In the sacred land of Makkah

In the sacred land where dreams ascend,
Where pilgrims embark, their souls to mend,
In the realm of Hajj, where hearts unite,
A journey divine, in the realm of light.

From distant corners, they gather as one,
A multitude diverse, under the blazing sun,
Leaving behind the mundane and mundane,
To seek redemption, in Allah’s domain.

With ihram draped, a white cloak so pure,
They walk together, in steps secure,
Through the desert’s heat and arid sand,
In pursuit of blessings, they faithfully stand.

Makkah, the sanctuary, a sight divine,
The Kaaba stands tall, a beacon to align,
Circling the House, their spirits soar,
Tawaf, a rite and prayer, they forever adore.

Oh, Hajj, a sacred voyage of the soul,
Where unity and devotion make us whole,
In this holy land, a tapestry unfurls,
A symphony of hearts, where Allah’s love swirls.

Oh, blessed journey, a sacred embrace,
A spiritual homecoming, a divine chase,
Hajj, the pilgrimage of love and grace,
May its blessings shine, on every face.

After Hajj

How fortunate are these souls who are blessed with the following words from Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam:

“Whoever performs Hajj for the Pleasure of Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it (free from sin) as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” (Bukhaari, Muslim)

“Verily there shall be no reward for a Mabroor Hajj except Jannah.” (Bukhaari, Muslim)

It is hoped that all the pilgrims were sincere in their intentions and had traveled thousands of miles only to secure the Pleasure of Allah by fulfilling the obligation laid down upon them. May Allah the Almighty grant all the pilgrims acceptance and grant them opportunity again and again to visit the Sacred bud. Aameen.

Nevertheless, we wish to draw the attention of the pilgrims towards certain points which are necessary and of utmost importance to observe and for which many pilgrims are seen neglectful of their significance.

1, the sincerity of intention should remain even after the performance of Hajj. There should be no pomp or show. One should not wish to be called or recognized as a Haajee.
Many people adopt the habit of talking frequently about their journey in order that people may come to know of their Hajj. They talk about the expenses incurred in the way of Allah, their charity amongst the poor and needy, their devotion and worship, their assisting the weak and old, etc.; and all is mentioned only with the intention of gaining fame. This is a deceit from Shaytaan who ruins the ibaadat without the person even knowing. It is therefore of great importance that the pilgrim does not talk about his Hajj without necessity as it may lead to ‘Riyaa’ (show, insincerity). However, if necessity arises and one must talk about his Hajj then he is at liberty to do so. But, he must not indulge in this type of conversation unnecessarily.

2, it is noted through experience, that many pilgrims return with only the bad side of the journey and make it a habit of talking about nothing except the hardships they have encountered during Hajj. The pilgrims should strictly refrain from this. On the contrary they should talk about the greatness of the sacred places, the spiritual gains, the enjoyment in devotions of Haramayn – Umrah, Tawaaf, Salaam on the Sacred Grave, Salaat in Masjid-ul-Haraam and Masjid-un-Nabawi etc. If one looks at his journey of Hajj carefully he will find that the good things far outweighs the bad. Every second spent in these sacred places is incomparable with anything in the world.

The journey of Hajj is a long journey; one has to travel by air, pass the immigrations, go through the customs, encounter people who speak foreign languages, etc. In these circumstances, difficulties are certain to arise. when we travel in our country do we always travel with comfort and ease? Do we never encounter difficulty? Do we not find ourselves held up in traffic for hours on a Motorway? Considering the fact that 2 – 3 million pilgrims perform the rituals of Hajj at one time, in one place and that they all come from different countries and backgrounds and that many of them have never before used or seen the facilities available to them. We think the difficulties encountered are insignificant. Moreover, the pilgrims are rewarded abundantly by Allah Ta’aala upon every difficulty encountered in their journey whereas the same is not the case whilst we are on another journey.
Those people who engage in these types of conversation become the cause of discouragement to others who have not yet had the opportunity to perform Hajj. These unfortunate pilgrims fall into the category … and who stop (men) from the way of Allah, and from the Sacred Masjid, … mentioned in Surah Hajj in the Qur’aan. They should take heed that if people are discouraged by their conversation and postpone their Hajj then those who have discouraged them will be equally responsible.

