanced by the immediate environment and constant mention of Allah which form part of Hajj.

The benefits accruing to pilgrims are numerous and varied; religious, financial, social, political and intellectual. Down the millennia pilgrims have witnessed these benefits. This truth comes out at its sharpest in their numerous narratives and travelogues.

There is hardly a pilgrim who returns home without experiencing some of these benefits. It is commonplace that each act of worship has its own benefits. However, the benefits gained from Hajj are, relatively speaking, much more palpable and pronounced, observable to both pilgrims and non-pilgrims.

Winning Allah’s pleasure is, of course, its greatest benefit, which cannot be matched by any other gain imaginable. Accordingly, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that on accomplishing Hajj a pilgrim is akin to a new-born baby in being pure and sinless.

Amazingly enough, the moment one intends to perform Hajj, a sea change sets in one’s mindset, psychological make-up; in sum, on one’s entire outlook on life and benefits start pouring in immediately. For Hajj represents, so to speak, the pervading spirit of all the prescribed acts of worship in Islam.

The constant mention and remembrance of Allah and chanting certain formulae during Hajj are the unmistakable hallmarks of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) which permeate Hajj. This mention of Allah at appointed times during the course of Hajj also captures the spirit of salah, which is incorporated into Hajj.

A set of certain restrictions, forbidding pilgrims the use of otherwise perfectly lawful and wholesome things during the state of ihram (consecration), reminds one readily of the prohibitions placed on one during the month-long fasting during Ramadan.

Taken in this sense, Hajj incorporates features which are special to fasting. The journey undertaken to perform Hajj, often entailing inconvenience and suffering, re-enacts the essential component of the Hijrah (migrating in the cause of Allah). For in both of these acts of worship one willingly undergoes discomfort and emotional, material and monetary loss for the sake of Allah.

By the same token, some features specific to Jihad (striving in Allah’s cause) also characterize Hajj as the pilgrim makes sacrifices related to both his body and belongings. It goes without saying that to perform Hajj the pilgrim incurs expenses. This reinforces the spirit underlying zakah that man is only a trustee over the material resources endowed on him by Allah and that he should spend in consonance with Allah’s directives. Animal sacrifice, another prescribed act of worship in Islam, happens to be one of the major rites of Hajj itself.

Viewed thus, Hajj displays the quintessence of all the main acts of worship in Islam; prayer, fasting, zakah, hijrah, jihad and dhikr. One may therefore, maintain that this single act of worship, Hajj, renews in one the spirit pervading several acts of worship which is a benefit beyond all measure.

Furthermore, each rite of Hajj is characterized by many benefits which have both functional and catalytic value. The donning of ihram makes one realize paradoxically both the importance and worthlessness of clothes, of which one is habitual since birth. Clothes invest one with identity; individual, social and ethnic. Cloth is doubtless one of Allah’s major bounties bestowed on man.

At Allah’s command however, one stops using one’s traditional clothes during the state of ihram. This amounts, in a sense, to removing an artificial barrier to the unity of mankind. Pilgrims dressed in frugal ihram display the essential sameness of mankind, cutting across distinctions of social class, financial status and ethnic origin.

The strong individuality exhibited, rather reinforced by one’s preferential clothes, is instantly replaced by the awe-inspiring unity of mankind, with each one of the millions of pilgrims, assembled every year during the Hajj period, represented only as an obedient servant of Allah. Ihram thus instructs one in the ideal of mankind’s unity, which has assumed greater importance and relevance in today’s conflict-riven and disunited world.

More importantly, the donning of ihram places certain restrictions on one, ranging from refraining from sexual relations with one’s wife to hunting or wearing perfume, etc. This further infuses and strengthens a spirit of self-restraint. A pilgrim in ihram is not allowed to kill even an insect. He is not to indulge in fighting, obscenity or evil. Avoiding aggression and controlling animal instincts are thus the benefits arising out of donning ihram.

Talbiyah (chanting during Hajj) is of immense benefit for the pilgrim. At one level, it facilitates the bonding between man and Allah, between the creature and the Creator. At another, it helps one discover one’s true self – of wholesale surrender to the Supreme Lord.

One’s sense of proximity with Allah is further heightened by the sacred locale of Hajj sites. The House of Allah and other structures and places with thousands of years of rich history and their association with such august figures as Allah’s Messengers, from the Prophets Abraham and Muhammad (peace be upon them) to the latter’s Companions, make one inhale and imbibe the sense of the sacred and sublimate one spiritually and emotionally.

At the same time, this grand setting humbles one, making one all the more conscious of one’s failings and lapses in being true and faithful to one’s covenant with one’s Lord. Psychologically and morally it brings such benefits which a pilgrim treasures throughout his life.

The talbiyah and Hajj-setting help a pilgrim release and ennoble his feelings, especially towards his Creator and Lord. The sense of liberation and purgation is enhanced by the immediate environment and constant mention of Allah which form part of Hajj.

The visit to Haram (the Sacred Mosque) further heightens the sense of the hallowed and the sacred. It is innate in human nature to exteriorize, objectify and perceive the sacred with sense perception.

In Islam the sacred is abstract and rightly belongs to the domain of al-ghayb (the unseen which is beyond the realm of human sense perception). This natural desire on man’s part is, nonetheless gratified, to a certain degree, on seeing and going round the House of Allah, a concrete object yet enjoying such a close association with the sacred and the divine. The visit thus has a sublimating and exhilarating effect on the pilgrim’s spirit. Needless to add, this benefit is not obtainable anywhere else.

Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is on record as saying that a prayer offered within the precincts of the Sacred Mosque is equivalent to one thousand prayers offered in any other mosque. This benefit of Hajj is too great to be disregarded by any Muslim.

Tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka`bah) broadens and reinforces one’s spiritual benefits. This rite draws the pilgrim into the proximity of the sanctum sanctorum. Standing near the Ka`bah, praying at the spot on which the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had once stood, visiting the Zamzam well and drinking its water, and performing Sa`i between Safa and Marwah all being part of the rites of Hajj, help the pilgrim re-enact sacred history.

This benefit, once again, is special to Hajj. While regarding himself as part of the grand tradition, the pilgrim gains firm religious conviction. In other words, revivification of faith is one of the great benefits of Hajj.

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The article is an excerpt from Abdur Raheem Kidwai’s book “The Qur’an: Essential Teachings”, published by the Islamic Foundation, 2005/1426 H.

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New Muslims Pilgrimage

Sunnah Acts in Hajj

By Dr. Ali Gomaa

Tawaf_Makkah

After a pilgrim completes Tawaf Al-Ifadah at Makkah, he returns to Mina on Yawm An-Nahr where it is recommended for him to stay until he finishes stoning on the last day of Tashriq.

In efforts to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, our exemplar; his sayings and deeds, it is worth to note and follow some particular acts he (peace be upon him) performed during Hajj.

So what are these sunnahs (the specific Prophetic acts of worship) related to Hajj?

1 & 2: Bathing and Using Perfume before Assuming Ihram

Before assuming ihram, it is recommended for a person who intends to perform Hajj or `Umrah to pare his nails, trim his moustache, comb his hair, and shave his armpits and pubic hair and the like.

When a pilgrim wishes to enter ihram, it is recommended (even for a woman in a state of menstruation or postnatal bleeding) to bathe, intending to bathe for ihram. The period between bathing and assuming ihram must be brief and its duration is determined by convention; at present it is 12 hours.

3- The Talbiyah

The Talbiyah (saying labbayka Allahumma labbayk) is a sunnah without which a pilgrim’s hajj or `Umrah is still valid and omitting it does not entail any consequences. However, a pilgrim misses a great virtue by neglecting it.

4- Tawaf Al-Qudum

It is desirable to perform Tawaf Al-Qudum for anyone who enters Makkah for Hajj, `Umrah or any other reason, for someone who has assumed ihram from al-hill (non-sacred place i.e. any place outside the Makkan Precinct) or even for someone who is not in a state of ihram.

It is likewise recommended for a pilgrim who does not fear missing standing at `Arafat due to time constraints, as for instance one who enters Mecca some time before dawn of Yawm An-Nahr (Day of Sacrifice) or a pilgrim who does not perform `Umrah before Hajj while in Al-Haram (Sacred Sanctuary). It is recommended for such a person who has performed `Umrah before Hajj and then exited Al-Haram to repeat Tawaf Al-Qudum.

5- Spending the Eve of `Arafat at Mina

After arriving at Mina on the afternoon of the Day of Tarwiyah (8th of Dhul-Hijjah), a pilgrim is to spend the rest of the day there. It is recommended that he spend the eve of 9th of Dhul-Hijjah there until he prays Fajr. He is then to leave Mina on the 9th  of Dhul-Hijjah after sunrise and proceed to `Arafat.

6- Spending the Night at Muzdalifah

After standing at `Arafat in the recommended manner until sunset, he is to proceed to Muzdalifah. It is recommended for him to stay there for at least the time it takes him to deposit his luggage and then join the Maghreb and `Isha’ Prayers at the time of `Isha’.

It is recommended for him to have something to eat and drink and spend the eve of 10th of Dhul-Hijjah there. It is likewise recommended that he pick seven pebbles from Muzdalifah to stone Jamrat Al-`Aqabah, also called Al-Jamrah Al-Kubra (the last and largest stone pillar) after he leaves for Mina.

7- Supplicating at Al-Mash`ar Al-Haram

It is recommended for a pilgrim to spend the rest of the night of 10th of Dhul-Hijjah at Muzdalifah and then leave for Al-Mash`ar Al-Haram after Fajr Prayer to make supplications and invocations until the day lightens considerably.

8- Spending the Nights of the Days of Tashriq at Mina

After a pilgrim completes Tawaf Al-Ifadah at Makkah, he returns to Mina on Yawm An-Nahr where it is recommended for him to stay until he finishes stoning on the last day of Tashriq (13th of Dhul-Hijjah).

It is well noted that Tawaf Al-Ifadah, which is also called Tawaf Az-Ziyarah (Tawaf of visiting), takes place after the standing in `Arafat, on the day of Al-Adha or after it. It is one of the pillars or essential parts of the Hajj.

If he is in a hurry to leave, he spends two nights at Mina and then goes to Mecca before sunset of the second day of Tashriq (12th Dhul-Hijjah). If he is not in a hurry, it is recommended that he spends three nights at Mina.

The opinion stating that spending the days of Tashriq at Mina is a sunnah, is the one maintained by Hanafi scholars and is likewise the opinion implemented for fatwa.

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Source: ali-gomaa.

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