HAJJRehearsal of

THE FINALJOURNEY

-- M.S.Islam

WRITER’S NOTE: This book can beprinted, copied or reproduced for non-commercial use. The book can also betranslated in any language withoutwritten permission from the writer.

Published By: SALMAN, SAJID, NADIA

& TASNEEM ISLAM710 OAK COMMONS BOULEVARD

KISSIMMEE, FL 34741USA

Printed at: Chaman Enterprises 1603, Pataudi House Darya Ganj

New Delhi - 110002

Cover designed by: M. Muinul Haq Tanveer

CONTENTS

1. PRE-CONDITIONS.......................................1

2. OBJECTIVE................................................27

3. THE HAJJ..................................................32

4. HAJJ IN QURAN.........................................39

5. HAJJ OF RASULULLAH SALLALLAHUALAIHE WASALLAM.....................................................43

6. THE REHEARSAL......................................58

7. BE MINDFUL OF.......................................74

8. GUIDE TO THE HAJJ ANDUMRAH.....................................................80

9. THE CONDITIONS FOR HAJJ.....................83

10. THE FARD OF HAJJ...................................83

11. THE WAJIBAT OF HAJJ.............................84

12. PERFORMANCE OF UMRAH......................85

13. THE PERFORMANCE OF HAJJ...................91

14. OBLIGATIONS DURING IHRAM.................99

15. VISITATION OF THE PROPHETSALLALLAHU ALAIHE WA SALLAM’SMOSQUE..................................................103

16. ON RETURNING HOME...........................109

A SHORT NOTE

The purpose of Hajj has been lost in theformalities of Hajj. Everybody busy himself tolearn how to perform Hajj but nobody wants toknow why to perform Hajj? What AllahSubhana wa taala wants from Hajj? What are theteachings of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe wasallam in Hajj? How to lead life after Hajj. Tounderstand these we must understand whole ofIslam. Hajj is not an isolated Ibadat. It is one ofthe fundamentals of the deen. Unless we havebasic understanding and full conviction in ourreligion there will not be any benefit inperforming Hajj.

The purpose of this book is to give some of theseunderstandings. The writer is not an aleem of deen, but sincere efforts were made to collectand compile the information available in theQuran, Hadith and the books of Hajj. If anyscholars of deen in future make effort to compilesomething better than this one, I am sure that willbenefit the Ummah. For narrative purposes Ihave used masculine gender only. Sisters shouldread the book with equal importance.

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PRE-CONDITIONS

The mankind has been sent to this worldfor a short time to prepare for theeverlasting life of hereafter. With firmbelief in Allah, in the Unseen, in theRevelation, in the Prophets, in Life afterdeath, in the Day of Judgment, inHeaven and Hell one submits himself tothe orders of Allah to achieve success inthe hereafter. Compared to the eternallife, this life is very short. Just if wecompare our 100 year life (if we survivethat long) with the Day of Judgment(said to be 50,000 year of our life) thenthe 100 year life is equal to more or lessonly three minutes. Even then Allah haskept our ever lasting success of next lifein this short worldly life - if we believe. The belief is Iman. “Iman is a generalterm that includes affirming andbelieving in Allah, His books and Hismessengers, and realizing thisaffirmation through adhering to theimplications of what the tongue uttersand affirms” (commented by Ibn Jarir).This concept is religion, that in returnbrings success. For the preparation of the

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journey to the everlasting life ofhereafter one must adhere to the orders of Allah Subhana wa taala and thesunnah of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alai he wa sallam. To achieve thatobjective, sacrifice is needed. The basicdemand of religion (success) is sacrifice. The Iman (faith), Ibadat (rituals ofreligion) require sacrifice. To bring thebelief in Allah, one has to sacrifice thebelief in others. Both the belief can notexist together. In other words the love ofthe creations has to be removed to bringthe love of the Creator - that is La ila-hail lal lah (nothing is worthy of worshipbut Allah). The success is hidden only inthis belief. This belief will enter in theheart only by following the foot steps ofthe Prophet Alaihe wa sallam. Sincethe seal of the Prophethood isMuhammad Sallal lahu alai he wasallam one must follow the ways of himto get the pleasures of Allah. As Allahsays in the Quran; Say, if you loveAllah, follow me and Allah will loveyou and forgive you your sins (3:31). Toachieve all these, sacrifice is needed.Only through sacrifices we can comecloser to Allah. Prophet Ibrahim

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Alaihe wa sallam and his family gavethe sacrifices that Allah demanded fromthem. Those sacrifices were so difficultyet their Iman made them go through each and every one of them. They neverfailed! Through those sacrifices ProphetIbrahim Alaihe wa sallam became theKhalil (friend) of Allah. His and hisfamily’s sacrifice became the rituals(Ibadat) of Hajj for the believers till theday of judgement. As Allah says in theQuran: Behold! Safa and Marwa areamong the symbols of Allah. So, ifthose who visit The House in the seasonor at other times should compass themround. It is no sin in them (2:158).

As we know, the foundation of ourreligion is on five basics. Without thesefive basics in our life we can not claimto be Muslims. Abdullah bin OmorRadiallahu Anhu heard the ProphetSallal lahu alaihe wa sallam saying:Islam is founded on five pillars: Bearingwitness that there is no God but Allahand Muhammad Sallal lahu alaihe wasallam is His messenger, establishmentof Salah, paying of Zakat, performanceof Hajj and fasting in the month of

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Ramadan (Bukhari, Muslim). Out ofthese five basics three must exist in thelife of every Muslim. The Zakat is forthose who have enough savings andwealth. Whereas the Hajj is for thosewho can afford and has brought into lifethe above other basics. Before going forHajj one must ask how much heunderstand and practices the religion. Ifthere is any shortage then spend sometime to understand them and bring theminto practice.

So before any other obligations, onemust have the Iman and firm akin(conviction) in La ilaha illal lah,Muhammadar Rasulullah. In otherwords nothing is worthy of worship(there is no deity) but Allah andMuhammad is the Messenger (Prophet)of Allah. The first part of the Iman is Lailaha illal lah. As Allah says in theQuran: And we sent no messengerbefore you (O Muhammad) except thatwe revealed to him saying: There is nonworthy of worship save me (Allah) soworship me (21:25). Through thisinvitation all the one hundred and twentyfour thousand Prophet Alaihe wa sallam

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called mankind towards Allah. Theyconveyed to the entire mankind that onlythis belief will make them successful inthis world and hereafter.

Iman can be built only by knowingAllah. Allah, the Lord of the wholeuniverse, the most Gracious, theMerciful. The Master of the day ofjudgement. The one that we worship andthe one we seek the guidance from. Heis Allah - The Mighty (Allah Hu Akbar). To Him do belong all things in theheavens and on earth. Allah Himselfsays in the Quran: He is Allah, besideWhom none has the right to beworshiped but He, the Knower of theunseen (secret) and the seen (open). Heis the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He is Allah beside Whom there is noother God, the Sovereign, the Holy, theOne free from all defects, the Giver ofSecurity, the Watcher over His creatures,the Almighty, the Compeller, theSupreme. Glory be to Allah. (High isHe) above all that they associate aspartners with Him. He is Allah, theCreator, the Inventor of all things, theBestower of forms. To Him belong the

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Best Names. All that is in the heavensand in the earth glorify Him. And He isthe Almighty, the Wise (59:22-24).Allah continues to say: Allah, none hasthe right to be worshiped but He, theEver Living, the One who sustains andprotects all that exists. Neither slumber,nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongswhatever is in the heavens and whateveris on the earth. Who is he that canintercede with Him except with Hispermission? He knows what happens tothem (His creatures) in this world andwhat will happen to them in thehereafter. And they will never compassanything of His knowledge except thatwhich He wills. His Kursi (throne)extends over the heavens and the earth,and He feels no fatigue in guarding andpreserving them. And He is the MostHigh, The Supreme (2:255).

At another place in the Quran Allahsays: And so, as for those who believe inAllah and hold fast to Him, He willcause them to enter into His Mercy andBounty, and He will guide them toHimself by a straight path (4:175). Allah further says: It is those who

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believe (in the Oneness of Allah andworship none but Him alone), andweaken not their belief by wrongingthemselves, for them (only), there issecurity and they are the rightly guided(6:82). And those who believe areintense in their love for Allah (2:165) -That is La ilaha illal lah.

Neither words can describe nor the penscan write the attributes of Allah. As weknow, if the water of the entire worldbecomes ink and all the branches of allof the trees become pen still the Blessingof Allah can not be written. That isAllah - Who has created us and toWhom our return is for sure. The Quransays: And if all the trees on earth werepens and the Ocean (were ink) withseven Oceans behind it to add to its(supply), yet would not the words ofAllah be exhausted (in the writing), forAllah is exalted in power, full of wisdom(31:27).

Knowing Allah with all His attributesand submitting to Him with fullconviction is Iman. Thus once webecome Allah’s, Allah will become ours.

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That is the power of Iman. Anythingshort, is weakness of Iman.

The Iman in Allah can be built only inthe ways of “Muhammadar Rasulullah” -the second part of our belief. Allah saysin the Quran: Allah has surely blessedthe believers with His favor when Heraised in their midst a messenger fromamong themselves, who recites to themHis (Allahs) verses, and makes thempure and teaches them the Book and thewisdom, while they were, earlier, in anopen error (3:164). Similarly Allahsays: He (Allah) is the One Who raisedup, among the unlettered a messengerfrom among themselves who recites theverses of Allah, and makes them pureand teaches them the Book and theWisdom (62:2). Thus Allah subhana wataala explains the responsibilities of theProphet Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam: - a)Recitation of the verses of the Quran; b)Teaching the meaning (interpretation) ofthe Quran; c) Through recitation andinterpretation of the Quran teaches thewisdom based on the divine guidance; d)In the light of the verses, theirinterpretation, and teachings of wisdom

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make the people pure with practicaltraining. In other words he is entrustedwith the practical training of the peopleaccording to the orders of Allah Subhanawa taala. That is why complete Imanmeans bringing the ways of life taughtby Prophet Muhammad Sallal lahualaihe wa sallam. Thus we proclaim -Our success in this world and the worldhereafter solely depends on obeying thecommands of Allah Subhana wa taala inthe ways shown by Rasulullah Sallallahualaihe wa sallam.

Allah says in the Quran: Say, obey Allahand obey the Messenger, then if you turnaway, upon him rests what is laid on himand upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him (the Messenger) youwill be guided (24:54).

O those who believe, obey theMessenger and do not make your deedsvain (47:33). And obey Allah and theMessenger so that you may be blessed(3:132). And whoever obey theMessenger, thereby obeys Allah (4:80). These verses confirms that there is noother way of obeying Allahs’ command

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except in the ways of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. Therefore it isobligatory for every Muslim to knowand practice each and every thing of ourlife from the teachings of the ProphetSallal la hu alaihe wa sallam - thesunnah of our deen (religion).

The definition of sunnah, as has beenagreed upon by the scholars of hadith is- the words spoken, acts done orconfirmation given by the ProphetMuhammad Sallal lahu alaihe wa sallam(The Authority of Sunnah by MuftiMuhammad Taqi Usmani.) AllahHimself declares in the Quran: And he(the Prophet) does not speak out of hisown desire. It is not but a revelationrevealed (to him) (53:3). Allah says:There is surely a good example for youin the Messengers of Allah, for the onewho hopes (to meet) Allah andHereafter, and remembers Allahabundantly (33:21). Similar verses ofthe Quran thus teach us complete Iman -La ilaha illal lah, MuhammadarRasulullah (There is no deity worthy ofworship but Allah and Muhammad isHis Messenger and slave.)

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Abu Musa Radiallahu anhu narrates:Rasulullah Sallallahu alai he wa sallamsaid: Take good news and good news toothers, that he who bears witness that Lailaha illal lahu, there is none worthy ofworship except Allah, and is truthful inhis testimony thereof will enter Paradise.(Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani and Majma-Uz-Zawaid).

Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamsays: On the day of Resurrection, hellwould be forbidden for all those whohad recited La ilaha illallah with the soleaim of earning the pleasure of Allah(Bukhari, Muslim).

Abu Hurairah Radiallahu anhu narrates:Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe wa sallamsaid: All of my Ummah (followers) willenter into Paradise except he whorefused. Then (the Sahabah) said: ORasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam,and who would refuse? He replied: Hewho obeyed me will enter Paradise, andwho disobeyed me, refused. (Bukhari).