3, the sign of a ‘Mabroor Hajj’ or an ‘accepted Hajj’ is that upon one’s return, his life changes from worst to good. He becomes totally punctual in fulfilling the commands of Allah Ta’aala. His love and inclination towards the Hereafter increases and love for the worldly pleasures decline. Therefore, it is essential that the pilgrim is watchful over his actions and should try his utmost to instill in himself good characters and refrain from all types of evil. He should try his best to fulfill the obligations laid down by Allah and avoid all the things forbidden by Him.

Source: Sunnah Organisation

Day 5 of Hajj

5th day: 12th Zul Hijjah
Make Ramee, i.e. pelt all three Shaytaans after Zawaal. The Hajjees may now proceed to MAKKAH MU’AZZAM. Those who wish to remain in Mina on the l3th Zul Hijjah should pelt the 3 Shaytaans before proceeding to Makkah Mukarramah. The pelting on this day is permissible throughout the day (including the period before Zawaal).

Day 4 of Hajj

4th day: 11th Zul Hijjah
All three SHAYTAANS have to be pelted on this day and the night will be spent at MINA. RAAMEE, i.e. pelting time begins after ZAWAAL and ends before SUNSET.

Jamarat

Day 3 of Hajj

3rd day: 10th Zul Hijjah, Yaum-un-Nahr  

After performing Fajr Salaah at Muzdalifah, the Hajjees proceed to Mina before sunrise. On this day four important rites have to be performed.  
1. RAMEE of Jamaratul Aqabah (stoning the big Shaytaan).  
2. ZABH (to sacrifice an animal).  
3. HALQ or Qasr (shaving or trimming the hair of the head).  
4. To perform TAWAAFUZ ZIYAARAH. 

Day 2 of Hajj

2nd day: 9th Zul Hijjah, Yaum-ul-Arafah  

Image result for arafat hajj

Arafat Hajj

After sunrise the Hajjees proceed to ARAFAAT and make WUQOOF after ZAWAAL. Zohar and Asr Salaah will be performed here. Here they remain engaged in Du’aa, Zikr, Tilaawat, etc. until sunset. Immediately after sunset they proceed to Muzdalifah. Here they will perform Maghrib and Esha at the time of Esha. The night will be spent at Muzdalifah. 

Image result for muzdalifah

Muzdalifah Hajj

Day 1 of Hajj

1st day: 8th Zul Hijjah, Yaum-ut-Tarwiyah  

After putting on their Ihraams for Hajj, the Hajjees proceed to MlNA after sunrise and perform 5 Salaahs there, i.e. Zohar, Asr, Maghrib, Esha and Fajr of the next day (9 Zil Hijjah). 

Virtues of performing Hajj

Hazrat Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said:
“Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of pleasing Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall remain from it as free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.’

Hazrat Abu Huraira (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said:
“Verily there shall be no reward for a righteous pilgrimage except Jannah”

Hazrat Ayesha (radhiyallahu anha) reports that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“There is no day in which Allah sets free more souls from the fire of hell than on the day of Arafaat. And on that day Allah draws near to the earth and by way of exhibiting His pride remarks to the Angels: “What is the desire of these servants of mine.”
“Hazrat Talhaa (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said:
“Apart from the day of the battle of Badr there is no day on which the Shaytaan is seen more humiliated, more rejected. More depressed and more infuriated, than on the day of Arafaat, and indeed all that is only because of beholding the abundance of descending mercy (on that day) and Allah’s forgiveness of the great sins of the servants.” (Mishkaat)

Hazrat Ibn Shimaastah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports we were present around Hazrat Amr Ibn al-Aas (radhiyallahu anhu) before he passed away. He cried for a long time and then related the story of his embracing Islam. He said: “When Allah caused Islam to enter my heart, I came to Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and said: ‘O messenger of Allah, put forth your hand that I may swear allegiance. ‘When Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stretched forth his hand, I withheld mine. Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) inquired: “What troubles you ‘O Amr?” I said: I went to make a condition that Allah shall forgive my previous sins”. Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) replied: ‘O Amr, do you then not know that Islam washes away all sins committed in disbelief, and that the Hijrat (migration) washes away all sins committed before Hajj?”