Thus only by knowing Allah and HisProphet we can build our Iman. The

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whole Quran is to build our Iman byknowing the attributes of Allah and HisProphets. Beside Iman there is noreligion. Once Iman is built Ibadat(amal) become easy and enjoyable. Only Iman gives the pleasure of amal. The firm akin (conviction) in Imanopens the doors of the heart to submit tothe commands of Allah. The believerknows that only through totalsubmission to the Will of Allah willbring him everlasting success in the lifehereafter. Then only he will be ready togo through the tests and turbulence ofthis world. No matter what happens hewill not be swayed from the path ofIman. Whether in joy or in difficultieshe will always remember Allah and begHis favors.

After Iman the most important act of abeliever is Salah (the prescribed form ofPrayer of a Muslim). For Allah says inthe Quran: And I have created not theJinn and Men except that they shouldworship Me (alone). I seek not anyprovision from them nor do I ask thatthey should feed Me (51:56-57). Allahsays in the Quran: For Him (alone) is

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Prayer in Truth: Any others they callupon beside Him hear them no morethan if they were to stretch forth theirhands for water to reach their mouths butit reaches them not. For the prayer ofthose without faith is nothing but (futile)wandering (in the mind) (13:14).

Five time salah is obligatory for everyMuslim. Discarding salah is likediscarding Islam. Salah is the repeatedreminder for a believer of hisrelationship with Allah during the dayand night. It is a reminder of hispurpose of life. Salah is to pull him outof the busy life of this world and submitto the will of Allah. Salah isglorification of his Creator, Sustainerand begging of His favors. Salahreminds repeatedly the meaning ofsuccess of a believer. Allah says in theQuran: Salah restrains from shamefuland unjust deeds (29:45). Allah ordersus: O you who believe, seek help withpatience, perseverance and prayers, forAllah is with those who patientlypersevere. (2:153).

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Allah Subhana wa taala says in theQuran: Indeed those who believe and dorighteous deeds, and establish Salah andgive Zakat, their reward is with theirRabb (The Sustainer, Cherisher), andneither fear shall come upon them, norwill they grieve (2:277). Allah says:(O Muhammad) tell my slaves whobelieved to establish Salah and spendfrom what we have provided them,secretly and privately before a Daycomes in which there shall be no trading,nor any friendship. (14:31). Hedeclares: Successful indeed are thebelievers. Those who offer Salah withall solemnity and full submissiveness. And those who turn away from vain talk. And those who pay Zakat. And thosewho guard their chastity, except fromtheir wives or that their right handpossess, for then, they are free fromblame. But whoever seek beyond that,then those are the transgressors. Thosewho are faithfully true to their pledgesand to their covenants. And those whostrictly guard their Salah. These areindeed the inheritors. Who shall inheritthe Firdous (Highest Paradise). Theyshall dwell their in forever (23:1-11).

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Allah Subhana wa taala again declares:And those who guard their Salah well,such shall dwell in the gardens(Paradise), honored (70:34-35).

Salah, a gift from Allah Subhana wataala. Salah is the means ofcommunication with Allah. Of allpractices, Salah made at fixed hours ismost loved by Allah. After Iman Salahwas the first and foremost Ibadatordained by Allah. It will be the firstand foremost thing to be reckoned for onthe Day of Judgement. Thus Salah is thekey to Paradise. A person in Sejda inSalah is nearest to Allah.

To establish Salah we must learn theway our teacher Prophet MuhammadSallal lahu alaihe wa sallam prayed theSalah. Very few of us made effort tolearn this vital Ibadat. And very few ofus know the meaning of “establishsalah”. Salah is a complete expressionof bodily and spiritual submission toAllah. Salah has to be performed withstrict devotion, concentration andglorification. Salah has to be a means ofcommunication with Allah. Our scholar

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says: Best form of Salah is the one whena slave stands for Salah (as if) he seesAllah. The weakest form is to think thatAllah is seeing him. Allah Subhana wataala says in the Quran: Successfulindeed are the Believers. Those whohumble themselves in Salah (23:1-2).

Discarding Salah is like discardingIman. Allah the Almighty says: Whathas caused you to enter Hell? They willsay: We were not of those who used toperform Salah (74:42-43). The Quransays further: Then, there has succeededthem a posterity who have given upSalah and have followed (their) lusts. So, they will be thrown into Hell(19:59). Narrated in Tirmidi ProphetSallallahu alaihe wa sallam said: Thecovenant which is between us and them(i.e. the disbelievers) is Salah andwhoever abandoned it has disbelieved. In Muslim The Prophet Sallallahu alaihewa sallam said: Between a man anddisbelief and shirk is forsaking Salah.

So, what is the benefit of performingHajj, for those who do not performSalah? Hajj is not a pleasure trip. One

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has to earn the qualities of Iman beforeperforming Hajj. Without Salah there isno Iman. It is therefore incumbent uponall believers to acquire the qualities ofIman, at least the basics, on which Islamis founded.

In many places in the Quran along withthe orders of establishing Salah, AllahSubhana wa taala has ordered us to payZakat. He has used “establish Salah andpay Zakat” to put emphasis that, one isinterlinked with the other. AllahSubhana wa taala says: And performSalah and give Zakat and bow downyour heads with those who bow down(in worship) (2:43). At another placeAllah Subhana wa taala says: And besteadfast in prayer and regular in charity;and whatever good ye send for yoursouls before you, you shall find it withAllah; for Allah sees well all that you do(2:110).

Zakat is obligatory like any other pillarsof Islam. Whosoever will have savingsin excess of their need for a year - eithermoney or certain assets has to give 2.5%of that to the needy. Allah Subhana wa

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taala says: It is not righteousness thatyou turn your faces towards East orWest, but it is righteousness to believe inAllah and the last Day, and the Angelsand the Book, and the Messengers. Tospend of your substance out of love forHim, for your kins, for orphans, for theneedy, for the wayfarer, for those whoask, and for the ransom of slaves , to besteadfast in prayer and practice regularcharity, to fulfill the contracts which yehave made (2:177). This obligatoryduty has been forgotten by so manyMuslims that it’s negligence does noteven shake our Iman. Whereas theposition of paying Zakat is no way lessimportant than praying Salah, fasting inthe month of Ramadan and performingHajj. Each and every command shouldget equal importance to a believer. Howby discarding the commands we canplease Allah? Therefore, before goingfor Hajj one must practice paying Zakatregularly. Remember, the money that isbeing saved over the years for Hajj hasZakat also.

Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu narrates:The Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam

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sent Muadh bin Jabal Radiallahu Anhuto Yemen and said “Invite the people totestify La ilaha illallah and I am Allah’sMessenger and if they obey you to do so,then inform them that Allah has enjoinedon them five Salah in every day andnight, and if they obey you to do so, theninform them that Allah has made itobligatory to pay the sadaqa (Zakat)from their properties and it is to be takenfrom the wealthy among them and giveto the poor among them. (Bukhari)

Narrated Abu Hurairah Radiallahu anhu:A beduin came to the Prophet Sallallahualaihe wa sallam and said: “Tell me ofsuch a deed as will make me enterParadise, if I do it. The ProphetSallallahu alaihe wa sallam said:Worship Allah, and worship none alongwith Him; perform Salah, pay thecompulsory Zakat, and observe Sawm(fasting) in the month of Ramadan. Thebeduin said: By Him, in whose Handsmy soul is, I will not do more than this. When the beduin left, the ProphetSallallahu Alaihe wa sallam said,“Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise,

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then he may look at this man” (Bukhari).

Abu Hurairah Radiallahu anhu narrates:Allah’s Messenger Sallal lahu alaihe wasallam said: “Whoever is made wealthyby Allah and does not pay the Zakat ofhis wealth, then on the day of judgementhis wealth will be made like a baldheaded poisonous snake with two blackspots over the eyes (or two poisonousglands in its mouth). The snake willencircle his neck and bite his cheeks andsay: I am your wealth, I am yourtreasure”. Then the Prophet Sallal lahualaihe wa sallam recited the holy verse:Let not those who covetously withholdof the gifts which Allah has given themof His Grace. Think that it is good forthem, nay it will be worse for them: soonshall the things which they covetouslywithheld be tied to their necks like atwisted collar. On the day of judgementto Allah belongs the heritage on theheaven and the earth; and Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do (3:180).The seriousness of paying Zakat thusshould be clear to everyone. Abu BakrSiddique Radiallahu anhu declared war

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against those who were hesitant to payZakat.

The next pillar of Islam is fasting in themonth of Ramadan. By empoweringoneself with Iman, Salah and Zakat theslave now can withstand the pain ofhunger and thirst. He can refrainhimself from things that werepermissible in other states but not in thestate of fasting. He seeks the Taqwathrough his fasting as has been orderedby Allah Subhana wa taala: O you whobelieve, fasting is prescribed for you asit was prescribed for those before you,that you may acquire Taqwa (2:183). Thus Allah made it obligatory for theMuslims to fast in the month ofRamadan. Allah Subhana wa taala says:So whoever of you sights (the crescenton the first night of) the month (ofRamadan) he must observe sawm(fasting) that month. (2:185).

Allah subhana wa taala Himselfdescribes the injunctions of Ramadan. He says: Fasting for a fixed number ofdays (full lunar month) but if any of youis ill or on a journey, the prescribed

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number (should be made up) from dayslater. For those who can do it (withhardship), is a ransom. The feeding ofone that is indigent. But he that willgive more, of his own free will, it isbetter for him. And it is better for youthat you fast, if you only knew (2:184).

The month of Ramadan is the month ofQuran. Jibrael Alaihe wa sallam used tocome to listen to the recitation of theQuran by Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihewa sallam. The believers shouldsimilarly recite and understand Quran allthe time but specially in the month ofRamadan. Allah Subhana wa taala hasmade Tarabe Sunnah in the month ofRamadan, to listen to the recitation ofthe entire Quran. Allah Subhana wataala says: Ramadan is the (month) inwhich was sent down the Quran, as aguide to mankind, also clear (signs) forguidance and judgement (between rightand wrong). So whoever of you sights(the crescent on the first night of) themonth (of Ramadan) he must observesawm (fasting) that month. But ifanyone is ill, or on a journey, theprescribed period (should be made up)

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by days later. Allah intends everyfacility for you, He does not want to putyou to difficulties. (He wants you) tocomplete the prescribed period andglorify Him. In that He has guided you. And per chance you should be grateful(2:185).

Ramadan is the month to build Taqwa. By fasting, by doing excessive Ibadat,by reciting Quran and pondering over it,by giving Zakat and charity in thismonth and shading tear in supplicationsone should try to come closer to Allah. Allah Subhana wa taala in that regardsays: When my servants ask theeconcerning Me, I am indeed close (tothem): I listen to the prayer of everysupplicant when he calls Me. Let themalso, with a will, listen to My call, andbelieve in Me: That they may walk inthe right way (2:186).

Allah Subhana wa taala through Hisinfinite mercy did not separate thehusband and wife in the month ofRamadan. He says: Permitted to you onthe night of the fast in the approach toyour wives. They are your garments and

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you are their garments. Allah knowswhat you used to do secretly amongyourself. But He turned to you andforgave you. So now associate withthem and seek what Allah has ordainedfor you: and eat and drink until the whitethread of dawn appears to you distinctfrom its black thread, then completeyour fast till the night appears. But donot associate with your wives while youare in retreat in the mosque (ihtekaf). These are limits (set by) Allah, soapproach them not. Thus Allah makesclear His signs (ayat) to men, that theymay learn self-restraint (2:187).

The month of fasting is so beloved toAllah, that Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihewa sallam has said in the hadith narratedby Salman Radiallahu Anhu: On the lastday of Shaban, Rasulullah Sallal lahualaihe wa sallam addressed us and said:O people: Now a great and blessedmonth comes to you in which lies anight which is more in virtue than 1000months. In this month Allah has madefasting compulsory during the day andTarabe sunnah at night. Whosoeverintends to please Allah by performing

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any good deed (nafl) he will be rewardedlike one Fard performed any other time. And whoever performs one Fard, he willbe blessed with the reward of 70 Fardperformed any other time. This isindeed the month of patience and thereward for true patience is Paradise. It isthe month of sympathy for others. It is amonth in which a true believer’ssustenance is increased. Whosoeverfeeds a person to break his fast; thefeeder’s sins will be forgiven and he willbe free from the hell fire. The feederwill receive the same reward as of aperson who fasted without any reductionof that person’s fasting reward. (IbnKhuzaima). Along with many otherhadith this one hadith alone shouldinspire a faithful slave to earn as muchas he can in the month of Ramadan.

On the other hand Abu HurairahRadiallahu anhu reports that RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam said:Whoever eats on one day of Ramadanwithout a valid reason or excuse orgenuine illness (acceptable in Islam)shall never be able to compensate forthat day even by fasting the rest of his

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life (Ahmed, Tirmidi, Abu Dawud, IbnMajah).

In the light of all the discussion so farone should ponder about his past andmake Tauba for any shortcomings beforemaking the journey (Hajj). As I havementioned earlier, if there is anyshortage in understanding our deen, thenwe should spend some time to acquirebasic knowledge so that our purpose oflife can be understood and we becomeobedient slave of Allah and His RasulSallallahu alaihe wa sallam. Withoutknowledge we can not fulfill ourobligations to Allah Subhana wa taalaand perform our duties.

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OBJECTIVE

Through our obedience, ibadat andsacrifices Allah Subhana wa taala wantsus to develop Taqwa. Unfortunatelymany of us do not know what is Taqwa. Our scholars in Islam say, in onehundred and fifteen places in the QuranAllah Subhana wa taala has addressedthe believers to develop Taqwa. AboutHajj, Allah Subhana wa taala says: Andwhatever good you do, Allah knows it. And take provisions for the journey, butthe best provision is At-Taqwa. So, fearMe, O men of understanding. (2:197). From this ayat it is also clear that wehave to possess Taqwa before going forHajj.

There is no definition of Taqwa. It is aninner quality of Iman. Piety, righteous-ness, fear of Allah collectively mayexpress the meaning but the actualmeaning is the effect of all our deeds inthe heart. Like Professor Yusuf Ali triedin a nice way: Taqwa signify the fear ofAllah, the beginning of wisdom, restraintor guarding ones tongue, hand and heartfrom evil, hence signifies righteousness,

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piety, good conduct. All these ideas areimplied (in the translation).

Only one or other of these ideas can beindicated, according to the context. AsAllah Subhana wa taala says: And wehave given you clothing as beauty. Andgarments of Taqwa, that is much better(7:26). At another place in reference toTaqwa Allah Subhana wa taala says: Oyou who believe, fear Allah as He issupposed to be feared and die not unlessyou are in the state of completesubmission (3:102). Ibn MasoodRadiallahu Anhu in describing this ayatsaid that it means to obey Him, and notto disobey Him, to remember Him andnot to forget Him and to thank Him andnot to be ungrateful. Abu DardaRadiallahu anhu said: The completeform of Taqwa is to fear Allah Subhanawa taala, so much that one begins to fearHim from the potential sin like amustard seed and leaves certain thingsthat might be halal in the fear that theycould be haram. In summary Taqwashould help us to do more good deeds toplease Allah Subhana wa taala withconstant fear of rejection (for lack of

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firm akin, concentration and devotion,lack of knowledge, etc.) and ultimatedispleasure of Allah Subhana wa taala.

Therefore the qualities of people ofTaqwa should reflect what Allahmentions in the Quran: Virtue is not thatyou turn towards the East or the West. Virtue is the one who believes in Allah,the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, theProphets and gives his wealth in spite oflove for it, to the kinsfolk, to theorphans, and to the poor, and to thewayfarer, and to those who ask, and toset servants free; perform Salah, andgives the Zakah and fulfill theircovenant when they make it, and whoare patient in extreme poverty, andailment (disease) and at the time offighting (during the battles). Such arethe people of the truth and Taqwa(2:177). These are the people who arenot satisfied with deeds. They strugglemore and more to please their Lord.They are always afraid of being rejectedeven though they are drowned in Ibadat.They are not in the environment wheretheir attention, thinking and actions getdeviated from the right direction. They

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understand nothing but the pleasure ofAllah Subhana wa ta ala. They knowwithout Taqwa they are doomed!

Naturally then one wonders, how toacquire Taqwa. As I have mentionedearlier, Taqwa is an inner quality of thebelievers. Taqwa is the end result of allthe Amal and Ibadat. To begin, we haveto develop the qualities of Iman andAmal, then ponder over them. Describing the Revelation to previousProphets of Allah Subhana wa taala, Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamsaid: A wise person should divide histime in three parts: one part for Ibadat,one part for halal earning and one partfor self reckoning. Likewise OmarRadiallahu anhu said: Take account ofyourselves, before your account is takenby others. Weigh your deeds, beforethey are weighed by others. In short todevelop Taqwa one should -

a. Possess strong Iman.b. Be steadfast in religious

matters.c. Perform Amal and Ibadat

with full knowledge,

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dedication andconcentration.

d. Perform more and morenafl Ibadat to beg Allah’sfavor to open the doors ofthe heart.

e. Recite excessively and tryto understand the Quran.

f. Ponder over all actions.g. Guard the tongue, ears

and eye sights.h. Perform self examination.i. Never look for faults in

others, look at yourself.

My limited knowledge came up withthose few points but I am certain, thebeloved ones of Allah Subhana wa ta alapossess many more qualities than thosefew.Before I close this chapter I would liketo mention one more quotation. Describing what is Taqwa, AliRadiallahu anhu said: Taqwa is to fearAllah, to act upon the Revelation, to becontent with little and to prepare for theDay of Travel. Now let us proceedtowards The Day of Travel.

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THE HAJJ

By following the basics of the deen andacquiring Taqwa now one shouldprepare for the Rehearsal of The FinalJourney - The Hajj. Allah Subhana wataala says: “Every soul must tastedeath”. Death of our worldly life is ajourney to meet Allah. Meeting Allah isnot a task easy and simple. It requiresacceptance (Iman), obedience(Submission), Ibadat (following Hisorders), Zikir (remembering Him all thetime), Ikhlas (full conviction) andreminder (constant vigilance). Sacrificeis the norm in any circumstances. Sacrifice of life and wealth. Since ourjourney is to meet Allah Subhana wataala and get the rewards of success, wehave to sacrifice. Allah Subhana wataala says in the Quran: “We havepurchased the life and wealth of thebelievers in exchange of Jannah”(9:111). So our time (life) and wealth,can not be ours. Those are the twoamana (trust) given by Allah Subhanawa taala. If they are spent (sacrificed) inthe service of Allah, then Inshallah we

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will earn His pleasure, His reward -Jannah.

The story of the Hajj is the story ofsacrifice. A Prophet (Prophet Ibrahim)who could never stay at a particularplace to claim as his homeland wasordered to go to a desolate hostile placewhere there was no inhabitants, nothingto sustain life. Moreover he was orderedto leave his wife and infant child thereand go somewhere else. What asacrifice to obey the order of Allah. That is where the story begins.

Allah Subhana wa taala took Hisbeloved Prophet and His family toBakka (Makkha) where there was noworldly support but the support of AllahHimself to show the believers that we donot need material support for oursurvival, Allah alone is sufficient for us. From nowhere because of the desperaterunning of a mother and crying of aninfant, Allah Subhana wa taala gushedthe water of Zam Zam for theirsustenance. That test alone was notsufficient. When Ismael Alaihe wasallam reached the age of youth, Allah

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Subhana wa taala put Ibrahim Alaihe wasallam in the toughest of all tests. Afather at the age of eighty six got a son,after so many years of prayers. Now theold father has to sacrifice that son toobey the commands of Allah. AllahSubhana wa taala Himself says in theQuran: And he (Ibrahim) said: I amgoing to my Lord, He will guide me. My Lord grant me of the righteous(begging for a child). So, He gave himglad tiding of a boy, most forbearing. And when Ismael reached the age ofwork with him, he said: “O my son! Isee in a dream that I offer you insacrifice; so tell me what is your view? “He said: “O my Father! Do as you arecommanded, you will find me, if Allahso willed, one of the patient”. So whenthey had both submitted to the will ofAllah, and he laid him down upon hisbrow, we called out to him: O Ibrahim! You have indeed fulfilled the vision,thus we reward those who do right. (37:106-113).

These ayat (verses) describe the wholeincident for the believers to teach that nosacrifice is wanted by Allah but Allah

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wants to test us to see our obedience toHis call. That is what has beendescribed, “when they had bothsubmitted to the will of Allah..........thuswe reward those who do right”. Therituals of Hajj therefore must generateunconditional desire to submit to theWill of Allah to get the reward fromHim.

For not failing to respond to each andevery command, Allah Subhana wa taalarewarded Prophet Ibrahim and IshmaelAlaihe wa sallam with the assignment ofthe House (Kabah). Allah says: Andwhen we assigned to Ibrahim the placeof the House: Do not associate with Meanything and purify My house for thosewho circumambulate (Tawaf) it, whostand to pray and who bow and prostatethemselves. And proclaim pilgrimageamong people, and they shall come toyou on foot, and on every camel lean,through deep and distant mountains,highways (22: 26-27). Allah Subhanawa taala says: Indeed the first houseappointed for people is the one of Bakka(Makkah). Blessed and a guidance forthe worlds. In it are clear signs, the

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station of Ibrahim, and whoever enters itshall be in security. It is an obligationupon all people towards Allah to makepilgrimage to the House, whoever hasthe means to make the journey, andwhoever disbelieved, then surely, Allahis in no need of the worlds (3:96-97). Allah Subhana wa taala says: Andremember when Ibrahim was put to testby his Lord with certain words which hefulfilled. Allah said: “I will make youan Imam (leader) to the people. Hepleaded: “And also from my offsprings”. Allah said: “But my covenant does notextend to evildoers”. And we made theSacred Mosque a place of assembly andsanctuary for people, and take the stationof Ibrahim (Makam-e-Ibrahim) as aplace of prayer. And we covenantedwith Ibrahim and Ismael that they shouldpurify My House (Kaba) for those whoencompass it, and for those who retire toit for devotion and prayer, and for thosewho bow down: and for those whoprostate themselves therein (2:124-125). And when Ibrahim said: O my Lord! Make this a city of peace and provide itspeople with fruits, those of them whobelieve in Allah and the Last Day. He

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said: And whoever disbelieves, I willgrant him enjoyment for a while, andthen I will drive him to the chastisementof the Fire, an evil destination indeed(2:126). Allah Subhana wa taala saysfurther: And when Ibrahim and Ismaelraised the foundation of the House(Kaba), praying: Our Lord! Accept thisfrom us, surely you are the All-Hearing,All-Knowing. Our Lord! Make ussubmit to your will, and raise from ouroffspring a nation which will submit toyour will and show us the place of ourrites (for pilgrimage), and turn to us inmercy. Indeed you are the Relenting,the Most Merciful. Our Lord! Send tothem a Messenger from among themwho shall recite to them your Signs, andteach them the Book and the Wisdom,and purify them. Surely, you are All-Mighty, All-Wise (2:127-129).

Now, if we just ponder over these fewayat regarding the rewards given for thefull submission to the Will of Allah, thenour own reward can be guessed, if wealso submit to Allah Subhana wa taala. Because of total submission, the actionsof the Prophets (Ibrahim and Ismael

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Alaihe wa Sallam) and Hajera Alaihe waSallam became the rituals of Hajj. TheProphets were told to build the House ofAllah (Kaba), then Ibrahim Alaihe waSallam was told to call the mankind forHajj. And Proclaim the Pilgrimage(Hajj) among men, they will come tothee on foot and (mounted) on everykind of camel lean on account of journeythrough deep and distant mountainhighways. That they may witness thebenefits (provided) for them (22:27-28).

Since they did what they were told, allthe Prophets (Alaihe wa sallam) camefrom their descendants because of theirduaa. Not only that, till the day ofQiama, Muslims will be rememberingthe name of Ibrahim Alaihe wa Sallamin all the prayers. Muslims will bepraying at the Makam-e-Ibrahim as longas the world survives. And Muslimswill be following their foot steps inperforming Hajj.

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HAJJ IN QURAN

Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe toAllah - those who can afford thejourney, but if any deny faith, Allahstands not in need of any of His creature(3:97). And complete Hajj and Umrahin the service of Allah (2:196). For Hajjare the months well known (the monthsof Shawwal, Zulqad and Zul-Hajj up tothe 10th - 13th) are set apart for the ritesof Hajj (2:197). If anyone undertakesthat duty therein, let there be noobscenity, nor wickedness, norwrangling in the Hajj. And whatevergood you do (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for thejourney but the best of Provisions isTaqwa. So fear me, O you that are wise. (2:197). Behold! Safa and Marwa areamong the symbols of Allah. So, ifthose who visit The House in the seasonor at other times, should compass them(saee) round. It is no sin in them. Andif any one obey his own impulse togood, be sure that Allah is He whorecogniseth and knoweth (2:158).

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If anyone continue Umrah in to the Hajj,he must make an offering such as he canafford, but if he can not afford it, heshould fast three days during the Hajjand seven days on his return, making tendays in all. This if for those whosehousehold is not in the (precincts of) theSacred Mosque (2:196).