Hazrat Sahl bins Sa’ad (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said:
“When a Muslim shouts Labbaik, then verily every stone, tree and all the ground to his right and to his left recites the same, and this continues till that cry reaches the end of the earth,”

Hazrat Abu Moosa (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“The Hajji shall intercede on behalf of four hundred families or he said four hundred people from his family, and verily does he return from Hajj (sinless) as on the day his mother gave birth to him.”

Hazrat Ibn Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) report that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“When you meet a Hajji (on his way home) then greet him, shake hands with him and ask him to beg forgiveness of Allah on your behalf before he enters his home, for his prayer for forgiveness is accepted since he is forgiven by Allah for his sins.”

Hazrat Buraidah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“The expenses incurred during Hajj is like that incurred in Jihaad; rewarded seven hundred times.”

Hazrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“A Hajji never becomes poor and destitute.”

Hazrat Aayesha (radhiyallahu anha) reports that she once sought permission from Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) to go for Jihaad. Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “Your Jihaad is Hajj.”

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said:
“Whoever desires to perform Hajj, should hasten towards performing it.”

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said:
“Whoever sets forth in a journey to perform Hajj and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Haaji until the day of Qiyaamah; and whoever sets forth to perform Umrah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mu’tamir until Qiyaamah; and whoever sets forth on a journey to fight in the way of Allah and passes away on route, for him shall be written the reward of a Mujaahid until the day of Qiyaamah.”

Hazrat Ibn Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that a Sahabiyah (a Muslim lady who saw Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) once said to Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam):
“O Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaihi Wassallam), the obligation of Hajj has come at a time now when my father is a very old and weakly man. He is unable to remain seated on a camel (or horse). Can I then proceed to perform Hajj on his behalf?”
Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “Yes, you can.”

Another Sahabi (radhiyallahu anhu) also came with a similar request: “O Rasullullah (Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam), my sister made vow that she would perform Hajj. Now she has passed away. What should we do?”
Rasullullah(Salallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) replied: “Should she have passed away while she owed someone something, would you have settled that debt?”
The man replied: “Yes indeed.”
Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alaiyhi Wassallam) said: “This is a debt due to Allah. Settle it.” (Mishkaat)

Hazrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) reports:
“Verily Allah causes three people to enter into Paradise through one Hajj; The deceased, (on whose behalf this Hajj is being performed) the Haaji performing it and he (the heir or others) who makes possible its performance (by financial aid).”

Source: Al-Islaah publications

Spiritual Advice for Hajj

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an:

الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلاَ 

رَفَثَ وَلاَ فُسُوقَ وَلاَ جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ 

خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى 

وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُوْلِي الأَلْبَابِ

The season of Pilgrimage is the months known; wherefore whosoever ordaineth unto himself the pilgrimage therein, there is no lewdness nor wickedness nor wrangling during the pilgrimage, and whatsoever of good ye do, Allah shall know it. And take provision for the journey, for verily the best provision is abstainment; and fear Me, O men of understanding!
[al Baqarah 2/197]

In the verse related to Hajj, the need to perform tawaaf (ritual walk around the Holy Ka’ba), sa’ee (ritual walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa), stoning of the shayaateen are not mentioned, rather Allah سبحانه وتعالى mentions the need to abstain from 3 acts :

1. Lewd talk
This means any talk which is rude, indecent, offensive or vulgar. To speak in such a manner violates the sanctity of Hajj. It does not befit a Muslim to speak in a lewd manner – it only suggests a filthy heart and mind. This prohibition during Hajj also includes speaking of conjugal relations between husband and wife which under normal circumstances would be permissible.

2. Sinning
This includes any act of disobedience to Allah سبحانه وتعالى especially not lowering one’s gaze. During Hajj, being such a large gathering of men and women, the need to lower one’s gaze becomes all the more important. Not lowering one’s gaze not only destroys the sanctity of Hajj, but one’s attention is diverted from Allah سبحانه وتعالى to the creation. Nothing is achieved by the stray gaze – it is an arrow which only returns to pierce one’s own heart.