And celebrate the name of Allah,through the days (8th, 9th and 10th ofthe month of Zul-Hajj and the two orthree subsequent days of Tashriq)appointed, over the cattle which He hasprovided for them (for sacrifices), theneat a portion thereof, and feed thedistressed ones in want. Then let themcomplete the rites prescribed for them,perform their vows, and againcircumambulate (Tawaf-e-ifada) theAncient House (Kaba). Such (is thePilgrimage). Whoever honors the sacredrites of Allah, for his it is good in thesight of his Lord. (22:28-30).

Do not shave your heads until theoffering reaches the place of sacrifice. And if any of you is ill and has anailment in his scalp (necessitating

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shaving), (he should) in compensationeither fast (three days) or feed the pooror offer sacrifice (2:196).

O you who believe! Violate not thesanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor ofthe Sacred Month, nor of the animalsbrought for sacrifice, nor the garlandsthat mark out such animals, nor thepeople resorting to the Sacred House,seeking of the bounty and good pleasureof their Lord (5:2).

Celebrate the praises of Allah during theappointed days (three days after the 10thof Zil-Hajj) but if anyone hastens toleave in two days, there is no blame onhim. And if anyone stays on, there is noblame on him. If his aim is to do right,then fear Allah and know that you willsurely be gathered unto Him. (2:203).

It is no crime in you if you seek of thebounty of your Lord (duringPilgrimage). Then when you pour downfrom (Mount) Arafat, celebrate thepraises of Allah at the Sacred Monument(Muzdalifa), and celebrate His praises as

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He has directed you even though beforethis you went astray. Then pass on at aquick pace from the place, and seekforgiveness from Allah. Certainly Allahis most-forgiving, most-merciful. Sowhen you have accomplished your rites(of Hajj), remember Allah as youremember your forefathers or with farmore remembrance. But of mankindthere are some who say: “Our Lord giveus (your bounties) in this world!” Andfor such there will be some who say:“Our Lord! Give us in this world thatwhich are good and in the hereafter thatwhich is good, and save us from thetorment of the Fire”. For them there willbe allotted a share for what they haveearned. And Allah is swift at reckoning(2:198-202). These are some of theverses of the Quran that should help usto understand Hajj. Efforts must bemade to get the knowledge of Hajj fromthe Quran and Sunnah, so that this, oncein a lifetime journey, for majority of thebelievers, can benefit all and give thedesired direction for rest of our lives.

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HAJJ OF RASULULLAH SALLALLAHU ALAIHE WA SALLAM

As we know Allah Subhana wa taaladoes not accept any Amal (ritual) whichis not according to the way (sunnah) ofRasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam.Therefore we must know how theProphet of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam performed the Hajj. We must notfollow the desires of our hearts or followthe “fatwa” of those who give their owninterpretation. When the Quran and theSunnah give us detailed information, weshould not wonder around. All we haveto know is the correct source ofinformation.

After the accomplishment of the call -Kulu Lailaha Illallah Tuflehunn (sayLailaha illallah and be successful),achieving the foundation of the missionand establishment of the society basedon Tawhid and Islamic Shariah the callcame for the Prophet to perform the Hajjin the last year of his life. AllahSubhana wa taala already conveyed themessage to him, that his life is coming toan end, as was clear when Rasulullah

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Sallallahu alaihe wa Sallam prior todispatching Muadh bin Jabal Radiallahuanhu to Yemen mentioned that he maynot see him again on coming back fromYemen. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam through various conversationgave indications that his life of thisworld is coming to an end. The ayat thatwas revealed in Arafat therefore mademany of the Sahaba Radiallahu anhumacry. “This day I have perfected yourreligion for you, completed My favorupon you, and have chosen for youIslam as your religion”. (5:3). In thatfinal year the Prophet of Allah Sallallahualaihe wa sallam made theannouncement of going for Hajj. Thatwas the only Hajj he performed afterHijrat. Knowing that the ProphetSallallahu alaihe wa sallam might not bein this world for a long time, almost124,000 Sahaba and Sahabia RadiallaluAnhuma joined him for the Hajj (AbuDawood). This Hajj is therefore knownas Hajjatul Wida or Farewell Hajj.

On the 4th of Zul-Hajj, RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam told thecompanions: A comer, sent by my Lord,

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has called on me tonight and said: “Prayin this blessed valley and say: I intendUmrah combined with Hajj (QiranHajj)” (Bukhari). Accordingly beforeZuhur prayer Rasulullah Sallallahualaihe wa sallam took bath for Ihram. Aisha Radiallahu Anha perfumed himwith a perfume containing musk. Hethen put on his Ihram and performed theZuhur Salah. Then after two rakah ofSalah Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam made the intention of Umrah andHajj (Qiran Hajj) and started to praiseAllah Subhana wa taala by sayingLabbaik (Talbia). The companions weregiven the choice of Qiran, Tammatu orIfrad Hajj according to their situation(types of Hajj will be discussed in latersection.) On his way he performed Salahin the valley of Rawha. He continuedhis journey by riding his camel “Al-Qaswa” and praising Allah Subhana wataala all along.

On reaching the outskirt of Makkah,Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamspent the night at Dhi Tuwa. After Fajrprayer he entered Makkah. HeSallallahu alaihe wa sallam went straight

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to the Masjidul Haram and kissed theHajre Aswad to start his Tawaf fromthere. After performing seven circles(Tawaf) Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam performed two rakah of Salah atMakam-e-Ibrahim with Sura Kafirunand Sura Ikhlas. Thereafter he mountedAs-Safa and facing the Kaba he madelong duaa, takhbir and tahmid. Then hewalked between Safa and Marwamountains seven times. At the end of7th walk by reaching Al-MarwaRasulullah told those Sahaba to freethemself from Ihram who did not bringthe sacrificial animal (Hadee) with them. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamcontinued his Ihram since he had thehadee with him and he made theintention of Qiran Hajj.

Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamthen camped out at Al-Hajun in Makkahand spent four days in Ihram. Thecompanion who did not have Hadee (thesacrificial animal with them), heSallallahu alaihe wa sallam told them toshave their heads and come off of Ihram(Tammattu Hajj). The SahabaRadiallahu anhuma were then told to put

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on Ihram for Hajj on the 8th of Zil-Hajj. On the 8th of Zil-Hajj he left Makkahafter Fajr Salah for Meena where heprayed Zuhur, Asr, Magrib, Isha and theFajr of 9th Zil-Hajj. He Sallallahualaihe wa sallam performed Qasr ofZuhur, Asr and Isha. After sunrise on9th of Zil-Hajj he left for Arafat andstayed near Masjid Namira for a whilebefore going to the valley of Arafat. About one hundred and twenty fourthousand (another version says onehundred and forty thousand) gatheredaround him. He Sallallahu alaihe wasallam climbed up the Jabal-e-Rahma(Mountain of blessing) and delivered thefollowing khutba: O people! Listen towhat I say. For I do not know whether Iwill ever meet you again after thecurrent year (Ibn Hisham). It isunlawful for you to shed the blood ofone another or take (unlawfully) thefortune of one another. They are asunlawful (haram) as shedding blood onsuch a day as today and such a month asthis Haram month and in such asanctified city as this sacred city(Makkah and the surrounding areas). Soregard the life and property of every

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Muslim as a sacred trust. Return thegoods entrusted to you to their rightfulowners. Hurt no one so that no one mayhurt you. Remember that you willindeed meet your Lord and He willindeed reckon your deeds.

Behold! All practices of paganism andignorance are now over. The bloodrevenge of the Days of ignorance areremitted. The first claims on blood Iabolish is that of Ibn Rabi bin Harithwho was nursed in the tribe of Said andwhom Hudhail killed. Interest (usury) isforbidden and make a beginning byremitting the amount of interest whichAbbas bin Abdul Muttalib has toreceive. Verily it is remitted entirely.

O People; it is true that you have certainrights with regard to your women, butthey also have rights over you. Verilyyou have taken them on the security ofAllah and have made their personslawful unto you by words of Allah. It isincumbent upon them to honor theirconjugal rights and not to commit acts ofimpropriety which, if they do, you haveauthority to chastise them, yet not

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severely. If your wives refrain fromimpropriety and are faithful to you,clothe and feed them suitably.

Verily, I have left amongst you the Bookof Allah and the Sunnah of HisMessenger which if you hold fast, youshall never go astray. (Sahih Muslim). O people I am not succeeded by aProphet and you are not succeeded byany nation. So I recommend you toworship your Lord, to pray the fivetimes prayers, to fast in Ramadan and tooffer the Zakat (poor-due) of yourprovision willingly. I recommend you todo pilgrimage to the Sacred House ofyour Lord and to obey those who are incharge of you (the Ameer or the justruler) then you will be awarded to enterthe Paradise of your Lord. (Rahmat-ul-lilalameen).

Beware of Satan, for the safety of yourreligion. He has lost all hope to lead youastray in big things, so be aware offollowing him in small things. And ifyou were asked about me, what youwould say of me? All those gatheredfor Hajj replied: We bear witness that

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you have conveyed the message anddischarged your ministry. He Sallallahualaihe wa sallam then raised his fingerskywards while saying: O Allah, bearwitness, O Allah, bear witness, O Allah,bear witness. Allah Subhana wa taalathen revealed the following verse to him:This day I have perfected your religionfor you, completed My favor upon you,and have chosen for you Islam as yourreligion (5:3).

Bilal Radiallahu anhu then called theazaan for the prayer. Prophet Sallallahualaihe wa sallam prayed two rakat afterIkama of Zuhur and immediately toldBilal Radiallahu anhu to make 2ndIkama to pray two rakat of Asr prayerwith no prayer in between.

He Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam thenmounted his camel Al-Qaswa andapproached the location of the vigil. Hedirected his face towards Qibla, raisedhis hands towards the sky, standing, andsupplicating (making duaa) till sunset. When the yellow color of the skyvanished a bit the Prophet Sallallahualaihe wa sallam moved towards

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Muzdalifa. On reaching MuzdalifaRasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamprayed Maghrib (three rakat) and Isha(two rakat)salah with one Azaan and twoIkamah. He then took rest till the Fajrtime. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam performed Fajr Salah with Azanand one Ikama. Mounting his camel Al-Qaswa he moved to Mashar Al-Haram. He faced the Qibla and startedsupplicating - Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah. He kept onsupplicating till the sun rose when hemoved to Meena. He Sallallahu alaihewa sallam went to the big Jamarah (siteof stoning Satan) and pelted sevenpebbles at it saying: “Allah is theGreatest” (Allah hu Akbar) each time.The pebbles were small, collected fromthe bottom of the valley. Thereafter hewent to the sacrificial place andsacrificed sixty three camels with hisown hand and asked Ali Radiallahu anhuto slaughter the others. A total of onehundred and thirty seven altogether weresacrificed. A piece of meat from eachslaughtered animal was cooked in a pot,from which he ate and drank the soup.

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Then after shaving his head theMessenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam went to Makkah to performTawaf-e-Ifada, where he came upon thechildren of Abdul Muttalib who weregiving Zam Zam water to the people. Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamtook a pail of water and drank to his fill. (Sahih Muslim).

On the 10th of Zil-Hajj RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam gave anotherkhutba. Ali Radiallahu anhu narratedthe message to those who were standingand sitting (Abu Dawood). A versionnarrated by Abu Bakar Radiallahu anhuhas been reported by Bukhari andMuslim: Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam said: Time has grown similar inform and state of time when Allahcreated the heavens and the earth. Ayear is twelve months. Four of whichare sacred months. Three of the four aresuccessive. They are Zil-Qad, Zil-Hajjand Al-Muharram. The fourth month isRajab which comes between Jumada andShaban. The Prophet of Allah said:(Shedding) the blood of one another andeating or taking one anothers provision

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(unwillingly) and your honor are allharam. It is unlawful to violate theirholiness. They must be as sacred to oneanother as this sacred day in this sacredmonth, in this sacred town.

You will be resurrected (after death) byyour Lord. There you will be accountedfor your deeds. So do not turn intopeople who go astray and kill oneanother.

Have I not delivered the Message (of myLord)? “Yes you have”, said all. “OAllah, Bear Witness” RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam said thrice.” Let him who is present here convey itunto him who is absent. For hopefullymany people to whom the message isconveyed may understand my wordsbetter than those who listen to medirectly (Bukhari).

The Messenger of Allah Sallallahualaihe wa sallam spent 11th, 12th and13th of Zil-Hajj in Meena, performingthe rituals, stoning the three Jamarah andteachings of Islam, remembering Allah(praying), following the ways of

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guidance of Ibrahim Alaihe wa sallamwiping out all traces and features ofpolytheism. He Sallallahu alaihe wasallam delivered more speeches duringthose days, saying: “All mankind isfrom Adam and Eve. An Arab has nosuperiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab;also a white has no superiority over ablack, nor a black has any superiorityover a white except by piety and goodaction. Sura An-Nasr was revealedduring the days in Meena after whichRasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamalso spoke to the companions. The talkwas quite similar to the talk of the day ofsacrifice (An-Nahr).

On the 13th of Zil-Hajj RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam stayed at ahigh place of a mountain in Meenawhere he performed Zuhur, Asr,Maghrib, and Isha prayers. After restingfor a while he left for Makkah toperform Tawaf Al-Wida. He ordered thecompanions to do the same. Followingthat Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam left for Madinah. He went backto Madinah not to seek rest but to

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resume the strife and struggle in the wayof Allah (Bukhari).

Since the message (Khutba) of Arafat isfor the entire Ummah till the dooms(Qiama) day, I will mention the wholeKhutba as it is printed and distributed allover the world.

O people, perhaps you shall not see meagain after this. Therefore listen to whatI am saying to you very carefully andtake these words to those who could notbe present here today.

O people, just as you regard this month,this day, this city as sacred, so regard thelife and property of every Muslim as asacred trust. Return the goods entrustedto you to their rightful owners. Hurt noone so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meetyour Lord, and that he will indeedreckon your deeds. Allah has forbiddenyou to take usury (interest), therefore allinterest obligation shall henceforth bewaived------.

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Beware of Satan for the safety of yourreligion. He has lost all hope that hewill ever be able to lead you astray inbig things; so beware of following himin small things.

O people, it is true that you have certainrights with regard to your women, butthey also have rights over you. If theyabide by your rights, then to thembelongs the right to be fed and clothed inkindness. Do treat your women well andbe kind to them for they are yourpartners and committed helpers. And itis your right that they do not makefriends with anyone whom you do notapprove, as well as never to commitadultery.

O people, listen to me in earnest,worship Allah, say your five dailyprayers (Salah), fast during the month ofRamadan, and give your wealth inZakat. Perform Hajj if you can affordto. You know that every Muslim is thebrother of another Muslim. You are allequal. Nobody has superiority overanother except by piety and good action. Remember, one day you will appear

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before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path ofrighteousness after I am gone.

O people, no Prophet or Apostle willcome after me and no new faith will beborn. Reason well, therefore O people,and understand my words which Iconvey to you. I leave behind me twothings, the Quran and my examples, theSunnah and if you follow these you willnever go astray. All those who listen tome shall pass on my words to others andthose to others again, and may the lastones understand my words better thanthose who listen to me directly. Be mywitness O Allah, that I have conveyedyour message to your people.

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THE REHEARSAL

Before we summarize the rituals of Hajjlet us ponder about the signs that arehidden in Hajj. Remember the title of thebook: “Hajj - Rehearsal of The FinalJourney”. Let us now see the meritsbehind that thought.

1. Preparation: Nobodyundertakes a journey withoutpreparation. What about the preparationof the final journey? This worldly life isto prepare for the journey to theeverlasting life of the Hereafter byfulfilling the commands of AllahSubhana wa taala. In the preparation ofHajj everyone is reminded of that fact. This might be the last journey of thisworld. One should ask: Has my Imanreached the level that is pleasing toAllah? Did I try to obey him to myutmost? Did I ask everyone to forgiveme? Have I made enough Tauba for myshortcomings? Am I ready to meetAllah? These may pave our way toprepare now for the last journey whendefinitely we will not have time to askthese questions. May Allah help us.

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2. Farewell: Afteranswering the above questions oneshould sit with the family members togive Nasiha (advise), like one doesbefore death comes (through old age ordiseases, etc.). First of all ask everyoneof the family to forgive you for yourshortcomings. Advise every-one to obeythe commands of Allah Subhana wataala and bring the Sunnah of RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam in everyones life. Advise them to love andsupport one another in the family andfulfill the rights of others withoutexpecting any in return. Tell themabout any debt or promises you made. Prepare the will or trust keeping in mindthat you may not return. Make someoneresponsible to look after when you aregone or mention that in the will. Oneshould also give religious advise tofriends, colleagues, neighbors andMussullis of the Masjid and community. One must advise everyone to practice“Amar bil maruf, nahianel munkar”(advise towards good and forbid fromevil) through dawa for the rest of thelife.

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3. Ihram: After farewell,on reaching Meekat one has to leaveeverything behind - the wealth, therichness, the vanity, dignity, status,everything and take the gusul (shower)like the gusul before Kafan (burialshroud). Give up everything and put onthe two pieces of unstitched white clothremembering the Kafan of the finaljourney before burial. Perfume yourselfand submit to the prayer. On finishingthe prayer, make the Proclamation:Labbayk Allah humma labbayk, labbayklaa sharika laka labbayk, Innal hamda,wa nimata, laka wal mulk. La sharikalak” (Here I am at your service, O Allahhere I am. Here I am, no partner, do youhave, here I am. Truly the praise and thefavor is Yours and the dominion. Nopartner do you have.) In no othercondition you can say “here I am OAllah here I am” (to give the realizationin which state one can be nearer toAllah). Remember the order AllahSubhana wa taala gave to IbrahimAlaihe wa sallam to call mankind forHajj. The Talbiyya is the answer to thatcall.

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In the state of Ihram everyone isequal in the eyes of Allah. Everyone ishelpless in a state when one can not dowhat one desires, like laying in the graveand waiting for the angels to come forquestioning. In the state of the Ihram,thus one should ponder about thequestions he has to answer in the grave:Who is your Rabb (The Sustainer, TheProvider)? What is your Religion(deen)? Who is your Prophet? Are theanswers going to be simple as we think? Is the heart having those answers or justthe tongue? This is the state when oneshould ponder and decide what to do togive those answers.

4. Helplessness: On enteringinto Ihram, like entering into death onecan not do what is desired but followwhat one is asked to do. No argument,no obscenity, no wickedness, noperfume, no oiling of body or hair, nocombing of hair, no hair can beremoved, no cutting of nails, noscratching of body, no use of soap, nofragrance, no relationship with wife, nokilling of insects, animal or hunting, noplucking of grass or cutting of tree, etc.,

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no idle talk or back biting, no anger, nofoul talk or bad desire. What a helplesscondition! Now is the time to rememberthe helpless situation in the grave. Whereas in this state if we worshipAllah more and more, keep ourselvesbusy in the recitation of the Quran andZikir of Allah, discuss or read about thedeen of Allah, call others to the gooddeeds and enjoy every moment inproclaiming Labbayk Allah hummalabbayk – then certainly at the time oftrials of Kabar (grave) and Hashar (theDay of Judgement) Allah Subhana wataala will show His mercy, providedthese are practiced in rest of the life afterHajj..

5. The Kaba: Now proceedto the court of Allah. Submit to the willof Allah. Surrender to the Almighty. See His Grandeur, the Signs ofGreatness, the symbol of unity. Oneentity, one direction, only one way ofsuccess. The Point of Arrival. O Masterof the Universe,I am here! Thefulfillment of my entire life’s aspiration. Look at me and have mercy on me. Ihave nothing but you. Forgive me and

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have Mercy on me. Shower yourblessings on me O my Lord. Give mesuccess of this world (through yourobedience) and success of the hereafter. Go around the Kaba and beg from theheart. Ask what you want.

Look at the Kaba - the House of Allah.Coming to the Kaba is like coming toAllah - responding to His call - the proofof obedience. Till the dooms day thebelievers will touch their forehead on theground only in the direction of Kaba as aproof of total submission. As AllahSubhana wa taala says in the Quran:Turn your faces towards the HolyMosque (Kaba) wherever you be, turnyour faces towards it (2:144). No matterwhether a King, a Mufti, richest of therich or poorest of the poor, no matterwho he or she, only one direction tosubmit to the Lord of the Universe -ALLAH. Like the never ending milkyway the believers thus rally around theKaba as soon as they enter the MasjidAl-Haram. No other place to go, noother entity to ask for, so get going withthose who are going and glorifyingAllah. What a scenario! No eyes have

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ever seen this. No place to see this. Thehair follicles stand up, the tearautomatically flows, the heart tremblesin joy, the head bows down just at thelook of the Kaba. What is there in worldthat shows the might of any entity, lovefor any entity, dignification of anyentity, the obedience of any entity exceptwhat is in and around the Kaba. Millions of billions since the creationhave responded to the call of the Master,the Owner of the Heavens and the earthby proclaiming Labbayk Allah hummaLabbayk. The never ending rally,twenty four hours a day, around theKaba is the most beautiful bloom ofIslam any eyes have ever seen. This isthe place to take the fragrance to yourfull and glorify Him. Pretty soon wewill be meeting our Master of TheUniverse. Rehearse here to rally around.

6. Safa-Marwa: Thewalking and running of desperation. Allah Subhana wa taala says in theQuran: “Behold! Safa and Marwa areamong the symbols of Allah” (2:158). The Saee is the fulfillment of Allah’spromise of protection and sustenance

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when He is obeyed. Allah does not needthe means to sustain us. He can providewhere there is no means to provide.Therefore when Maa Hazera was sodesperate for food and water for IshmaelAlaihe wa Sallam, Allah Subhana wataala provided the stream of Zam Zam. “A tasty (or nutritional) food and aremedy for the illness.” “Therefore,whoever performs Saee between As-Safa and Al-Marwa should rememberhis meekness, humblensss and need forAllah to guide his heart, lead his affairsto success and forgive his sins. Heshould also want Allah to eliminate hisshortcomings and errors and to guidehim to the straight path. He should askAllah to keep him firm on this path untilhe meets death, and to change hissituation from that of sin and errors tothat of perfection and being forgiven, thesame providence which was provided toHazera Alaihe wa Sallam” (Ibn Kathir).

This running should remind the runningfor help on the Day of Judgement. Likein the baren land there was no oneexcept Allah to help, Inshallah if weobey the commands of Allah Subhana

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wa taala, He will also help us on thatDay.

7. Meena: Forgetting thecomfort and luxury one now waits theday of trial. Think about the state ofmind who does not know the outcome ofa trial. Failure means doom and successis Paradise. How desperate a person willbe to prove his case for success. Time isto beg for His favor. Spend the timeremembering all the disobedience of thepast and beg His forgiveness beforegoing to the field of Arafat - the field ofjudgement. Spend the night at Meenaaccordingly.

8. Arafat: The reminder ofthe day of judgement. In scorching heatunder open sky or in the tent one isreminded of when there will be no shadeexcept the shade of the Arsh (throne) ofAllah. What will provide us protectionon that day? Imam Bukhari and Muslimhave narrated the hadith in whichRasulullah Sallah lahu alaihe wa sallamsaid: The following seven persons willbe accommodated by Allah under the

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shade of His mercy on the day whenthere will be no shade except His: (1) Ajust ruler, (2) A young man whoworships Allah in his youth, (3) Aperson whose heart yearns for theMasjid, (4) Those two persons who love,meet and depart only for the pleasure ofAllah, (5) A man who is tempted by abeautiful woman and refuses to respondfor fear of Allah, (6) A person who givesalms so secretly that the charity of onehand is not known to the other hand, (7)A person who practices Zikr of Allah insolitude, so that tear flows of his eyes. In the field of Arafat one has to ask tohimself, where is my place among thoseseven. Even in the heat of Arafat we cannot find comfort, what about on the dayof judgement when the sun will be soclose to us.

Arafat should remind us about thequestions on the day of judgement whichwe must answer before our feet canmove. “The life I gave, how did youspend that? How did you spend youryouth? How did you earn and how didyou spend? The knowledge of deen thatyou had, how much of that did you

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practice?” This is the place and time tofind those answers.

Remember the Khutba RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam gave atArafat? The responsibilities outlinedtherein? The responsibility to convey toothers? The Ayat revealed in Arafat?The deen Allah Subhana wa taala hasgiven us as Niyamah. Have we fulfilledthose responsibilities? What will be ourresponse on the day when we will not beable to plea, nor speak. The day when noones intervention will work. Now is thetime to make Tauba and cry forforgiveness. This is the place to renewour pledges. Take the responsibilitiesthat we ignored. Promise to fulfill thejobs for which we were created asMuslim. “You are the best of nationsever raised up for mankind; you enjoinwhat is right and forbid what is wrongand you believe in Allah.” (3:110)“Whose words can be better than his,who calls (people) towards Allah, andperforms good deeds, and says I am aMuslim”. (41:33) For our failure to dothe jobs (for which Allah created us,Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe sallam

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spent his entire life to teach us, he gavethe Khutba at Hajjatul wida to convey tothe others), we must beg to Allah, here,to forgive us. Beg His favor so that wecan obey Him. Beg His favor so that wecan carry on our responsibilities. BegHis favor so that we call people towardsAllah. Beg His favor so that we canconvey the message of His deen toothers. Beg his favor so that we canstand in the line of the Ummati ofRasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam. Beg, beg, beg, beg for forgiveness. Askfor all the favors you need from Him. This is the place to ask and this is thechance. After this is the real thing whenno plea will work. Remember IbnAkbar Radillalu anhu said: “Hajj isArafat”. Also, Hajj is duaa. In everylocation beg from Allah through duaa.