3. Arguing
The Hajj journey makes the most patient and forbearing of people irritable because one’s sleeping and eating patterns are disrupted. In such a state and in such a large gathering of people one may be easily provoked and get into an argument. At such times one should exercise patience and self-discipline and remind himself by saying ‘I am in Hajj’ i.e. I am in a sanctified state.

These 3 sins reflect the 3 categories of sins a Muslim should avoid throughout his life i.e.
• Sins of the tongue
• Sins of the flesh
• Sins against fellow Muslims

During Hajj these 3 sins are especially dangerous yet so easy to commit. If a person engages in any of these there is a great danger that all of the reward for Hajj will be destroyed. As well as fulfilling all the rites and rituals of Hajj, it is necessary to refrain from the above sins for an accepted Hajj.

[This short excerpt is based on a brothers’ majlis (gathering held for spiritual training) held by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq on 6th February 2001].

Source: Content Soul

The Sunnahs of Eid

1. To awaken earlier than usual

2. To brush the teeth with Miswaak

3. To have a bath (Ghusl)

4. To be well dressed in an Islamic manner

5. To be dressed in one’s best clothes (Doesn’t necessarily have to be new)

Note: Care should be taken that we do not incur debts or transgress the limits of modesty on the clothes we purchase and wear on Eid day as is seen in Muslim communities of today. Many of our brothers are seen with unsuitable haircuts and inappropriate clothing imitating the kufaar and many of sisters are seen dressed provocatively attracting unwanted attention and the gaze of strange men upon them. What would happen if we were to die in such a state? We should adopt modesty in everyday of our lives and should never imitate the kufaar in anyway. May Allah save us from this evil. Ameen

6. To use Attar (Perfume)

7. To perform Eid Salah at the Eidgah (An open ground)

8. Avoid eating before Eid Salah on the day of Eid ul Adha and to eat an odd number of dates or anything sweet on the day of Eid ul Fitr

9. To go to the place of Eid Salah early

10. To walk to the place of Eid Salah (If it is within walking distance because every step is reward)

11. To read aloud “Takbeerat” on the way to the place of prayer for Eid-ul-Adha and silently for Eid-ul-Fitr:

“Allaahu Akbar Allaahu Akbar Laa ilaaha illallaahu Wallaahu Akbar walillaahil hamd”.

12. To use different routes to and from the place of Eid Salaah

13. To frequently read the takbeers (Loudly for Eid Ul Adha and softly for Eid ul Fitr)

14. To pray the Eid-Ul-Fitr prayer later and the Eid-ul-Adha earlier.

15. To read two rak’ahs Waajib Salaatul Eidain without any Adhaan or Iqaamah

16. It is forbidden to pray Nafil prayer before or after the prayer.

17. To read the two rak’ahs Nafl prayer on reaching home.

18. During Eid Salaah, in the first rak’ah, Rasulallah would recite Surah Ala (no. 87) and Suratul Ghathia (No. 8 in the second rak’ah.

19. Reciting these Sura’s in the Eid prayer should not be regarded as obligatory for other Sura’s may also be recited.

20. When Rasulallah completed the prayer of Salaatul Eidain he would stand facing the people who were seated in their rows and deliver a khutba issuing instructions and commanding them to do good. If he intended to send an army he did so and likewise issued any special orders he wished to.

21. The Khutba was delivered after the Eid Salaah

22. During both the khutba’s of Eid Rasulallah used to recite the Takbeerat frequently

23. The khutba of both Eids are Sunnah but to listen to them is Waajib. It is totally prohibited (Haraam) to walk around, talk or even read Salaah whilst the khutba is in progress.

24. To shake hands and hug one another on happy occasions is Mubaah (permissible). The general principle of a Mubaah act is not to regard the act as compulsory as that projects a wrong image of Deen. Furthermore, people should not regard the meeting on the day of Eid as compulsory and an inseparable part of the occasion.

(SUNNATS, Mufti E. M. H. Salejee pg 89, 90)
25. The greeting on Eid: Jabyr ibn Nufayr said: ‘When the companions of Allah’s Messenger met on the day of Eid, they would say to each other, ‘Taqaballahu minna wa mink (May Allah accept from us and you).” [Al Mahamiliyyat; hasan isnad; see Fath ul Bari 2:446

1 2 3