9. Muzdalifa: Under theopen sky - homeless, shelterless. Howone will feel in real life? Since puttingon the Ihram, one by one everything hasbeen given up to come closer to Him. Depend on Him and Him alone. Thinkwhat you had and what you have now. Look up to Him. He is there waiting for

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your call. Call Him and go to sleepdepending on Him, Who if rememberedunder any circumstances will take careof us.

10. Stoning: All the ritualsnow, certainly, should bring therealization and full conviction on thedependency on Allah. Any thought, anyaction, any entity that tries to deviatefrom that must be rejected. As Satan isour number one enemy, he not only is tobe rejected but stoned, if necessary. Thus through the stoning of the Jamaratwe bring the Greatness of Allah in ourhearts. Reject anything and everythingto obey the commands of Allah. AsAllah says in the Quran: Say: If yourfathers, your sons, your brothers, yourwives, your kindred (relatives), thewealth that you have acquired, thebusiness in which you fear a loss, andthe homes in which you delight aredearer to you than Allah and HisProphets (messengers) and striving inthe path of Allah, then wait until Allahbrings His wrath. Allah does not guidethe people who are disobedient. (9:24) What else is there in the heart that wants

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to take us away from His obedience? Reject everything to come closer toAllah. The stoning is that rejection.

11. Kurbani (The Sacrifice): The most difficult test that was put toIbrahim Alaihe wa sallam and IshmaelAlaihe wa sallam was for a father tosacrifice a son. The command of Allahwas to show the mankind that nosacrifice should be considered anobstacle in fulfilling the commands ofAllah. Allah does not need even theslaughtering of animals forget about son,as He mentions in the Quran: Neithertheir meat, nor their blood reaches Allahbut the piety from you reaches Allah.(22:37) The act of sacrifice shouldreflect that determination in our heart ashas been mentioned in the Quran: Say:my Salah, my ibadat, my living, mydying are for Allah, The Cherisher, TheSustainer of the whole universe. (6:162).

12. Shaving of Head: Thefirst test of sacrifice for a pilgrim isgiving up the “beauty”, that waspreserved for the whole life, to obey thecommands of Allah Subhana wa taala as

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He mentions in the Quran: Then let himcomplete their prescribed duties (ofHajj), perform their vows, and go aroundthe ancient house (the Kaba) (22:29). Do not shave your heads until theoffering reaches the place of sacrifice(2:196). One proof of sacrifice throughslaughtering of animal, the other proofthrough own action.

13. Tawaf (Ifada): Iscoming back after purifications of Imanto rally around Allah; to depend onAllah. The slave now proclaim in hisheart: O my Allah, I have seen yourGreatness, I have realized who I am, Idid not hesitate to give up everythingyou asked me to, I have realized mydestiny, so here I am. Please accept meamong those who rally around you. Donot chant “slogans”, cry from heart forHis acceptance. Ask Him for the rewardHe has promised. You have obeyed, youhave gone through the tests, now is thetime to beg for you and for all those youlove.

With satisfaction and happiness in heartand soul the slave then goes back to

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Meena to glorify Allah and reject theSatan - the deceptor. Prior to leaving forhome, again perform the Tawaf-al-Widato pledge to Allah Subhana wa taala tobring ever lasting obedience in the lifestill left. As one scholar of Islam said:Take home the life of Makkah fromMakkah and life of Madinah fromMadina (of Muhammad Sallallahu alaihewa sallam), to practice for rest of yourlife.

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BE MINDFUL OF

In the book, “A Guide to Hajj, Umrahand Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque”, theMuslims have been warned about thingsthat nullify Islam. Ten most commonviolations are mentioned, which I willquote here -

The First

Associating partners with Allah (Shirk). Allah Most High says: “Truly, if anyoneassociates partners with Allah, Allahwill forbid him the Garden and his abodewill be the Fire; the wrongdoers willhave no helpers”.

The Second

Setting up intermediaries betweenoneself and Allah, making supplicationto them, asking their intercession withAllah, and placing one’s trust in them isunbelief (Kufr).

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The Third

Anyone who does not considerpolytheists (mushrikeen) to beunbelievers, or who has doubtsconcerning their unbelief, is himself anunbeliever (Kafir).

The Fourth

Anyone who believes any guidanceother than the Prophet’s guidance to bemore perfect, or a decision other than theProphet’s decision to be better, is anunbeliever. This applies to those whoprefer the judgement of misguidedindividuals to the Prophet’s judgement. Some examples of this are -

a. To believe that systemsand laws made by human beings arebetter than the Shariah of Islam; forexample, that the Islamic system is notapplicable in the twentieth century. ThatIslam is the cause of backwardness ofMuslims. That the relationship of anindividual with Allah is a private matter

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which should not be brought into thepublic domain.

b. To say that enforcing thepunishment prescribed by Allah, such ascutting off the hand of a thief or stoningan adulterer, is not advisable in this dayand age.

c. To believe that it ispermissible to give a ruling withouttaking into consideration what Allah hasrevealed in matter of law, punishment orother affairs. Although one may notbelieve such ruling to be superior to theShariah, he in effect affirms such a standby declaring a thing which Allah hastotally prohibited, such as adultery,drinking alcohol or usury, to bepermissible. According to the consensusof Muslims, and who declares suchthings to be permissible is an unbeliever(Kafir).

The Fifth

Anyone who hates any part of what theMessenger of Allah Sallal lahu alaihe wasallam has declared to be lawful has

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nullified his Islam, even though he mayact in accordance with it. Allah MostHigh says: “Because they dislike whatAllah has revealed, their deeds arebrought to nothing.”

The Sixth

Anyone who ridicules any aspect of thereligion of the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam, or any of itsrewards or punishments, becomes anunbeliever. Allah Most High says: “Say,Do you ridicule Allah, His revelationsand His Messenger? Make no excuse,you have disbelieved after your(profession of ) faith”.

The Seventh

The practice of magic. Included in thisis, for example, causing a rift between ahusband and wife by turning his love forher into hatred, or tempting a person todo things he dislikes by using black arts. One who engages in such a thing or ispleased with it is outside the pale ofIslam. Allah Most High says: The two

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(angels Harut and Marut) did not teachanyone (magic) without warning them. Indeed, we are a trial, then do notdisbelieve.

The Eighth

Supporting and aiding polytheistsagainst Muslims. Allah Most High says:The one from among you who supportsthem belongs to them. Truly, Allah doesnot guide the people who do wrong.

The Ninth

Anyone who believes that some peopleare permitted to deviate from Shariah ofMuhammad Sallal lahu alaihe wa sallamis an unbeliever by the word of AllahMost High. If anyone seeks a religionother than al-Islam, it will not beaccepted from him, and in the hereafterhe will be among the losers.

The Tenth

To turn completely away from thereligion of Allah, neither learning its

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precepts nor acting upon it. Allah MostHigh says: “Who does greater wrongthan the one who is reminded of therevelations of his Lord and turns awayfrom them. Truly, we shall recompensethe guilty.” And He also says: “Butthose who disbelieve turn away fromthat about which they are warned”.

It makes no difference whether suchviolations are committed as a joke, inseriousness or out of fear, except whendone under compulsion.

We seek refuge in Allah from suchdeeds as entail His wrath and severepunishment.

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GUIDE TO THE HAJJ AND UMRAH

In the light of Quran and Sunnah thescholars of Islam have come up withcertain guidelines. One can study anyauthentic book. Here I am going tomention mostly from the book Printedand Published by the Presidency ofIslamic Research, IFTA and Propagationof Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

There are three ways ofperforming Hajj:

1. Hajj al Tamattu: Thismeans entering into Ihram for the Umrahduring the months of Hajj that is in themonth of Shawwal, Zil-Qidah and thefirst ten days of Zil-Hajj and take offIhram after performing Umrah. Then toenter into Ihram again to perform Hajjfrom Makkah on the 8th of Zil-Hajjduring the same year in which Umrahwas performed. For Tamattu Hajj Sayemust be done both during Umrah andTawaf-al- Ifada. Sacrificing an animal(sheep, goat or one seventh of a camel or cow) is obligatory or in lieu fastingfor 10 days (3 days before day of Arafat

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and seven days after returning home). There are different options about the 3days, some opinion before the day ofArafat others up to the last day ofMeena. Allah says: .... but if he can not(afford it), he should fast three daysduring the Hajj and seven days after hisreturn (2:196). Tawaf-al-wida has to beperformed before leaving Makkah forhome.

2. Hajj al-Qiran: This meansentering into Ihram for both Umrah andHajj at the same time, not taking off theIhram (after Umrah) until the day ofsacrifice (the 10th day of Zil-Hajj). Alternately one may first enter in toIhram for Umrah and before beginningthe tawaf may make the intention for theHajj as well. Perform Saye only once -the Sunnah is to perform Saye duringUmrah. Sacrificing an animal is alsoobligatory but if one cannot afford thenAllah said to fast for ten days (3 daysbefore day of Arafat and seven daysafter returning home). About 10 daysplease see above comments. If one didnot perform Saye during Umrah he hasto perform Saye after Tawaf-al-Ifada.

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Tawaf-al-wida has to be performedbefore leaving Makkah for home.

3. Hajj-al-Ifrad: This meansentering into Ihram for Hajj either fromthe Miqat or from Makkah if one residesin Makkah or from places betweenMiqat and Makkah in the event that onehas brought a sacrificial animal with himand remain in Ihram until the day ofsacrifice (10th of Zil-Hajj). If one hasnot brought an animal for sacrifice, he isrequired to come out of Ihram afterperforming Umrah (Tawaf, Saye,shaving of head). Then re-enter intoIhram on the 8th of Zil-Hajj. The sameapplies to a person who is performingHajj-al-Qiran in the event that he has notbrought with him an animal to sacrificeit is required that he comes out of Ihramafter Umrah as described above. Sayehas to be done only once for both Hajj-al-Qiran or Hajj-al-Ifrad either duringUmrah (on arrival at Makkah) or afterTawaf-al-Ifada. There is no obligation inHajj-al-Ifrad to sacrifice an animal butall five schools of thoughts agree that itis better to sacrifice voluntarily. ForHajj-al-Ifrad the Tawaf-al-Wida(farewell tawaf) is not obligatory.

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THE CONDITIONS FOR HAJJ:

Hajj is obligatory for a Muslim who isadult, has the sanity and capability. Hajjis not obligatory for a child. A personmust have enough provision to leave forhis family, if they are not accompanyinghim. For a women she should beaccompanied by her husband or aMahram. According to Maliki and Shafischools of thought, company of thehusband or Mahram is not a condition.

THE FARD OF HAJJ:

1. Wear Ihram.2. Be present within the

boundaries of Arafat.3. Perform Tawaf al-Ifada.

If any of the above three are omitted onehas to come back for Hajj again.

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THE WAJIBAT OF HAJJ:

If any of the following is omitted thenfor each omission one has to give fidyah(penalty) one goat or sheep or oneseventh share of cow or camel.

1. Saye.2. Staying at night at

Muzdalefa.3. Throwing pebbles at the

pillars.4. Shaving head.5. Tawaf-al-Qudum(1st

Tawaf).6. For Qiran Hajj giving

sacrifice.7. Tawaf al-wida (farewell

Tawaf).

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PERFORMANCE OF UMRAH:

1. There are five Miqatwhere from one has to wear Ihram. TheMiqats are at Al-Juhfa, Dul-Hulaifa, Al-Datirq, Qarn Al-Manjil and Al-Yalamlam. On reaching the prescribedMiqat take ghusl (shower), use perfumeif available, and then put on the clothesof Ihram (two pieces of white un-sewedclothes). Remember that if you areflying by air Jeddah is after passingMiqat, so either you have to put onIhram before you get in the plane or youmust put on the Ihram inside theaeroplane. Once you reach the Miqat(the pilot may make the announcement)you start the Talbiyya. Women alsomake ghusl but she does not use perfumeand make ups. She may wear any clothesavailable as long as they do not displayher body shape and beauties. She shouldbe completely covered except her faceand hands. It is preferable that beforeIhram is put on, one should clip nails,shave underarm and pubic hair and trimmustache. After putting on the Ihramand for women appropriate clothes,make intention to perform Umrah, pray

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two rakah of Salah, uncover the head(men only) and say Talbiyya loudly asfollows:

Labbayk Allahumma LabbaykLabbayk La Shareeka laka LabbaykInnal-hamda, wa nimata, laka wal-mulkla shareeka lak. (Here I am at Yourservice O Allah, here I am. Here I am,No partner, do you have, here I am. Truly, the praise and favor is Yours, andthe dominion. No partner do you have.)

Men should utter the Talbiyya aloud,while women should say it silently. Repeat the Talbiyya frequently andengage in the zikir of Allah; insupplication and in the enjoining of whatis good and forbidding of what is evil(that is give dawa).

2. On reaching Makkah putyour belongings in the hotel room orwhere you feel they will be safe, thenwithout delay go for the Tawaf of theKaba (Tawaf al-Qudum). Recite theduaa of entering Masjid Al-Haram andgo inside with your right foot and walk

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towards the Kaba keeping your gazedown. Do not pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid. Remember the duaa after the first sightof the Kaba is accepted by AllahSubhana-wa taala. Once you reach nearthe open space around Kaba, move awayfrom the walking path of the people andlook at the Kaba. Raise your hands andask Allah what you want. See yourdream! Let the stream of water flownon-stop from the eyes. Ask Allah inyour duaa to accept all the good duaayou will make in the rest of your life. Thank Him for letting you come to Hishouse. Ask protection from Satan andevil deeds in rest of the life. Beg as longas you want. Then go near the corner ofthe Black Stone (Hajre Aswad), makeintention of the Tawaf of Umrah, raiseyour hands pointing towards the BlackStone, say Allah hu Akbar and start theTawaf. Touching and kissing black stoneis sunnah but pushing others is haram.Put the top part of Ihram in such waythat your right shoulder and right armremains open during the first three circle(Tawaf), while the left shoulder and armshould be covered. Also during the firstthree Tawaf move in a way as if you are

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running. The remaining four Tawafshould be by walking with the peoplearound you. Never push anyone andalways protect yourself from the womenaround you and women should protectfrom the men around them. There is noprescribed duaa during Tawaf except itis Sunna to say: Rabbana atina fiddunyahasanata wa fil akherati hassanata waqina azaban-nar, (Our Lord give usgood in this world and good in thehereafter and save us from thepunishment of the Fire) during Tawafbetween the corner of Kaba calledRukne Yeamani and the corner of HazreAswad (Black Stone). In the rest of thedistance of Tawaf ask Allah whateveryour heart wants. It is not Sunnah toread duaa from books or say in a groupin loud voice. You may also recite theQuran from your heart or make Zikir ofAllah Subhana wa taala.

3. After completing the 7thcircle (going around the Kaba) pray tworakah of Salah behind Makame Ibrahimat a convenient place where you will notbe disturbed. It is sunnah to recite SuraKaferun in lst rakah and Sura Ikhlas in

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2nd rakah. After Salah make duaaagain.

4. After the two rakah ofSalah you may drink the water of ZamZam to your fill. Recite the duaa if youknow or ask Allah what you want whiledrinking the water. Zam Zam water canbe drunk in standing position, not otherwater. Allah has kept lots of blessing inthe water of Zam Zam including cure ofdiseases.

5. One can then proceed tothe hill of Safa for Saye. On getting upthe hill of Safa, face the Kaba and praiseAllah by raising your hands and sayingAllahu Akbar three times. Make duaa toAllah Subhana wa taala. Repeat theduaa three times as that is the Sunnah. Also to say: “La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika la, lahul mulk wa lahulhamd, wa hua ala kulli shayin qadeer”, isSunnah. Repeat it three times (Themeaning: There is no deity except Allah;the One without a partner. He is thedominion and His is the praise worthyand He is powerful over everything.)Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam

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also prayed silently. One may say theduaas that one can memorize or say fromheart what you want from Allah. Afterduaa descend from Safa and do the Sayeof the Umrah. Men should run betweenthe two green lights. Complete goingfrom Safa to Marwa as one walk, Marwato Safa as second walk. This way seventimes. Each time on getting at the “hilltop” raise your hands by facing the Kabaand say: “Allahu Akbar” three times andrecite the above duaa along with duaa ofyour heart. There is no specific duaaduring Tawaf and Saye. Keep on doingZikir, recite the Quran from heart andmake duaa in your own words.

6. After Saye (completion ofseven walk) stand on the hill of Marwaand facing Kaba make duaa. Then shaveyour head - it is better. If there isproblem then may trim the hair of theentire head. Women should trim the tipsof their hair. After this the prohibitionpertaining to Ihram are lifted exceptsexual relation with your wife, therefore,you may resume your normal clothesand activities.

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THE PERFORMANCE OF HAJJ:

1. If you are performingHajj al-Ifrad or Hajj al-Qiran (that isHajj combined with Umrah) you enterinto Ihram at the Miqat - through whichyou pass on your way to Makkah. If youare in the Miqat or you are resident ofMakkah, then you put on your Ihram atyour home. Similarly if you areperforming Hajj-al-Tamattu you enterinto Ihram for Hajj at your residence inMakkah or in your hotel room on the 8thof Zil-Hajj after Fajr Salah. Performghusl (shower), perfume yourself ifpossible and put on the Ihram like youdid for the Umrah. Women likewiseperform ghusl but do not use perfume. They may wear any suitable clothes aswas told for Umrah. Their clothes mustnot show the body figure and beauties. Women must cover every part of thebody except hands and face. Afterputting on Ihram recite Talbiyyafrequently: Labbayk Allah hummaLabbayk. Labbayk la Shareeka lakaLabbayk. In nal hamda wa nimata lakawal mulk La sharika lak. Frequentlyrecite the Talbiyya and proceed to

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Meena. Remember, women should notrecite Talbiyya loudly.

2. In Meena five Salah to beprayed, Zuhur, Asr, Maghrib, Isha andFajr prayers at their proper times,shortening prayers of four rakats to tworakats. DO NOT COMBINE THESEPRAYERS.

3. After the sun rises on the9th of Zil Hajj proceed to Arafat in adignified humble manner rememberingAllah Subhana wa taala and reciting theTalbiyya frequently. Remember theimportance of Arafat. At Arafat pray theZuhur and Asr Salah shortened andcombined at Zuhur time with one Azanand two Iqama as the Prophet of AllahSallal lahu alaihe wa sallam did. Makesure you are within the boundaries ofArafat. Part of the Masjid Namira is notwithin the boundaries of Arafat. If youare not within the boundaries of Arafatyour Hajj is void and you have to comeback again to fulfill your Fardhobligation. Keep yourself busy in therecitation of Quran and other Zikir ofAllah Subhana wa taala. Remember therole of Arafat in Hajj as has beendiscussed in previous chapter. “Hajj is

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Arafat.” Do not waste your time bytalking to others. After the time of AsrSalah, stand up in an area where nobodywill disturb you, face Kibla, raise yourhands towards the sky and keep onmaking duaa till sunset. Make Tauba forall shortcomings and beg Allah’s favor. Make duaa for your parents, children,relatives (dead or alive), for the entireUmmah, for mankinds hedayet, and allthose who requested you to make duaa. Become like a beggar not to give up. Let all the tears be finished to make Himaccept your duaa. Do not give up. Thisis your chance. He has come closest toyou. He is hearing, responding andfulfilling all your calls. Pretty soon youwill see the results. Remain in Arafatuntil after the sunset.

4. When the sun has set,proceed towards Muzdalifa recitingTalbiyya. When you arrive at Muzdalifapray the Maghrib and Isha Salahcombined with one Azan and two Iqamano matter when you reach Muzdalifa. Shorten the Isha to two rakats. Thereafter rest (sleep) in Muzdalifa untilTahajjad or Fajr Salah. After Fajr prayerface the qibla and make duaa till sunrise

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raising your hands following the practiceof the Prophet Sallal lahu alaihe wasallam.

5. In Muzdalifa pick up thepebbles to throw at the pillars. You maypick up only seven at Muzdalifa and restat Meena or all 70 (seventy) fromMuzdalifa. Do not wash the pebbles.

Women or weak individuals mayproceed to Meena at anytime aftermidnight.

6. When you arrive atMeena do the following:

a. Stone the Pillar ofAqabah (the pillar nearest to Makkah),throwing seven pebbles one afteranother, saying Allahu Akbar each time. Do not stand. Keep on walking whilethrowing the pebbles.

b. If you are requiredto sacrifice, slaughter the sacrificialanimal after throwing the pebbles. Ifpossible eat some of the meat anddistribute the rest to the needy.

c. Shave your headsince that is better than trimming thehair. Women should cut a fingertip

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length of their hair. Only afterslaughtering the sacrificial animal shaveyour head since that is the Order ofAllah in the Quran.

After the above duties the prohibition ofIhram are over except sexual intercoursewith your wife. You can now wearusual clothes and take shower.

7. After taking some restyou then go to Makkah and performTawaf-al-Ifadah (the Fardh Tawaf ofHajj). Remember, you have to start yourTawaf from Hazre Aswad (The BlackStone). Do not forget to recite -Rabbana, atina, fid-dunya hasanatan wafil akhirati hassana wa qina azaban-narbetween Rukne Yeamani and HazreAswad each time. After seven circlespray behind Makame Ibrahim. Then ifyou are doing Hajj al-Tamattu you alsoperform Saye. If you are performingHajj al-Ifrad or Hajj al-Qiran and youdid not perform Saye during Tawaf al-Qudum (The Tawaf of Arrival) then youmust do Saye now. After this Saye youdo not have to trim or shave hair again. Now you are completely free of your

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prohibition and you can also resumemarital relations. One may delay theTawaf-al-Ifada until the days spent inMeena are over. In that case theprohibition on marital relation will lasttill the Tawaf and Saye (if needed) aredone.

8. After performing Tawafal-Ifada on the day of sacrifice, return toMeena and spend two or three days asper plan. Allah Subhana wa taala says inthe Quran: And remember Allah during(specific) numbered days. Thenwhoever hastens (his departure) in twodays - there is no sin upon him who fearsAllah. And fear Allah and that unto Himyou will be returned (2:203). Do notwaste your time in worldly talk. Keepyourself busy in Amal, recitation ofQuran, religious discussion. Go fromtent to tent and meet people fromdifferent parts of the world. Give dawato the ones you visit.

9. At any time in theafternoon of each of the two or threedays of stay in Meena stone each of thethree pillars starting from the pillar

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farthest from Makkah, followed by themiddle pillar and lastly the pillar ofAqaba. Throw seven pebbles one byone at each pillar saying Allahu Akbar ateach throw.

If you stay in Meena for only two daysthen you must leave Meena after stoningthe pillars before sunset on the secondday. If the sun sets before you leave theboundaries of Meena then you stay inMeena for the third day and throwpebbles on third day as well. In anycase, it is preferable to stay in Meena forthree days. It is permissible for the sickand the weak to appoint a proxy to throwtheir pebbles. The proxy first throws hisown pebbles then for others while at thesame pillar.

10. If you decide to return toyour country after completing the ritesof Hajj, you perform Tawaf al-wida(farewell Tawaf) before leavingMakkah. No one is excused from thisexcepting women who are menstruatingor in the period of discharge followingchildbirth. For Hajj-al-Ifrad the farewellTawaf is not obligatory.

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Thus the Hajj is complete. May Allahaccept the Hajj of everyone and giveopportunity to go for Hajj and Umrahagain and again. Ameen.

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OBLIGATIONS DURING IHRAM:

During the state of Ihram for Hajj orUmrah the following are obligatory:

1. To faithfully observe allthat Allah has made obligatory, such asthe daily prayers at their proper time.

2. To avoid what Allah hasprohibited such as sexual intercourse,wrong-doing, quarreling and committingsins.

3. To guard against injuringthe Muslims by deed or by word.

4. To abstain from what isprohibited during Ihram, namely –

a. Do not cut your nails or pull out hair.

b. Do not useperfume whether on clothes or on bodyor in food or drink. There is no harm ifthe effect of perfume applied beforeIhram was put on, remains.

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c. Do not kill,frighten or assist in hunting any animalas long as you are in Ihram.

d. Do not cut a treeor pluck any green vegetation within thesacred precincts of Al-Haram, whetheryou are in Ihram or not, as theMessenger of Allah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam has prohibited from doing so.

e. Do not becomeengaged to be married, do not getmarried, do not perform marriagecontract for anyone and do not engage inmarital intercourse as long as you are inIham.

All these prohibitions apply equally formen and women alike.

In particular:! A man may not

put any covering on his head. But theshade of Umbrella, etc. are permissible. There is no harm in carrying somethingon the head.

! A man may notwear shirt, underwear, socks or anythingelse which is sewn including shoes,slippers on the whole or part of his body.

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! It is forbidden fora woman to wear gloves on her hands orto cover her face with niqabs or burqahduring the state of Ihram.

However if male strangers are aroundher, she should conceal her face with herhead covering or similar things. Theserules apply only when she is in the stateof Ihram. Thereafter she may wearniqabs and gloves.

! If a personintentionally violates the obligatory actsof Ihram then there is fidyah (penalty)for the violation; otherwise unintentionalviolation does not require penalty.

! It is permissible towear sandals (not sewed), rings,watches, glasses, hearing aid, belt or agirdle which protects ones money ordocuments.

! It is permissible totake shower and change or put on newclothes for Ihram. Do not use soap, oil orscent during shower. It is permissible towash the clothes of Ihram, if necessary.

! In order toincrease the number of Umrahs somepeople go to Al-Tanim or Al-Jiranah

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after Hajj to put on Ihram andsubsequently return for Umrah. Nosupport of this practice exists in theShariah.

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VISITATION OF THE PROPHETSALLALLAHU ALAIHE WA SALLAM’SMOSQUE:

1. Going to MadinaMonowara at anytime with the intentionof visiting the Prophet Sallallahu alaihewa sallam’s Mosque is a sunnah; as isperforming Salah in it. Abu HurairaRadiallahu anhu narrates that RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam said: Prayingonce in this Mosque of mine is 1000times better than praying in otherMosques except the Sacred Mosque(Bukhari, Muslim).

Jabir Radiallahu anhu narrated the hadithof Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wasallam which says: Praying in thisMosque of mine is 1000 times betterthan praying in other Mosques exceptthe Sacred Mosque and praying in theSacred Mosque is 100,000 times betterthan praying in other Mosques (Ahmad,Ibn Maja).

2. There is no Ihram orTalbiyya for visiting the ProphetSallallahu alaihe wa sallam’s Mosque.

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It should be emphasized that there is noconnection whatsoever between this visitand Hajj.

3. When you enter theProphet Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam’sMosque, enter with humbleness withright foot first by saying therecommended duaa of entering anymosque, including the Prophet’sMosque: Auzu billahil azim, wa waj hihil Kareem, wa sultani-hil qadeem mina-shaytani-rajeem. Allah humma, iftahliabwaba rahmatik. (I seek refuge inAllah the Almighty, and in His noblecountenance and in His eternal powerfrom Satan the rejected. O Allah, opento me the doors of your mercy.)Thereafter perform two rakats oftahiyyat al-masjid salah preferably atRawdah Al-Jannah or otherwiseanywhere else in the Masjid.

4. After finishing the Salahgo to the grave of the Prophet Sallallahualaihe wa sallam and standing in front ofit, say in a respectful and hushed voice“Assalamu alaika, ayyuhan - nabbiyyawa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu” (Peace

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be on you, O Prophet of Allah, and themercy and blessings of Allah). One mayalso add: Allahumma atihil waseelatawalfadilata wab-athul maqamal-mahmoudal-ladhee wa-adtahu.Allahumma, ajzih an ummatihi afdalal-jaza” (O Lord {Allah} give him the right(of intercession) and the favor, and raisehim to the praise worthy station whichyou promised to him. O Allah, rewardhim on behalf of his Ummah{followers} with best of rewards.)

Then move a little bit to the right tostand before the grave of Abu BakrRadiallahu Anhu. Greet him with Salamand supplicate to Allah to bestow Hismercy and forgiveness on him.

Again move a little to the right to standbefore the grave of Umar Radiallahuanhu. Greet him with Salam and makesupplication for him.

Always face Kibla to make duaa. Donot ask anything from RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam, always askfrom Allah Subhana wa taala.

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5. It is Sunnah to visit theMasjid Quba and offer Salah in it, as theProphet Sallallahu Alaihe wa sallamprayed there and encouraged others todo the same. Rasulullah Sallallahualaihe wa sallam said: Whosoever setsout until he comes to this Mosque(Masjid Quba) and prays in it, he willhave the reward of performing anUmrah. (Ahmad, An-Nasayee).

6. It is Sunnah to visit thegraves of Al-Baqee cemetery and thegrave of Uthman Radiallahu anhu, thegraves of the martyrs of the Uhud andthe grave of Hamza Radiallalu anhu. Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam usedto visit the graves at Al-Baqee and prayfor those buried there. He taught hiscompanions when visiting graves to say:Assalamu alaikum, ahlal diyar minal-mumineen wal muslimeen, wa innainsha-Allah bikum lahi qoon. Nasalal-laha lana wa lakumul afiya (Muslim).(Peace be on you, O dwellers of thisplace from among the believers andMuslims, and we will Insha Allah joinyou. We ask Allah for security {from

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the fire of Hell} for ourselves and foryou.)

Scholars of Islam have recommended tovisit the above places in the light ofSunna. Some people during “Ziarah”also go to The Masjid Qiblataeen and thefield of Khandak (Battle of Trenches).The merits of visiting other places inMadina has been discouraged. Whilevisiting the Masjid of RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam one must becareful not to commit acts that are notpart of Ibadat and in some cases shirk.Like one must not pray to RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam, ask him foranything, face his grave and supplicate,touch the pillars or grill, kiss themember, etc. One must ask all favorsfrom Allah and Allah alone. Always faceKibla and supplicate to Allah not toRasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam.Spend as much time as possible in anypart of the Masjid of the ProphetSallallahu alaihe wa sallam, specially inthe area of Rawda-Al-Janna. Recite theQuran, send lots of Darud and Allah’sblessing on Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihewa sallam. Pray lot of nafl Salah and

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Tahajjud in the Masjid. Do not wasteyour time in the market place. Spendthat time in the Masjid.

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ON RETURNING HOME

After returning home, first, we shouldstop at our local Masjid. Pray two rakatof Tahiyyatul Masjid and thank AllahSubhana wa taala for giving theopportunity to visit “His House”, theProphet Sallallahu alaihe wa sallam’sMosque and perform the Hajj. Then weshould make intention to change thedirection of our lives towards theobedience of commands of AllahSubhana wa taala and towards thesunnah of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihewa sallam. Make intention to use ourlives and wealth to learn, practice andpropagate the deen (religion) of AllahSubhana wa taala.

The one that returns from Hajj gets anew life like that of a newborn baby ashas been stated in the hadith. The hajjeehas seen the signs of Allah Subhana wataala. He went through the foot stepsand the actions of the most beloved onesof Allah Subhana wa taala (The ProphetsAlaihe wa sallam). He now knows whatbrings a person closer to Allah. Aftercoming back from Hajj one therefore

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should strive to stay in that path ofobedience by following thecommandments of Allah Subhana wataala till he dies.

After Hajj no sacrifice for the pleasureof Allah should be considered supreme. The purpose of the commands ofsacrificing Ishmael Alaihe wa sallamwas not that Allah Subhana wa taalawanted Ibrahim Alaihe wa sallam toslaughter his son. The purpose was toshow the mankind till the doom’s daythat even if the need be to that level oneshould not hesitate to follow thecommands of Allah Subhana wa taala. Alas, today forget about sacrificing tothat extent we are not even ready toleave our offices, jobs, stores, firmswhen the call is made to go to the Masjidfor prayers. Unless we keep in mind theteachings of the Quran, Sunnah and thelessons learned in Hajj we will get lostin material world where we were beforegoing to Hajj.

My dear brothers and sisters we haveread, we have heard and we know whatour responsibilities are. The Quran is

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clear, the Hadith are clear, the lives ofthe Prophet Alaihe wa sallam are in frontof us, the lives of the Sahaba RadiallahuAnhuma are being read again and againand we all are seeing the signs of revivalof Islam around us still are we going tobe just the silent spectator or are wegoing to do what Allah Subhana wa taalawants us to do? Allah says in the Quran: And who is better in speech than himwho invites (mankind) towards Allah,and does what is right (follow the deen)and says: Indeed I am of those who havesurrendered (unto Him, that is a Muslim)(41.33). Allah Subhana wa taala furthersays: You are the best of the nations thathas been raised up for the mankind. Youenjoin what is good and forbid what iswrong: and you believe in Allah (3:110). Then Allah Subhana wa taala made itabsolutely clear by ordering RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam to tell us:“Say (O Muhammad): This is my waythat I call (people) towards Allah withwisdom and strong belief, I andwhosoever follow me. (12:108) Thoseare few of the clear commands of AllahSubhana wa taala about the purposes ofour lives. Now is the time to make the

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intention and try 100% to come on thosecommands and fulfill ourresponsibilities. Remember the KhutbaRasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamgave at Hajj, in which he also conveyedour responsibilities. Maybe one of thereasons for which staying in Arafat isFard because of the message that wasconveyed in the Khutba by RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam, whichshould be learnt in Arafat and carried outafter returning from Hajj. We have beengiven the responsibility to convey evenone ayat (sentence of Quran) to others. The companions of RasulullahSallallahu alaihe wa sallam did whatthey were told. We are the followers ofthe same Prophet and the message is alsosame. The responsibilities are alsosame. For that reason we have to do forwhich we have been included in theUmmah of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihewa sallam. The companions of theProphet Sallallahu alaihe was sallamtraded their lives and wealth in exchangeof Jannah as has been stated by AllahSubhana wa taala: Indeed, Allah haspurchased from the believers their livesand their properties (in exchange) for

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that they will have Paradise. (9:111). Therefore we must make intention tostrive in the path of Allah with our time(life) and wealth to convey the messageof Islam to the mankind. Today, nobodytalks to the people about Allah. It is ourjob to do that. Unless we follow thedeen, others will not see Islam in us. The Sahaba Radiallahu anhuma used tosay: Kulu mislana (Be like us.). Can wesay the same to others? Let us bringIslam in our lives, in business, indealings, in legal system, in ourappearance, etc. People must knowIslam from our lives, not from books.

Do not talk about the hardship, if any,that you faced during the Hajj. Talkabout the Qudrats (signs that you saw,learned) of Allah Subhana wa taala. Give dawa to Iman and deen of AllahSubhana wa taala. Remember, if youfaced any difficulty that most likely wasa test to forgive you. Think about thetrials Ibrahim Alaihe wa sallam and hisfamily went through. Ask yourself, ifyour trials were worse than theirs. Didyou face more difficulties than them? Did not you go for Hajj knowing that

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you will be following the foot steps ofthe Prophet Ibrahim, Maa Hazera andProphet Ishmael alaihe wa sallam? Howone can complain then? So, one shouldmake Tauba and ask Allah Subhana wataala for forgiveness for any difficultythat most probably happened because ofsin committed before or during Hajj. Never blame the Mowallem (groupleader), or anyone that makearrangement for your Hajj. They trytheir best but it is Allah who decideswhat you are going to face.

Allah Subhana wa taala says in theQuran: And (remember) when your Lordproclaimed: If you are grateful, I willadd more (favor) unto you: But if youshow ingratitude truly My punishmentindeed is severe. (14:7) Now if we arenot among those who thank AllahSubhana wa taala then the wrath ofAllah surely is coming. By doing Hajj ifwe complain, that is like ungratefulnessfor the opportunity Allah Subhana wataala gave. Therefore be very careful insaying things that may sound in negativesense. Also remember, your duaa isaccepted by Allah Subhana wa taala

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after returning from Hajj as has beenreported by Ibn Umar Radiallahu anhu -Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihe wa sallamsaid: When you meet a hajee (on his wayhome) then greet him, shake hands withhim and ask him to beg forgiveness ofAllah on your behalf before he enters hishome, for his prayer for forgiveness isaccepted since he is forgiven by Allahfor his sins (Mishkat).

So, please make duaa for the writer ofthis book and his family along with yourbeloved ones. Make duaa for the entireUmma. Do not forget to make duaa forthe entire mankind for their Hedayet(guidance) so the mankind can savethem from Hell Fire. The cry ofProphet Muhammad Sallallahu alaihewa sallam was for the Hedayet of theentire mankind. All his sufferings werefor that reason only. Since he is no morein this world, as his followers it isincumbant upon us to cry to AllahSubhana wa taala for the Hedayet of themankind. We have not been sent to hurtothers but we have been sent to callpeople to Allah Subhana wa taala andshow the path to Jannah (the success).

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May Allah Subhana wa taala forgive meand my family. May Allah Subhana wataala accept the Hajj of all those whohave performed the Hajj in the past, andwill be performing in future. I askforgiveness from all of you, who readthis book, for any mistake you may findand ask Allah to forgive me for thosemistakes as well. Ameen.